Eagles goalie to Oswego State
Anthony Zolezzi is moving on from the Soo Eagles of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League with nothing but glowing words for general manager Bruno Bragagnolo and the program.
Zolezzi, a 2004 birth year goalie from the Chicago area, will forego his final season of junior eligibility to play for and attend university at Oswego State, a highly regarded Division 3, National Collegiate Athletic Association program that is based in New York.
The 6-foot, 180 pound Zolezzi had a record of 18-14-3 with a 3.30 goals against average and .898 save percentage for the Eagles in 2023-2024. He was set to return to the Eagles in 2024-2025 but when Oswego came calling, he took a serious look at the opportunity.
“I went to Oswego for a visit with my dad and my goalie instructor Stu Gould from here (in Chicago) and I liked everything about it from the school to the hockey to the environment,” Zolezzi relayed to Hockey News North. “I got good advice from a lot of people and I eventually made up mind and decided that going to Oswego was a great opportunity and something that I should not pass up.”
Meanwhile, not only did aforementioned Soo Eagles GM Bruno Bragagnolo give his support and recommendation to Oswego State about Zolezzi but he encouraged the youngster to take advantage of the offer from the New York school, where he will study Bio with future plans of going to medical school.
“I can’t say enough about Bruno and the Soo Eagles as an organization,” relayed the effervescent Zolezzi. “A lot of general managers would tell you to come back for another year of junior but Bruno gave his blessing. He said he didn’t think I would get a better opportunity than going to Oswego. Bruno’s guidance and support means a lot to me. Everything about Bruno and the Soo Eagles is about helping their players move on to the next level.”
An appreciative Zolezzi also thanked outgoing Eagles head coach Doug Laprade, his goalie coach from a year ago, Noah Zeppa, and personal training instructor Ken Belanger for all of their assistance.
“They all helped me with a big leap in my development,” said Zolezzi.
Bragagnolo, as the Eagles GM, said Oswego State is getting a “real good smart kid in Zolezzi. “He is probably the hardest working and most dedicated goalie we have ever had with the Eagles over the years.”
Not wishing to take any credit for himself in his usual humble manner, Bragagnolo singled out the aforementioned Stu Gould of the ‘Good as Gould Hockey School’ in Chicago for promoting and recommending Zolezzi to Oswego State.