Bujdos scores twice in all-star win

By Jose Negron
jnegron@yourmvi.com
When the rosters for the PIHL D2 All-Star teams were announced last month, Ringgold head coach Rick Kalinowski showed an abundance of pride in having six players named to Sunday’s all-star game at the Robert Morris University Island Sports Center in Pittsburgh.
Kalinowski, who served as the head coach for Team Blue Sunday, had the same sense of pride watching his players participate in a 5-1 victory for the Blue squad over the Gold team.
The six Ringgold standouts were split up between the two teams with junior forwards Justin Day and Brad Bujdos playing for Kalinowski’s Blue team.
Senior forward Noah Schroeder, sophomore forward Zach Kalinowski, junior defenseman Ryan Marek and senior goaltender Evan Cook participated for the gold team.
“I found myself cheering for both teams,” said Kalinowski, who was assisted by Neshannock coach Mark Multari and Knoch coach Ryan Cooper. “I also found myself giving them props and yelling at them at the same time.”
Bujdos helped lead the blue team to victory as he scored a pair of goals, including one against Cook in the third period of the victory.
“It was amazing getting to score in this game. I was hoping at least one Ringgold player would score and it happened,” Bujdos said. “It was an honor getting to play and produce during the game.
“Justin and I would tell Evan that we were scoring so many goals on him and in practice the same thing will happen, too. We all have been friends for so long that everything we say is just a joke and we make one another laugh. I let Evan know all about that goal and he will hear in next practice, too.”
Kalinowski said Bujdos entered the game with a lingering shoulder injury and fell on the shoulder during the first period of Sunday’s game.
Upon skating back to the bench, Kalinowski told Bujdos to take a few shifts off and said he thought the junior standout was done for the afternoon.
Bujdos convinced his coach that he was OK and, a shift later, scored his first goal – a power play tally – to make it 2-0.
He added his second goal of the afternoon in the third period.
“Brad put up a stellar performance,” Kalinowski said.
Over the last two seasons, Bujdos didn’t play ice hockey, taking a break after a hectic workload while playing both ice and ball hockey.
“It is fun to play both and I just decided to take some time off from ice,” he said.
Bujdos, a student at Belle Vernon Area, said all of his friends at Bill’s Dek Hockey in Rostraver convinced him to get back on the ice, considering he has two years of high school left.
And his decision to return to the ice is one Bujdos doesn’t regret.
“I cannot thank them enough for that,” he said. “This season has been great to the team and I so far, and hopefully we can win the Penguins Cup.”
Ringgold (14-3) will look to extend its winning streak to six games when it returns to action by hosting Neshannock Feb. 4 at Rostraver Ice Garden.