Mike Zannella Named Elmira's Head Men’s Golf and Assistant Men’s Ice Hockey Coach
ELMIRA, N.Y. -- Elmira College is pleased to announce the appointment of
Mike Zannella as the Head Men's Golf Coach and Assistant Men's Ice Hockey Coach for the upcoming 2017-18 season. Zannella takes over coaching duties for the men's golf program from interim head coach
Bill Limoncelli, who served at the helm of the program for the duration of the 2016-17 campaign, and of the men's ice hockey team from former assistant
Tim Crowley, who has assumed head coaching responsibilities for EC's women's ice hockey program.
"We are excited to have coach Zannella join Elmira College and look forward to him bringing a renewed energy to both the men's golf and men's ice hockey programs," said Pat Thompson, Vice President of Athletics.
Zannella comes to Elmira after a one-year coaching stint with New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) affiliate Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York. During his tenure with the Thoroughbreds, Zannella helped Skidmore double its win total from a year ago and qualify for the NEHC Tournament as the fifth seed. He helped three student-athletes garner NEHC All-Conference honors, including a first-team selection.
Zannella also spent time this past year working for USA Hockey as a New York State Regional Evaluator for the Northern Region. His primary responsibilities were evaluating and selecting prospects to try out for Team New York and the northern zone.
Prior to his time with USA Hockey and Skidmore, Zannella spent two years playing professional hockey in both the Federal Hockey League (FHL) and the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL). He played for the FHL's Danbury Whalers, Brewster Bulldogs and Watertown Wolves, the latter of which he helped win a regular season and playoff title. He played in 82 career games for the three FHL affiliates, totaling 62 points on 24 goals and 38 assists. Zannella also saw action in 19 games in the SPHL for the Fayetteville FireAntz and the Huntsville Havoc, putting him one appearance shy of reaching the century mark for professional games played.
Zannella is a 2014 graduate of Buffalo State College, which competes out the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC), and was a four-year member of the men's ice hockey team. A proven leader on the ice, he served as a two-year captain and a one-year alternate captain during his collegiate career, guiding the Bengals to three winning seasons and a pair of SUNYAC Semifinal appearances. Zannella was an All-SUNYAC Second-Team honoree, a SUNYAC All-Tournament Team selection and a three-time SUNYAC All-Academic Team recipient. Despite missing 20-plus games during his collegiate career, Zannelle graduated 10th in the program history among point leaders.
A native of Ithaca, New York, Zannella remained active in his hometown after his graduating from Buffalo State in 2014 by serving as an Operations Assistant for the Cornell University Athletics Camps & Clinics. He supervised 5,000 campers ages 6-19 and helped train, manage, and oversee the action of 30 resident counselors.
In his role as the men's golf coach, Zannella is preparing for the team's return to campus for the fall season, which begins on Saturday, September 2, at the Pitt-Bradford Invitational.
"I am extremely excited to join the Elmira College family," Zannella stated. "It is a great privilege to serve and represent an institution with such strong history and tradition as Elmira College. My biggest priority this year is to do everything in my power to help assist the current and incoming student-athletes maximize their potential while enjoying the sports they love."