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I’ll Be Waiting….

Memorial Day, what a perfect day to post a few personal favorites from this weekend’s moving Return of the Red Tails event honoring the Heroic Tuskegee Airmen of WWII. As the Event Photographer I had the honor to spend the day amongst these hero’s, and also with one of the only two remaining P-51 Fighters that are still flying today.  It was a true honor. My thanks to all the Period Re-En actors featured in these great shots… our Fly-Boy Calvin, and the lovely, vintage Miss Racquel, who looks like she just stepped out of Hollywood in the ’40’s. Great Job you two!

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The 2013-2014 Elmira Jackals Professional Ice Hockey Club

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With so many call-ups, trades and injuries during this long season, today we finally got around to shooting the Official Team Picture. Better late than never! This was the 14th Team Shoot that I’ve shot so far for this organization, and I think this one came out really great too! & I’ve got lots more in me!

Saturday Night Hits

Here’s a couple of shots from Saturday Night’s Jackals game @ First Arena. In the Second Period forward Danny Hobbs caught a Wheeling slapshot to the side of his face, just below the eye. Last reports are that it was nothing too serious other than stitches to a cut that isn’t even bleeding yet,in this shot taken only a micro second after the hit. Next we have Corey Bellamy getting up from the ice after an altercation and banging his head against the dasher boards at ice level. Good news is no concussion, & Corey’s all stitched up & ready to go for the next game! Old Time Hockey! The Hobbs shot, I’d have to say is one of my best action moments from this season.

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“Sparly, Very Sparkly!”

Kinda cool, some of the “Hardware” I’ve gotten to photograph so far over my 14 seasons as Elmira Jackals Team Photographer . Last night it was Kacey Bellamy’s 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics Silver Medal for The U.S. Women’s Ice Hockey Team. Then, a few years back in 2010, it was opposition coach, Neil Smiths 1993-’94 New York Rangers Stanley Cup Champions diamond clustered ring
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Olympic Silver Medalist visits First Arena!

Two-time US Olympic Silver Medalist Kacey Bellamy dropped the Ceremonial First Puck & was signing autographs & greeting Jackals Fans during the first intermission at SplitRock Brew Pub at tonight’s big Jackals win over Evansville.

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“A Soldier’s Special Surprise”

Here are a few of my favorite shots from Saturday Night’s Surprise Reunion between Brittany Daghita and her Husband, Army Specialist Joey Daghita! She didn’t have a clue that he was back home to be a part of this recognition ceremony during the first Intermission of the Elmira Jackals hockey game @ First Arena in Elmira, NY ….

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“LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING OUR GUEST OF HONOR TONIGHT, BRITTANY DAGHITA. BRITTANY, A NATIVE OF ITHACA, WAS MARRIED TO HER HUSBAND, ARMY SPECIALIST JOEY DAGHITA OF TRUMANSBURG, IN MAY 2013 JUST MONTHS BEFORE HIS THIRD TOUR OF DUTY TO KUWAIT. BRITTANY AND JOEY GREW UP CHILDHOOD FRIENDS AND THEIR FAMILIES SPENT A LOT OF TIME TOGETHER. UPON JOEY’S DEPLOYMENT TO KUWAIT IN SEPTEMBER 2013 BRITTANY MOVED FROM FORT RUCKER, ALABAMA TO ITHACA TO BE CLOSER TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY.

TONIGHT WE HONOR AND RECOGNIZE BRITTANY, AND ON BEHALF OF ALL MILITARY FAMILY MEMBERS, FOR HER COMMITMENT TO AND SUPPORT OF THOSE IN OUR ARMED FORCES.

(THIS IS WHERE BRITTANY WILL POSE FOR PHOTOS FROM RICK BACMANSKI AND MUG FOR THE CAMERAS SO THAT WE CAN SNEAK JOEY UP BEHIND HER)

WAIT, WAIT LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. I’VE JUST BEEN PASSED A NOTE THAT WE HAVE ADDED A SPECIAL GUEST OF HONOR FOR TONIGHT. BRITTANY, IT TURNS OUT THAT WE NEEDED YOU HERE TO HELP US WELCOME HOME, FROM HIS TOUR OF DUTY IN KUWAIT, OUR SPECIAL GUEST OF HONOR TONIGHT – YOUR HUSBAND, ARMY SPECIALIST JOEY DAGHITA!!!!!!

“Every soldier deserves a hero’s welcome,” says a popular ad on TV.

In that spirit, a soldier just back from the Middle East was saluted at Elmira’s First Arena on Saturday night, and his wife was given the surprise of her life.

Army Spc. Albert “Joey” Daghita, of Trumansburg, and his wife, Brittany, of Ithaca, were reunited in an on-ice ceremony between the first and second period of the Elmira Jackals’ hockey game against the South Carolina Stingrays.

Brittany, who was told she would be recognized for her support of those in the military, said later she was taken completely by surprise when her husband walked up behind her in his camouflage uniform as the crowd — which included about 25 relatives and friends — cheered.

“I couldn’t believe it,” she said. “It was amazing.”

Asked later how he felt before the ceremony, the 22-year-old soldier said, “Very nervous. I didn’t know how she was going to react.” Then he added, “My heart was beating a thousand beats a minute.”

“Mine was too,” said Brittany, who is 23. “Mine was, definitely.”

Although everyone was able to keep the reunion a surprise, the evening didn’t go exactly as planned. Originally, the script called for Brittany to drop the ceremonial first puck before the start of the game and to then be joined by her husband.

But Joey Daghita was delayed getting from Alabama, where he’s based at Fort Rucker, to the Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport. He said he had to drive to Atlanta, where there was a slight delay, and then had a layover in Philadelphia. After he arrived at Ithaca, he was driven by a state trooper directly to the arena, a trip that he said took about 20 minutes at speeds of over 90 mph.

Joey returned to his unit at Fort Rucker on Feb. 20 after completing his third tour in Kuwait. He was deployed in September, just four months after the couple was married. He said he spent some time in Afghanistan during his deployments.

When he was shipped out this time, Brittany returned to Ithaca to stay with her parents, Debbie and Frank Lupo, and to be close to other relatives and friends.

 

Faces of the Game…

Something a little different from tonight’s Jackals game. A look into some of the faces on stage here tonight, on Blade’s 14th  Birthday!
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New Faces in Town, & a Familiar One Too!

Shot Portraits of some of the newer Elmira Jackals acquisitions this cold afternoon at the 211 Studio, and also caught up with an old friend. Well, seeing that we’re only 3 years apart in age, I guess he’s really not that old! See everyone this three game weekend vs. The Fort Wayne Komets @ First Arena.

Glenn Thomaris - Asst. Coach

Glenn Thomaris – Asst. Coach

Neil Conway - Goal

Neil Conway – Goal

Jakub Culek - Forward

Jakub Culek – Forward

Andrew Harrison - Forward

Andrew Harrison – Forward

Maxim Lamarche - Defense

Maxim Lamarche – Defense

Nik, Pokulok - Defense

Nik Pokulok – Defense

Troy Rutkowski - Defense

Troy Rutkowski – Defense

Russ Stein - Goal

Russ Stein – Goal

Jake Trask - Center

Jake Trask – Center

Mike Vaskivuo - Forward

Mike Vaskivuo – Forward

Smokin’ Ice!

A few shots of the action from tonight’s Ice Racing @ First Arena in Elmira, NY. Same action there Saturday night, so go check it out!
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Dealing Wheeling a Jax OT Win! 01/04/14

ELMIRA, NY – January 4, 2014 – The Jackals broke their 7 game losing streak with a thrilling 4-3 overtime win against the Wheeling Nailers. 

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