When Avon Old Farms' season kicks off Wednesday, it will look slightly different behind the bench. Longtime head coach John Gardner is on a leave of absence for personal reasons. Gardner's trusty assistant, Mark Naclerio, will step in as the interim head coach while Gardner is away. Gardner has been at Avon Old Farms for...
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When Avon Old Farms' season kicks off Wednesday, it will look slightly different behind the bench.
Longtime head coach John Gardner is on a leave of absence for personal reasons. Gardner's trusty assistant, Mark Naclerio, will step in as the interim head coach while Gardner is away.
Gardner has been at Avon Old Farms for 50 years as head coach. His career has been illustrious. After being the starting goalie for Wesleyan's first three varsity hockey seasons, Gardner took over as Avon Old Farms' head coach in 1975.
He notched his 800th win on Dec. 1, 2021, against Williston Northampton. He currently has 867 wins.
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The 844th win was a 3-1 victory over Cushing to win the Elite 8 in March 2023. That was his ninth New England championship.
“I take it year to year,” Gardner told New England Hockey Journal in the fall. “I thought I was struggling a little bit at the end of last year with my heart and then I did a bunch of things and my heart is great now. I’m looking forward to this year but as I say, when you’re my age, if it starts to become a chore or something I can’t do … as long as I’m healthy and feel good, I’ll do it.”
Naclerio, who is a Milford, Conn., native, played for Gardner from 2008-11, posting 94 points in 81 games. He spent one season with the USHL's Waterloo Black Hawks before a strong, four-year career at Brown.
At Brown, Naclerio was a captain for his junior and senior seasons. He finished with 103 points in 129 games.
Upon graduating, Naclerio spent some time with the AHL's Providence Bruins and ECHL's Atlanta Gladiators and Reading Royals. He finished his career in 2018-19 playing in Italy.
Naclerio began coaching at South Kent in 2020. Gardner offered him an assistant role prior to the 2022-23 season.
Other assistant coaches on Avon Old Farms' staff this season are Geoffrey Barlow, who is also the athletic director, and Michael Murphy.
The Winged Beavers open their season at home against Williston Northampton on Wednesday.
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