November 21, 2011
The name game
What to call brothers Marcel and Maurice Alvarez of Army? Dedicated
by Alan Lessels/Correspondent
Marcel Alvarez (photo: Danny Wild)
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Early on and first off, Army coach Brian Riley had to deal with the whole name thing, an inherent issue when a couple of brothers are part of a hockey team.
Senior defenseman Marcel Alvarez for years has been “Alvy” for the Black Knights.
So along comes Maurice Alvarez, the younger brother of Marcel and a freshman defenseman this season.
“It started off as ‘Big Alvy,’ and ‘Little Alvy,”’ Riley said. “But that seemed a little weird because little is bigger than big. I didn’t think that worked so I started going along with everyone else and calling him Mo. So now, we’ve got Alvy and Mo.”
What the Black Knights have is one outstanding veteran defenseman in Marcel, who goes 5-foot-10 and 207 pounds, and a younger and bigger brother in Maurice, 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, looking to follow in his skating strides.
“He makes me look like a midget,” Marcel said with a laugh.
“We feel very fortunate to have had Marcel here for four years,” Riley said. “And we’re certainly excited and it makes us feel good to know that his brother will be around for the next four years.”
The Brothers Alvarez are excited to have a chance to finally play together, especially on a Division 1 hockey team that thrives on its family atmosphere.
“It’s worked out awesome,” Marcel said. “We’re close enough in age that we’re good friends, but at the same time we’re far enough apart that we never played on the same hockey team.”
That is, until Oct. 8, when Army opened the season at home against Union.
“It was the first game we ever played together and it was actually really special,” Maurice said. “We’ve been waiting many years to be able to do that. I’d been thinking about it since I made the decision to come here, long before we stepped onto the ice for the first time.”
Marcel and Maurice got a taste of being teammates when they worked out together the last few summers back home in Cleveland. They grew up skiing together -- the family’s other winter interest -- and were competitive in that, too.
But hockey was their first love. Marcel led the way and, in hopes of landing a college scholarship, ended up in the Canadian Junior Hockey League in Ontario. Maurice followed him to the CJHL with the Pembroke Lumber Kings.
Marcel was down to about his last chance to land with a junior team -- and then had to deal with a broken collarbone, followed by a broken leg -- when he finally made it with Brockville Braves of the CJHL.
College recruiters came calling and Robert Morris, Canisius and St. Lawrence were among those interested.
“I remember visiting West Point and being absolutely blown away,” Marcel said. “One, the campus is absolutely beautiful. And two, the camaraderie of the guys is special. I’d never seen anything like it.”
The bonds come in very handy when dealing with the trials and tribulations of a military school life, he said.
“You have challenges every day; every day can be a grind and there are tough days when you want to quit and you feel sorry for yourself,” Marcel said. “I think one of the hardest times is failing at something. You don’t meet someone’s expectations and that sits on your chest. When a guy takes a couple of seconds and says, ‘What’s wrong?’ or ‘It’ll be OK,’ that goes a long way. It means a lot. The whole thing is designed to knock guys down and see if they have the intestinal fortitude to get back up.”
There was more at play in Marcel’s decision to choose West Point, too.
“I have a pretty vivid picture in my mind of what happened on 9/11,” he said. “I remember it like it was yesterday. I was in eighth grade and in social studies class, and I remember one teacher came running into the room and told the other to turn on the television. We watched the two towers and the smoke coming out, and were kind of clueless about what was going on. Then another teacher runs in and turns the TV off.”
His father picked him up early, which he said was unusual.
“He started to explain it and I asked if everything was going to be all right,” Alvarez said. “He said, ‘No, son, there will probably be a war soon,’ and that’s when it really hit me and I started to understand. I remember watching it the rest of the day with my family. I’ve always had deep respect for what the guys in the military do.”
In December, Alvarez and his classmates will pick which of the 16 different branches of the Army they want to work in. The choice breaks down to combat arms or roles in support of combat arms, and Alvarez said he plans to choose combat arms.
He also hopes to find some way to play some professional hockey, perhaps a few games this spring after he graduates -- and, maybe later, after his initial military commitment is up, similar to the way his former Army teammate, Zach McKelvie, is playing now for the Providence Bruins of the AHL.
“Hopefully, Alvy gets the same opportunity,” Riley said. “I know he certainly has the dream to play after college. A lot of guys have that dream, but I also think he has the ability to get that opportunity.”
The brothers have similar games and styles, with Marcel at the moment at least, more apt to get up into the play offensively. He had three assists – tied for the team lead in points – through Army’s first four games. He has 11-51-62 totals for his career.
“They’re both in great shape, physically very strong and have an unbelievable work ethic,” Riley said. “On and off the ice, they have a lot of the same qualities. On the ice, Marcel might be a little more offensive, but you know what? Maurice is a big, strong kid and it wouldn’t surprise me if offensively he was able to contribute as well.”
The bottom line is, they finally get a chance on the same team.
“It’s been good to have him here to guide me through everything,” Maurice said. “And it’s great to look across the locker room and see his face. It definitely makes the decision worthwhile.”
Riley, who followed his brother and father as coach at Army, knows a thing or three about hockey families and appreciates the chance the Brothers Alvarez are getting.
“They come from a close-knit family,” he said. “I can only imagine what a thrill it is to play with your brother.”
Allen Lessels can be reached at feedback@nyhockeyjournal.com
