Michael Souza
Michael Souza ( born January 28, 1978 in Wakefield, Massachusetts ) is a retired Italian- American ice hockey player and current coach.
Career
Souza began his career in 1996 as a team of University of New Hampshire in the U.S. College Football Hockey East. He has already won in his first season and scored in 39 games 26 points scorer. During the NHL Entry Draft in 1997, he was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the third round at a total of 67 positions. The trained striker first completed his studies and joined in the summer of 1999 in the American Hockey League with the Norfolk Admirals, the former farm team of the Chicago Blackhawks.
Ultimately Souza played exclusively in the AHL and was not allowed to prove themselves in the National Hockey League. In the years following the links Sagittarius club changed hands several times and was among others the AHL club Bridgeport Sound Tigers, Portland Pirates and Hershey Bears under contract. None of the clubs Then he made a breakthrough, he decided against further involvement in North America and moved instead to season 2005/ 06 for EHC Basel in the Swiss National League A. He completed only three games and completed during the current season, the EHC Olten in the National League B. Also in Olten he did not finish the game year and signed at the end of the season a contract with the Cologne Sharks of the German Ice Hockey League. Could with the sharks of the then 28 -year-old the play-off semi-final of 2006 to reach where you eventually failed with 2:3 victories at the DEG Metro Stars. Souza scorer scored two points in nine playoff games.
He then moved to the Italian Serie A1 for SG Cortina and grew to become a top performer. Mike Souza thus went into the season 2008 /09 for SG Cortina on the ice. In August 2010, the striker moved to the Premier League rivals HC Bolzano, where he ended his playing career after the 2010/11 season.
Since September 2011, Souza has worked as an assistant coach for the team of Brown University from the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
Internationally
For Italy Souza participated in the B World Championships in 2009 and 2011, in which he rose with his team as group winners in the top division. Even with the A- World Cup 2010 he stood for Italy on the ice and scored five points, the direct descent to Division I, he could not prevent, however.
Awards and achievements
- 2009 promotion to the top division at the World Championship Division I, Group B
- 2011 promotion to the top division at the World Championship Division I, Group A