JAMESTOWN, N.Y. – The Jamestown Ironmen hockey club has suspended operations for the 2013-14 season, Jamestown Savings Bank Ice Arena officials announced Wednesday. The Ironmen spent the past two seasons in the North American Hockey League, the largest USA Hockey-sanctioned Junior A league that recently completed its 37th season. They finished second in the North Division this past season with a 37-19-4 record, and then won the division’s playoff title before finishing fourth in the four-team Robertson Cup national championship tournament.
The roster included Erie native Nathan Ropelewski, 19, a forward who had four goals and seven points in 24 regular-season games and one point in eight playoff games.
“The team made a valiant effort at the Robertson Cup this season, and that effort was matched by some local people and business owners who worked diligently in multiple attempts to save the team and maintain operations for the 2013-2014 season,” Kurt Silcott, the arena’s chief executive officer, said in a statement. “Unfortunately those efforts ultimately did not come to fruition, and the team will not be playing in the upcoming season.”
In the statement, Ironmen owner Kenji Yamada said that “I am strongly looking forward to make the Jamestown Ironmen come back on the ice for the 2014-2015 season.”

Five players headline the Mercyhurst University men’s hockey team’s recruiting class for the 2012-13 season.
Rick Gotkin, who enters his 25th season as coach, has brought in three defensemen – Anthony Mastrodicasa from Woodbridge, Ontario, Mychal Monteith (Toledo, Ohio) and Justin Stevens (Brantford, Ontario). Mastrodicasa (6-foot 1-inch, 195 pounds), a two-time captain with the Vaughan Vipers of the Ontario Junior Hockey League, had 25 goals and 85 points in 69 games the past two seasons.
Monteith (5-9, 180) led the Texas Tornado to the North American Hockey League’s Robertson Cup finals this past season. Stevens (5-11, 205) had four goals and 24 points in 43 games with the Pembroke Lumber Kings of the Central Canadian Hockey League in 2011-12.
Gotkin also added forward Kyle Cook (6-4, 215) from Middleburg Heights, Ohio, and Moon Township native Alec Shields (5-9, 180). Cook finished sixth in the NAHL this past season with 70 points (31 goals, 39 assists) in 59 games for the Springfield Jr. Blues. Shields had five points in eight games for the NAHL’s Traverse City North Stars before a torn tendon in his hand ended his season. Cook, whose expected to be ready for the start of the 2012-13 season, had 21 goals and 51 points in 50 games with Traverse City two seasons ago.
Mercyhurst begins the season Oct. 6 with a 7:05 p.m. exhibition game against Wilfrid Laurier, from Waterloo, Ontario, at Mercyhurst Ice Center. The regular season opens Oct. 13 with an Atlantic Hockey Association game at Niagara.