DOB:  2/11/88
Height:  5’11”
Weight:  175 lbs.
Shoots:  Right
Position:  Center / Forward
School: Air Academy High School – Senior Colorado Springs, CO.
Hometown: Taos, NM
Current Team: Pikes Peak Miners – Tier I Midget Major AAA 

Kenny is playing hockey during his senior year of high school as a forward for the Midget AAA Pikes Peak Miners (www.pikespeakminers.com) in Colorado Springs, CO., while attending Air Academy High School. The Pikes Peak Miners home rink and locker room is in the World Ice Arena, also in Colorado Springs. Kenny is in his second year for the AAA Pikes Peak Miners, and previously played two seasons for the AAA Colorado Thunderbirds (www.tbirdhockey.org) team at the US Air Force Academy rink. Kenny continues his friendships with his former Championship teammates in Taos, and follows the progress of the Taos Ice Tigers in their pursuit of a fifth State Championship Hockey title. 

Kenny was among an elite class of hockey talent from around the nation selected to attend the U.S.A. Hockey National Select Camp in 2004, and is on the Colorado Thunderbirds Honor Roll. He has also been selected several times to attend the Rocky Mountain Select camps, as an outstanding player from New Mexico. Kenny displays his remarkable talent by being an outstanding defenseman as well as a forward. He can play any of these hockey positions depending on the needs of his team. Kenny continues to work out and skate year around, which includes a wide variety of gym and off ice workouts, as well as summer hockey camps. Kenny hopes to join the Junior A ranks this coming season, and if selected, will be the first Taos hockey player to achieve this hockey goal. 

Kenny Greer became a Taos Coyote hockey player in 1994 as a mini-mite. Playing then as part of the Coyote Mite team, because there were not enough players to separate the groups, the team would skate their practices and games in the old Kit Carson Park ice rink from December until the end of February. It was during the New Mexico State Championships at the Outpost Ice Arena in Albuquerque that Kenny scored his first goal in an ice hockey game. The Coyote Mite team went on to win that State Championship game in 1995. From that moment on Kenny wanted to be a hockey player. Kenny was a Taos player on (7) New Mexico State Youth Hockey Championship teams until he relocated to Colorado to pursue his hockey goals at a higher level. Those State Championship banners and others hang proudly at the ice rink at the Taos Youth & Family Center, where the Taos Youth Hockey League continues to mentor and inspire the aspiring young hockey players in Taos.

A favorite son of the Taos Youth Hockey Association and the Town of Taos is moving along on an exciting hockey path! Here is the story:

 

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Kenny was born and raised in Taos, and lived and played hockey there for the Taos Coyotes until this season, when he received an invitation to the tryouts for the newly formed Colorado Thunderbird Bantam AAA team. Kenny also played since Mites on the New Mexico Red Devils competitive hockey teams, as well as Team New Mexico. Our hockey program in Taos was only during the winter months, with our outdoor rink, so we traveled practically every weekend for years, to Albuquerque so he could practice and play the sport he loved, along with a number of teammates and best friends.

Kenny went to Colorado Springs last June, so the coaches could preview his abilities. As part of the Taos Coyotes, Kenny had played tournaments in Colorado for many years, and other teams and coaches had recommended Kenny for his abilities as a defenseman.

The actual tryouts were held in early August. We were camping out in the hills outside of Colorado Springs, and would drive in to town each day so Kenny could participate. Following the week of tryouts, Kenny was selected as one of 17 players to be on the team. We packed up for the year from Taos to Colorado, and Kenny enrolled for his freshman year at the Air Academy High School.

The program, the Colorado Thunderbirds, was the brain child of Air Force Academy head coach, Frank Serratore. He knew that the players in this region needed Tier 1 level playing experience, for them to have the same opportunities in playing and practicing, in order to keep pace developmentally with the top hockey players in the rest of the nation. Along with Coach Scott Owens, of #1 ranked Colorado College, they used their influence to make this type of team possible. Coach Serratore convinced the United States Air Force Academy to back the program, and allow the kids to train in the Air Force's own rink, at the Field House of the Academy. This is a fantastic facility, and has provided the players with a first hand opportunity to practice and play immediately following the Air Force Falcon hockey team. A terrific inspiration if there ever was one!

The practices and training are intense, and demanding. To step up and play Tier 1, (Bantam AAA), against the very top teams in the nation, was a huge challenge for a new program. The players had to train hard, develop fast, and be able to compete against the nations best, in a very short time.

Kenny emerged as an outstanding player, and earned a starting position at right defense. He also has key roles in our power play and penalty kill special teams.

So far this season, the Thunderbirds have played with and against a variety of teams, including international competition. Early in the season, we played the potential #1 team in the country, Shattuck St. Mary's prep school from Minnesota. They have long been a national power in hockey. We played them a fierce game, and had the lead after the first period, 2-1. Shattuck went on to win the game, but the Thunderbirds knew they were on the right track.

This team has now played games against teams from Canada, Sweden, and New Zealand. The team has competed well, playing up a division all season, against older teams in the Midget Minor division, and challenging ourselves at a variety of tournaments. The Thunderbirds played Bantam AAA division teams in the Silver Sticks Tournament, Toronto Canada Marlboro Tournament (The Toronto Sun newspaper did a nice article on the team), in the Minnesota Meltdown Tournament, and competed well in all. Although the Thunderbirds did not win these tournaments, they competed well and got better with each experience.

Kenny's team did win the 26th Colorado Springs Presidents Day Tournament, Bantam AAA division, here at home, playing in the World Ice Arena. That was a tremendous thrill for a young club, and help set the stage for their most recent success.

 

The Colorado Thunderbird's just won the Rocky Mountain Regional playoffs, to earn the honor of being the Bantam Tier 1 representative as the top team in the Rocky Mountain Region, and advance to the National Championships to be held in Buffalo, NY on April 2-6. They will continue training during the next month in preparation for this high honor.

Kenny was an integral part of our Taos Coyote team's 7 NEW MEXICO STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS. Beginning at Mini- Mites, his Taos team has won the Championship in every division. With those successes, came this greater challenge. He loves his friends and teammates in Taos, and supported that team all year, even though he was not there. Kenny's friends have been supportive, and have traveled to Colorado Springs for visits, to encourage his quest.

Excerpt from

Land of Enchantment Hockey Association, USA Hockey Affiliate in New Mexico

Shana Watch: Shana's team won a major tournament in Lake Placid at the Miracle on Ice Rink for New Years. In (5) games, they scored (37) goals and allowed only (8). It was a spectacular weekend. In addition to those (5) victories, Shana's team is currently riding an overall (12) game winning streak, with victories coming over Perth AAA Canadian Midget team, Lawrence Academy, College St. Laurent from Montreal, Northwood Prep School, Berkshire Academy, Lawrenceville School, BB & N School and the National Sports Academy from Lake Placid. In those (12) games, Shana has personally accumulated (5) assists, (1) goal and (6) penalties. Her next game is Saturday, January 29 against the Montreal Axion, an NWHL team from Montreal (The NWHL is the female Canadian version of the NHL).

Congratulations Shana: NAHA's version of Student Government, the Unity Council, has elected  her as one of their officers for the 04-05 season: Shana was elected to the position of Vice President.

In her 9th year of playing hockey, Shana Natelson, 16, is heading off to Stowe, Vermont to play for the Winter Hawks of the North American Hockey Academy. Shana grew up in Taos playing for the Taos Coyote boys’ teams and has spent the past two seasons on the four-peat State Champion Taos Ice Tigers High School hockey team. She also played three years for the Southwest HERricanes U-19 Tier 1 team based in Houston, Texas. “With all the traveling to Houston, it was definitely a little rough to maintain my grades and a social life AND be successful in hockey,” Natelson said. “But I have very supportive parents and my love for the game kept me going. We were flying to Houston every other weekend, but the exposure I got playing in Houston got me invited to play for the North American Hockey Academy.”

For the past three summers, Shana has been invited to participate in the Rocky Mountain District Player Development Camps as well as the Rocky Mountain District High Performance Camps. The basis for the development camps is to showcase female hockey players from throughout the district, encompassing nine states. This past April, Shana was selected as one of twenty elite girls from the Rocky Mountain District to represent the district at the Chicago Showcase, an event designed to get players exposed to college coaches.

“It was such an honor to be selected for the Showcase. I never thought I could become one of the top players in the country,” Shana said. “The girls I played both with and against are the best players right now for my age group. And through programs like this, I’ve met many elite college coaches who have helped to make me a better player.”

Though many of her personal hockey accomplishments have been playing with other young women, Shana has a special place in her heart for her boys. “I grew up playing with these guys. They showed me how to hit and how to score. I know I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for the support of my teammates and coaches,” she said. “I remember one game back in Squirts when the whole team tried to get me a hat trick. It worked and I still remember how it felt to have the team behind me like that. I’ve been very lucky to grow up with such a great group of guys. It’s like I have twenty brothers!” As a matter of fact, Shana and her “group of boys” have been New Mexico State Champions in one division or another for eight straight years. “That just goes to show what teamwork can do!” says Natelson, smiling.

Not everything has been smooth sailing for Shana though. “I’ve definitely encountered my share of tough days; days when I wanted to quit hockey forever. But that one memory of that game I played spectacular in always flashed into my head and I remember why I play hockey. I love it. I love everything about hockey. No amount of bad days could ever make me want to not lace up my skates and put the puck in the back of the net,” Shana said, in the midst of a hug from her Coyotes coach, Brian Greer.

Beginning in mid-October, Shana leaves for Stowe to play for the Tier 1 team at the North American Hockey Academy. The Academy is an association of both a Tier 1 and Tier 2 team, featuring girls from 16 US states. “My dream right now is to play college hockey, and I think NAHA (the North American Hockey Academy) is the route that’s going to get me there. I can’t wait to start my season!” exclaimed Shana enthusiastically. To track Shana’s progress, please see the link below.