The Arizona Wildcats are excited to announce the return of former goaltender, Anthony Ciurro, this time, trading in the crease for behind bench.

Anthony Ciurro will be joining coach Berman behind the bench along with Wildcat Alum, Shane Fausel, as a member of the coaching staff. His role will be to help work with the defensemen along with the goaltenders in tandem with coach Fausel. Beyond that, Ciurro provides another set of eyes, something coach Berman highly values.

“There is no question Ciurro is one of the true legends of our program,” said coach Berman. “To be honest, our conversations have always felt more like coaching conversations, not coach to player conversations. I have tremendous respect for the way he sees the game and really look forward to having an extra set of eyes. As a coach, it can be easy to get stuck in a way of thinking, so I welcome a different perspective and to be able to bounce thoughts off someone I trust. This will allow us to do different things in practice, on the bench, and in preparation for our opponent. We are very fortunate to add such a high-quality hockey mind to the staff. I look forward to learning from him in tandem to help bring this program to another level.”

During his four years with the Wildcats, Ciurro posted 71 wins, a 2.55 goal against average, and a .916 save percentage. Those contributions helped to bring further accolades, including: Two (2) WCHL Championships, four (4) Cactus Cups, 2017/18 All-Tournament Team Honorable Mention, 2017/18 ACHA All-Rookie Team, 2017/18 and 2018/19 WCHL 1st Team All-Conference, and finally, being named the 2018/19 WCHL MVP.

“First and foremost, I want to start off by thanking the University of Arizona for not only giving me a great education but also a coaching opportunity”, said Anthony Ciurro. “Coaching has always been something I could see myself doing in the future. This new opportunity will allow me to build my skill set and provide a different perspective of the game while finishing my doctorate in pharmaceutical sciences. I am very grateful for the opportunity and can’t wait to see what we do this year.”

The Wildcats hit the ice for their home opening weekend against ACHA powerhouse, Davenport University, September 30 and October 1. Puck drop for both games will be 7:30pm, you can contact the TCC box office for tickets by calling (520) 791-4101.

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