Post Classifieds
Position change to forward leads to torrid finish for freshman
By Angelica Rodriguez
On February 20, 2013
The Sutters, Stastnys and Staals are some of the best-known families in the sport of hockey.
The Kirchbergers aren't quite as big or prolific, but father Edd and daughter Nikki have forged
their own path together in Buffalo.
The freshman defenseman-turned-forward on the Buffalo State women's hockey team has been
on skates since age two, and her father has watched her nearly every step of the way. He coached
her for 11 years in the Buffalo Regals youth hockey organization and watched her play at West
Seneca West High School.
"In high school, I had two records - one for most points within a season and one for the fastest
goal scored in a game, about nine seconds in," Edd Kirchberger said. "Nikki broke both of those
records."
Talk about keeping it in the family.
Those are just two of the accomplishments Nikki's earned so far - she won a state
championship at the 12-and-under level, a gold medal as a member of the Western team at the
2010 Empire State Games and earned Athlete of the Year during her only season at West Seneca
West in 2011-12.
That was how she caught the eye of Buffalo State women's hockey coach Robert Burke.
"I had been given her name while she was a junior in high school," Burke said. "During her
senior year, I watched her play, and she was just a dominant player at the high school level. In
the end, it turned out well because she wanted to stay local and we wanted her to play here, so it
was a win-win for both sides."
Kirchberger soon found out that college hockey was played at a completely different pace. As a
result, she struggled a bit coming out of the gate this season.
"I suddenly had to manage more schoolwork with hockey, so it was tough at first," she said.
"Also, on the ice, the girls are so much faster and more skilled - they all know what you're
going to do."
Burke had multiple conversations with Kirchberger in order to figure out what needed to change.
Then, finally, he switched her to right wing, where she started to blossom.
"She started out as a defenseman, but she liked to rush the puck a lot," Burke said. "She found
out early on that she couldn't get to the net like she used to against college-level defenders and
back-checkers.
"She had a lot of success coast-to-coast in high school, and as a result, her coach put a lot of
pressure on her there, but I made it clear college isn't like that. You don't have to win all by
yourself."
After a few more conversations and adjustments, Kirchberger got the hang of things on the wing.
Prior to the Bengals' last game of the season - a 1-0 loss to Potsdam - she had scored a goal in
each of her last four games, and ended up leading the team in goals with eight. She also earned
ECAC Rookie of the Week honors on Dec. 10, 2012.
"I love it," she said of her experience so far with the Bengals. "I came from a team that was a
really close-knit group, so it was awesome to go from that to another tight locker room, almost
like a family."
Speaking of which, Kirchberger admitted she owes a lot to her dad in terms of her development.
"He had such a big part in it," she said.
And for good reason - Edd knows the game. He played junior hockey with the team that would
eventually become the Buffalo Jr. Sabres, then made his way to Illinois to play for the Decatur
Blues in the now-defunct Continental Hockey League.
Now, he's head coach of the men's ACHA Division III hockey team at Medaille College.
"The most important thing I taught her is to play smart hockey," Edd said. "Have responsibility
and respect for everyone out there - don't be a goon. Nikki's got God-given talent, she doesn't
need to be stupid out on the ice. Just learn and have fun with the game."
Kirchberger agrees that playing cheap isn't her style.
"I play a little tough so that people can't walk over me, but I'm not a dirty player," she said. "My
dad taught me to play that way."
As her college career continues, Burke suggested that there's still untapped potential in one of the
premier players in the Buffalo area.
"We're only scratching the surface right now," he said. "She's the kind of player who will only
get better - she'll learn to put more shots on goal, distribute the puck, attack more open ice to
get it back. ... She's a smart cookie, she'll figure it out."
Angelica Rodriguez can be reached by email at rodriguez.record@live.com.
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