Dr. Thomas Jones checks in with the IceHawks
club team
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 07/27/06
BY JOHN BUSH
STAFF WRITER
Dr. Thomas Jones enjoys a good hockey check as much as any hockey fan.
As the doctor and trainer for Monmouth University's IceHawks club team, Jones gets an extra dose of
satisfaction whenever an IceHawks player delivers a big hit.
"One game against Shippensburg University, I was sitting right there when (right wing) Joe Raimondi
knocked this guy clear over the boards into the penalty box," Jones said. "It was a home game and
everybody went wild. After the game, Joe came up to me and said, "Dr. Jones, I did what you said and I
felt great.' He was so excited. He couldn't get over how strong he felt."
Jones' involvement with the IceHawks extends far beyond a typical team trainer role. So much so that the
players have presented Jones with an autographed team jersey.
"It was really nice, and completely unexpected," Jones said. "This past season was amazing."
"We consider Dr. Jones a member of the team," forward Jon Grubb said. "He's given us so much, both as
individuals and as a team. We couldn't possibly repay him. We figured the best way to show him our
appreciation was to present him with a signed team jersey. He's a very important part of our club and has
played a significant role in our successes."
A chiropractor and physical therapist, Jones, 33, runs Human Performance Center, an advanced sports
performance and chiropractic medicine clinic in Shrewsbury. He became involved with the IceHawks
through a mutual acquaintance prior to the 2004-05 season, volunteering his services as both an athletic
trainer and a doctor. He has since been training and developing the players both as a group and on an
individual basis.
"In hockey, a big part of the game is hitting and being hit," Jones said. "The team learned which muscle
groups to contract and drive from in order to hit more effectively and also to take a hit with minimal
consequence."
After the team struggled on the ice in 2004-05, the IceHawks showed a marked improvement this past
season under new coach Fred Berzolla.
A member of the Delaware Valley Collegiate Hockey Conference, the IceHawks, who play their home
games at Wall Sports Arena, reached the league playoffs and finished 11th in the American Collegiate
Hockey Association Division III Atlantic rankings.
"I do a lot of sports performance training and off-ice training with them," said Jones, who attended Toms
River South and is a professor of human anatomy and physiology at Ocean County College. "I do a lot of
injury-prevention work. This year we didn't have anybody who required surgery. I attribute that to the
players' conditioning. They're really hard workers.
"When I look at athletes, I don't want to train individual muscles. It's more linking the motor patterns
required for the sport. I want to train particular patterns for the sport and develop it in an unconscious
manner and try to achieve perfection of movement. It's linking power, strength, agility and coordination,
and it makes them more powerful."
The players have certainly been impressed with the results from the training they've received from Jones.
"Doc helped me tremendously," defenseman and team captain Tony Losardo said. "We did a lot of core
strengthening and balance training. He taught me how to use and harness energy from different muscle
groups. What's really great is that Doc made everything we worked on sport-specific. He related
everything to ice hockey. I'm a pretty strong skater, but the balance training made me stronger. The
preventative conditioning helped me have my first injury-free season in five or six years."
"Dr. Jones showed me how to hit, how to focus and explode," Raimondi said. "He taught me which muscle
groups to use. There was a game against Shippensburg where I was along the boards with a larger player
from the other team. I'm not a big guy, but I hit him so hard he literally cart-wheeled over the boards into
the bench. There's more to it than just learning how to hit, though. With Doc's training I saw noticeable
gains from last year. I'm a much better overall player, stronger, faster and more agile."
During games, it's not unusual for Jones to tend to Monmouth's opponents, keeping in with the competitive
yet friendly spirit of a club-level university sport.
"Some games I'm working more on their players than our own," Jones said.
"Some schools can't afford a doctor, I got that covered. They can't afford a trainer, I got that covered."
"It wasn't just about us and our team, you know?" Losardo said.
"Doc was there to help other players, other teams too. It's what he does."
Mostly, though, Jones helps get the IceHawks into peak playing condition.
"It's such a close team, even off the ice," Jones said. "The reason why I like working with them is they're
not lazy. If you're going to work, you're going to work, and they've demonstrated that."
ROSTER: Matt Anderson, Chester; Jeff Cash, Brick; Chris Dietsch, Farmingdale; Matt Dipalma,
Manalapan; Bryan Fasano; Nick Fernandez, Wall; Jon Grubb, Colts Neck; P.J. Hennessey, Lumberton;
Dave Hermansky, Delran; Chris Hughes, Lake Ronkonkoma, N.Y.; Brenden Keane, Marlboro; Bobby
Knoell, Medford Lakes; Tony Losardo, Oceanport; Brendan McSherry, Fair Haven; Matt Miller, Brick; Marc
Paliseno, Edison; Joe Raimondi, Marlboro; Josh Reisman, Manalapan; Craig Sargent, Williamstown; Mike
Silvani, Farmingdale; Jordan Staub, Mt. Laurel; Tim Tam, Howell; Kevin Weinstock, Berkeley Heights.
GM/Coach: Mike Dianora. Head coach: Fred Berzolla. Assistant coach: Chris Batt. Trainer/doctor: Dr.
Thomas Jones.