Amidst all the publicity surrounding fellow classmates and past Tyrone graduates that have gone to play sports at the collegiate level, Tyrone senior ice hockey player Ambrose Aquadro has kind of flown under the radar.

So much so that most Tyrone sports fans would be surprised to learn that Aqaudro has had a very successful high school hockey career and if all goes according to plan, Aquadro will become the first Tyrone High School graduate ever to play Division 1 hockey.

Aquadro’s goal is to play for the Penn State Nittany Lions in two years, but first he needs to build his hockey resume at the junior semi-pro level.

“Penn State likes to have their players have some semi-pro experience before they begin their career at Penn State,” said Aquadro.

Aquadro plans to travel with a junior semi-pro hockey team next year to prepare himself to play on Penn State’s Division 1 hockey team the following year.

He has not yet signed a contract with a team but his top choices are the Johnstown Tomahawks or the Soo Eagles from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.

Aquadro has also offered to be drafted by the Pittsburgh Vengeance.  He will also have tryouts with the New Hampshire Monarchs, Wilkes-Barre Scranton Knights and Lebanon Valley College.

Ultimately, Ambrose says, “[It depends] on how tryouts go and who gives me the best opportunity.”

While Aquadro is playing for one of these teams, he plans to hold another job to pay for rent and other costs.

After a season or two, Aquadro hopes to walk on to the Division 1 hockey program of Penn State University.

Aquadro got his start playing street hockey.  Incredibly, it was not until ninth grade that he began playing ice hockey. That’s when he joined Bishop Guilfoyle’s varsity hockey team.

“No other sport compares to hockey in my opinion. It’s impossible to not have fun while playing,” said Aquadro.

Being new to the sport, Aquadro did not have much time to adjust to the speed and play of varsity hockey.  However, his natural talent and ability still made him a starter in his first year playing for the Marauders. Since then Ambrose has played center on the Bishop Guilfoyle team and racked up about 200 points in approximately 80 games.

“It was definitely a challenge jumping right into varsity, but it’s what made me the player I am now. I have grown in every aspect as a player since the beginning of my ninth grade year,” said Aquadro.

Bishop Guilfoyle head coach Gary Landon has been impressed by what he’s seen from Aquadro.

“Ambrose is an outstanding hockey player and even a better person.  He has earned the respect and admiration of every player and coach who knows him,” said Landon.

Aquadro credits his interest in hockey to his uncle and cousins.

“My uncle would always watch ice hockey games with me and then when my cousins would be playing, they would let me play along with them,” said Aquadro.

When asked if he felt as though he missed out on anything because his high school team was not actually Tyrone, Ambrose replied, “No, I am actually glad I experienced it how I did. It was nice to fly under the radar and it let me meet people from all over the east coast rather than just Pennsylvania.”

“I wasn’t the only guy from Tyrone playing [for BG],” said Aquadro, “Actually, there were only a couple people from BG who played. The team was a mixture of students from surrounding schools.”

With Aquadro on the ice Bishop Guilfoyle has been very successful.   The Marauders have been Laurel Mountains Hockey League Champions and finalists. Their league includes teams from Hollidaysburg, Richland, Somerset, Johnstown, Central Cambria, Conemaugh Valley, Forest Hills, and Ferndale.

In the midst of these successful seasons, Aquadro has received multiple Laurel Mountain Hockey League awards. He received the Goal Scorers Award, Most Points Award, and was named a Laurel Mountain Hockey League All-Star.

True to his roots, Aquadro still plays some roller hockey in the summer. He plans to play in the roller hockey league at Reservoir Park again this summer.

Five out of those six years Aquadro’s team won the roller hockey league championship.

Tyler Lucas, a fellow member of the roller hockey league and someone that has competed against Ambrose many times said, “Ambrose is really good. He may not be the biggest guy in the world, but his skating and puck handing are terrific.”