Barra clan united by hockey
There’s plenty of traditional Thanksgiving grub at the Barra family feast in Buffalo Grove. We’re talking turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie … snapshots and a few hip checks.
Yep, that’s normal for this hockey crazed family that features sophomore Vinny Barra, 16, a center for the co-op BGHW Stampede, which features players from Buffalo Grove, Hersey and Wheeling.
Vinny, who attends Buffalo Grove High School and takes all honors or AP classes, is the latest in the family’s long line of Wayne Gretzky wannabe’s. Just consider:
Ÿ Cody Barra, 18, is now playing for the Atlanta Knights of the Southeast Junior Hockey League and is a senior at Grayson High School in Loganville, Ga. He played for BGHW for the past three years and is Vinny’s brother.
Ÿ Vinny’s younger brother, Anthony, 13, plays for the Ice Dogs in Vernon Hills.
Ÿ Vinny’s dad, Dave, coached Mundelein High School for the past four years, though the team was forced to disband this season due to low turnout at tryouts and an inability to combine with another school or two. He has coached locally for 15 years.
Ÿ Vinny’s cousin Jeff LoVecchio, 25, played for Western Michigan University and now patrols left wing for the Providence Bruins of the American Hockey League (AHL). Jeff’s dad, Phil, who is Vinny’s uncle, is a member of the Illinois Hockey Hall of Fame (officials’ wing) and Phil still officiates. Jeff attended Stevenson for one year.
Ÿ Vinny’s cousin, Topher Scott, 25, who graduated from Stevenson in 2004, played four seasons at Cornell University, then in the ECHL, and is now a volunteer assistant coach at Miami University in Ohio. Topher’s dad, Bobby, who is Vinny’s uncle, is a former college and minor league player who now is the hockey director for the Ice Dogs in Vernon Hills.
Ÿ Topher’s twin younger brothers, Max and Jake, 19, who also are Vinny’s cousins, played JV hockey at Stevenson and are now attending Harper College.
Ÿ Vinny’s uncle, Tim Scott, 41, graduated from Buffalo Grove in 1987, and played for the school’s hockey team. He is now a youth coach for the Ice Jets at Johnny’s Ice House in Chicago.
Ÿ Vinny’s grandfather, Bob, 74, was a hockey official for 30 years and now is a loyal fan for his grandson and the Stampede, attending many of the high school’s games.
“In our family, everything is hockey. And I love it that way,” said Barra, who shoots left-handed and is in his second varsity season. “When my uncle Bob was 11 years old, he decided that he wanted to play hockey. And everyone has played since.
“We’re a close family, but hockey brings us even closer. Hockey is a huge conversation piece at any and all family functions. Hockey is the main thing, but it’s mainly just a vessel for them to teach us a multitude of life lessons. I’ve learned about responsibility through hockey, and teamwork, and more.”
Barra centers the line with left wing Brendan Starr, a sophomore at Hersey; and Mark Brusilovsky, a junior at Buffalo Grove. BGHW stands at 4-7-1 in Metro Central play.
Barrington leads the league at 9-0, outscoring its Metro Central foes 52-4.
“Last year was a lot of fun, and there definitely was a lot of trash-talking in the days before and after games,” between BGHW and Mundelein, Barra said. “Our teams were pretty equal in skill level and we played against each other a lot; I really enjoyed those games.
“This year is, well, a lot lonelier. It definitely was a lot of fun last year playing alongside Cody for the first time. He was so dominant; he carried the team. It was cool that my brother was the one. I was the only freshman on the team last year, and he definitely taught me to be a bit more patient and understanding, and to always have fun.”
Barra, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 180 pounds out of equipment, is a grinder on the ice. He’s a forward who’s a skilled forechecker. He hits and passes, though he has been slow scoring this season; Barra has yet to tally in 11 league games.
Barra sees time on the ice for BGHW during power play, penalty kill and other key times in the game. And he’s one of the fastest skaters on the club.
“I’ve had chances, shots, but I just seem to miss the net; I shoot it wide or hit the post, or lose the puck. It seems like the Hockey Gods don’t want me to score this season,” Barra said, laughing. “There definitely is pressure this season, unlike last year when my brother and the other top forwards had to carry the team.”
BGHW entered this season without its top five scorers from last year, including Cody Barra. Still, the younger Barra said, “I’m really enjoying myself this season; it’s great getting to play with my friends.”
Barra also plays for the Falcons midget minor Central States team which, he says, “is a much faster-paced game than high school.”
Thus, Barra said he skates at least 25 days per month, every month. His weekends, for instance, often include three games and one practice in two days.
“Vinny is a hardworking power forward. He does a lot of the little things well. He plays smart; he plays simple,” said Dave Barra, the former coach.
Bring it, Barrington: Barrington carries a lethal one-two offensive punch: Craig Caplin and Patrick McVickers.
Caplin is skating away with the scoring lead in Metro Central with 11 goals and 13 assists in 9 games. He also has 2 power play goals and 3 game-winning goals.
McVickers has 9 goals and 6 assists in 9 games. And teammates Zach Dulla and Christian Pitti also each have 13 points in league play.
Caplin’s best league game to date was during the Broncos 6-0 win over Fremd on Nov. 3; he had 3 goals and an assist on McVickers’ third-period goal. Caplin also had 1 goal and 3 assists in a 4-0 win over the Latin School of Chicago on Oct. 27.
Northern news: Metro North is a three-team battle at the top with Stevenson, Glenbrook North and St. Viator each boasting 18 points.
Lake Forest is in fourth-place with 13 points, and scored a key league win, at home, against the Spartans on Nov. 20.
Stevenson’s Grady Suerth, a junior in his first varsity season, leads the league with 20 points (4 goals, 16 assists). Suerth also has a power-play, short-handed and game-winning goal.
Viator senior Christian Divito has 9 goals, 8 assists in 11 league games, including 3 power-play tallies. The Lions are 14-5-3 overall, including a 5-3 record in Catholic League play. St. Viator slipped past Loyola Maroon 2-1 on Nov. 17, as Ricky Gattone scored the game-winning goal 57 seconds into the third period on an assist from junior Jeremy O’Donnell.
Warren senior Nicholas Scott leads the league with 5 power-play and 3 game-winning goals among the 7 he has scored so far.
Out West: Waubonsie Valley (9-2) continues to shine. Hinsdale Central is in second-place with a 6-1-3 record, followed by York, Sandburg and Naperville North.
Jordan Swiderski, a senior forward at Neuqua Valley, is third in the league in scoring (13 goals, 4 assists in 9 games) and leads the league with 6 power-play and 3 game-winning goals.
York’s Nick Albergo has two 4-goal games this season, most recently on Nov. 13 against Lockport, including 3 goals in a 72-second span late in the second period.
Joe Storto, a senior forward at Waubonsie Valley, leads the league with 11 assists.
Turkey tourneys: The 39th annual Loyola Thanksgiving Tournament features 16 teams, including the hosts Loyola Gold and Loyola Maroon, along with New Trier Green, Naperville Central, Fenwick, Prairie Ridge and defending state champion St. Rita. The championship game is Sunday at Centennial Ice Rink in Wilmette.
Prediction Loyola Gold, Fenwick, St. Rita and New Trier Green will advance to the semifinals, with Green edging St. Rita 3-2 in the championship game.
The seventh annual Stevenson Thanksgiving Tournament also features 16 teams, including Naperville North, Libertyville, St. Viator, Providence, Warren and Highland Park. The championship game is Sunday at the Twin Rinks Ice Pavilion in Buffalo Grove.
Predicted winner Rockford or Glenbrook North.