Page 32 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 69

32 August 2018 Issue #69 www.sportsenergynews.com

presents Then and Now:

Cornwall Colts Edition…Anthony Ventura

By Carrie Seguin

I had never even heard of
“Cornwall or the Cornwall Colts
before I was offered a chance to play
with the team,” reminisces Anthony
Ventura. “I was approached by the
Colts’ scouting staff at a summer
showcase in Boston in 2005. After
visiting Cornwall during that year’s
Futures Camp, I was excited about
moving to play with the team. It
turned out to be a good thing.” Ventura (pictured right with his

Ventura was 19 years old when BTE staff) went into business
he moved to Cornwall to play for with his college friend shortly
the Junior A team. Hailing from after graduating from Lake
Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, he had Forest. The BTE mission is
previously played for the Chicago to “push athletes beyond the
Young Americans U18 team in the edge of their capabilities to
MWEHAL. Ventura played one meet their goals and increase
and a half seasons with the Colts, their love for the game.”
tallying 68 games with the squad. Photo Submitted
Midway through his second year
with the Cornwall team, Ventura finishing out the 06-07 season with
was traded to the Pembroke the Lumber Kings, Ventura headed
Lumber Kings. Regardless of only first to Lebanon Valley College,
being in Cornwall for a short while, Ventura, who played centre for the Cornwall Colts, logged 20 points Pennsylvania, and then to Lake
and 230 penalty minutes during his time with the Junior A team.
Ventura has many fond memories
Photo Submitted Forest College, Illinois. It was
of playing with the Colts and of the during his senior year of college
town and townsfolk. the gloves from time-to-time. “I Me, afraid of heights and having to at Lake Forest that Ventura’s idea

“Playing at the Si Miller was remember my first fight as a Colt. climb ladders. I still tell the story for Beyond the Edge Hockey
of how I had to be coaxed up onto
crazy! Every time we scored, I The crowd was so loud!” says a roof that was 3 stories high so Development came to be.
thought the building was coming Ventura. I could get up there for work one “My business partner and I were
down. I remember this group of Of the town and the people he day!” working together at the time doing
women that sat behind the penalty met while playing with the Junior A hockey training near the college.
box. They were the biggest team, Ventura recalls a lot of good “I can’t forget the time spent We both had the same goals and
hecklers! I would meet them out memories. “I think of families hanging out with friends and family mindsets about how to develop
at the supermarket or around town, like the Riels, the Seguins, the after games at Winners and the Best hockey players, and so after we
and they would let me know what Larivieres, and the Charboneaus. Western. And, I will never forget graduated, we started BTE Hockey
the team needed to improve on. I I think of my billet families who the poutine at the Blue Anchor, Development.”
always said I would relay their made me feel like a part of a family Tim Horton stops before an early
Beyond the Edge provides one-
advice to the coach.” even though I was living so far from morning practice, and working out on-one or team training using
On the ice, Ventura was a physical home. I remember working part- with Jeff Gibbs. Cornwall was synthetic and real ice, as well as
player, making his presence in time with Pete and Ray Seguin, good to me!”
front of the net known, dropping helping with their roofing business. After leaving Cornwall and Continued on page 33