Two current (Colby's Ben Chwick, Middlebury's Max Greenwald) and one former (Amherst's John Linder) NESCAC players represent USA in Maccabiah Games

by Benet Pols 

Colby's Ben Chwick (courtesy Dustin Satloff Photography)

Hockey in the desert. Ridiculous you say? Well not if you’re the city of Glendale, Arizona, where it seems perfectly reasonable to keep an NHL franchise no matter the expense. The Phoenix Coyotes, however, are a big time pro sports team with revenue sharing and TV contracts.

But what about NESCAC hockey in the desert? In July, no less? Two NESCAC players will compete for Team USA in this summer's Maccabiah Games in Israel. Ben Chwick, a rising senior forward at Colby and the White Mule’s second leading scorer last season, and Max Greenwald, who just finished his freshman year on the blue-line for the Middlebury Panthers, will join 17 others on the Maccabiah USA’s men’s ice hockey roster. In addition, John Linder, a 1980 graduate of Amherst, will play defense in the master’s division.

The Maccabiah Games are billed as the Jewish Olympics and are hosted quadrennially by the State of Israel. Jewish athletes from around the world represent their home nation in games with a similar format to the Olympic Games. The games were first hosted in 1932 in what was then known as the “British Mandate of Palestine”; 400 athletes competed that year. The event occurred again in 1935 but the Second World War put the games on hold until 1950; they’ve been growing ever since. 

This July 8,600 athletes from around the world will participate in competitions ranging from badminton to basketball. Americans, including Olympic Gold Medalist Aly Raisman, who will be honored at the opening ceremonies, number about 770.

 Ice Hockey, however, has not been a regular facet of the games. In fact, it’s been featured just once before, in 1997. The open division features four teams this year. Joining the Israeli hosts are teams from Canada, the Ukraine and the USA (there are three divisions for most sports: juniors, open, and masters. Masters athletes are over 40 while juniors are teens; the open division is the most competitive).

Israel is a small nation, nearly the size of New Hampshire, but contrary to perception the hockey games will not be played in the desert. Israel has just one full sized ice hockey arena, the appropriately named “Canada Center” in the town of Metula, not far from the border with Lebanon. It is about as far north in Israel as a person could travel, forming the apex of what is known as the panhandle of Galilee.  This region of Israel is fairly mountainous with peaks ranging to about 4,000 feet, not unlike what you might seen in Green Mountains of Vermont, or the western mountains of Maine. According to The Jerusalem Post, the Metula rink is the country’s "one-and-only full-sized rink, recently refurbished by the Games Organizing Committee, including equipment imported from Scandinavia."

The Post goes on to point out that “six NHL team owners each donated to assist participation: Daryl Katz (Edmonton Oilers); Henry Samueli (Anaheim Ducks); Ed Snider (Philadelphia Flyers); Larry Tanenbaum (Toronto Maple Leafs); Cliff Viner (Florida Panthers) and Jeff Vinik (Tampa Bay Lightning)…..In addition, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Joe Cohen of Los Angeles also contributed to support the tournament.”

The NHL connections continue as the Canadian side is coached by Mike Keenan, familiar to New York Rangers 

fans for having returned the Stanley Cup to Madison Square Garden in 1994 after a generation’s long absence.

But from the looks of it, the Canada Center will be all-to-familiar to the boys from the NESCAC. With a low roof, limited fan capacity, and all spectator seating on one side of the arena, it shares a resemblance with the municipal arenas that same of the  less prestigious D-III schools call home.

According to Chwick and Greenwald, the USA roster --ages 18-34--includes a split of mostly Division I & III collegiate players, and a few younger players who are active in juniors. One player, Ben Rosen, has some AHL experience; Rosen completed his career at BU this year and then got into one game with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the New York Islanders AHL affiliate. Rosen just finished up mini-camp with the Islanders, alongside Hamilton's Bennett Schneider. 

Chwick looks to provide some serious offensive punch to the team.  The 5'10', 160 lb. play-making forward is a Purchase, NY native and product of the Berkshire School. During his junior season in Waterville he was the White Mules’ second leading scorer, garnering 23 points (7-16-23) in 25 games; Chwick trailed only team MVP, and Concannon Award semifinalist, Nick Lanza in scoring. More important, he led a late season push that saw Colby surge from last place in NESCAC to secure the seventh seed for the NESCAC tournament; the Mules eventually succumbed to second seed Williams in a tight 2-1 opening round tilt.

Greenwald's USA Jersey, (@Grizzwald11)

In their last seven regular season games Colby went 4-1-2.  The turn-around arguably started with Chwick’s tying goal with 6 ticks on the clock against cross state, out-of-conference rival UNE. During the seven game run Chwick netted three goals and assisted on six others, bring his season total to 16 helpers. For the season, Chwick led Colby in assists and was second in goals with seven.  

Middlebury’s Max Greenwald just finished his first season in NESCAC. Listed as a defenseman by the Panthers, the freshman had a goal and five assists in 15 games, but his high school career shows he too has some offensive punch. The product of the Landon School in Potomac, Maryland scored 21 goals in 22 games during his senior year, playing both forward and defense. Hockey is a serious commitment for the Greenwald family; until recently they were part owners of the ECHL South Carolina Stingrays.

Greenwald played in both of Middlebury’s NESCAC playoff games this year, picking up an assist in their 4-2 semifinal loss to eventual champion Bowdoin. 

Meanwhile, John Linder, competing in the masters division, has only just returned to the ice after a 15-year hiatus. A friend who was already on the masters roster put the retired businessman, who now works as a Rabbi in Arizona, in touch with the team. After getting back in shape, Linder attended the tryouts in March 2013 in Philadelphia before being selected. Linder’s story is featured on the Maccabiah Games website.

While there are formal tryouts, a recruitment network picks up many players. Like Linder, Chwick heard about the games from a friend. Unable to attend the tryouts he made the roster based on the recommendation of coaches. Greenwald was recruited by University of Vermont Associate Athletic Director Jeff Schulman. Schulman, a four-year player at UVM and a veteran of the 1997 Maccabiah USA team, has remained affiliated with the games over the years and has a professional relationship with Middlebury coach Bill Beaney.

The open division features four teams: Israel, Canada, Ukraine and the USA. A press release on the Maccabiah website notes that the three visiting teams are expected to be strong but suggests, “Israel may have the advantage of being an established unit of players who know each other well and are internationally experienced.” Neither Greenwald, nor Chwick, have played internationally before and the team has spent very little time on the ice together.

In an initial round robin beginning July 20^th, each team will play the others once apiece; based on the results of the round robin they’ll be seeded 1 through 4 and then play a standard single elimination tournament. The final will be played on July 26^th.

But there’s more than hockey to these games. As Linder notes: touring Israel is a big mission of the Maccabiah Game.  "To bring people to Israel and to experience the land of Israel. . . .I’m thrilled with the honor of playing for this fabulous group of men, not only to support Israel and our brothers and sisters living in Israel, but to have the experience of competing as Jewish athletes and representing the United States of America.”

Max Greenwald will be making his first trip to Israel, but this is Ben Chwick’s second time. It promises to be packed with activity, hockey and otherwise. According to Ben: 

“The trip has started with a week of touring around the country with the rest of the USA athletes here. We then go to the north where the only full size rink is for a week of competition. And then we have a week to watch the rest of the athletes finish their events. I'm looking forward to getting to learn more about the country and culture. So far the country has been beautiful.” 

And, of course, there’s the opportunity to meet Aly Raisman.