The San Diego Jr. Gulls have announced their coaching lineup and tryout dates for the 2022-23 season.

The club will have AA teams at the 16U, 14U and 12U levels, it will have four teams at the A/BB/B levels for 14U, 12U and 10U, and it again will have multiple 8U teams. That means the Jr. Gulls are projected to grow from eight teams this past season to 10 or 11 next season. 

"We're going in the right direction," Director of Coaches Pierre Dufour said. "We're gaining some momentum."

AA tryouts will be held June 10-12, and A/BB/B tryouts will be held June 17-19. Both will be at The Rinks Poway Ice.

“We’re looking forward to the new season, and we’re excited about our coaching staff and the direction the club is moving,” Jr. Gulls president Geoff Leibl said. 

The Tier II (AA) coaching lineup features Dustin Moffat at 16U, Dean Wilson at 14U and Reed Kinsey at 12U.

The A/BB/B coaching lineup includes Raf Rodriguez (14U A), Noah Babin (12U A), Moffat (10U A) and Christian Tabone (10U BB/B).

The 8U coaches will be Dave Scowby, Mark Schwamberger and Brendan Thirkell. 

Moffat and Schwamberger are new to the Jr. Gulls staff.

“Dustin and Mark are really good hockey guys,” Leibl said. “We’re really excited about having them be part of the program. A lot of good things are happening in our Mites program, and it  continues to grow.”

Schwamberger played with Babin on the U.S. Under-17 team at the World Hockey Challenge during the 2000-01. They also played together briefly on the Under-18 team the following season.

"Dustin and Mark have philosophies that fit with what the club is trying to accomplish," Dufour added. "They're in it for the right reasons."

In addition, the Jr. Gulls will hold a series of Pre-Tryout Skates, which will offer players an opportunity to get more familiar with the coaches at their respective levels and vice versa. Dates for those will be announced soon.

The Jr. Gulls also will conduct Memorial Day Tournament tryouts on March 27 (8U, 10U and 12U) and April 3 (14U). More information is available here. 

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to Hockey Director Pierre Dufour.