Our Staff

Coach Gardiner grew up in East Greenwich, RI, where he played goal for the local town team All Stars.  He went on to play four years for East Greenwich High School in the Rhode Island Interscholastic Hockey League.  During his tenure, Dan won two State Championships in the Metropolitan B Division and was named MVP of the team both his Sophomore and Senior years.  He finished his Senior year with a 1.23 GAA, 10 shutouts, two tournament MVP’s, a State Championship and an All-Division Goaltender selection!

After East Greenwich, Dan took a post graduate year at Hebron Academy in Maine.  From there, he was recruited to play NCAA Division II college hockey for the perenial powerhouse SUNY Plattsburgh Cardinals.  

Since the end of his playing days, Dan has coached High School Hockey in White Plains New York, Junior Hockey with the Virginia Statesman and is now a fixture at PHD and clinics with The Goalie Academy in Sterling, VA.

Darren Hersh co-founded The Goalie Academy in 1996 after a successful hockey playing career that included an ECAC Championship and Playoff MVP Award with Bowdoin College in 1993 and a Central Hockey League Championship with Wichita Thunder in 1994.  

Hersh is currently the Goalie Coach for the Reading Royals, ECHL affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins.  With Reading, and with Johnstown Chiefs in 2009, Darren has been fortunate to have been able to work with six (6) minor league goalies with NHL camp experience including Kris Mayotte (Colorado & Washington), John Murray (Columbus), Ben Scrivens (Toronto), Matt Dalton (Boston), Michael Hutchinson (Boston), and Daren Machesney (Washington). 

As the Director of The Goalie Academy, Hersh prides himself and his organization on their ability and track record of producing high level goalies from the ground up and from non-traditional hockey areas like Maryland, Virginia, and Central Pennsylvania.  Coach Hersh has helped develop from very young ages Dan Sullivan (University of Maine), Jay Williams (Miami of Ohio University), Dan Rivellini (Babson College) and top college prospects Nick Ellis (Pomfret School), Stephen Morrissey (Kent School), and Eric Vierkant (Culver Academy).  Some of the best future prep, junior, college, and pro goalie prospects are originating in Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania with The Goalie Academy.

Among Coach Hersh’s other high level students have been Anthony Feyock (University of Rhode Island and CHL), Pudge Sillery (Union College and FHL), Michael Clemente (Brown University), and Freddie Bergman (University of Nebraska-Omaha).  He also works with the DC area’s best young and rising goalies, including the top AA and AAA goaltenders.

Doug Michals, with Darren Hersh, founded the Goalie Academy after being released from the Johnstown Chiefs of the ECHL in 1994. Doug has been with The Goalie Academy since the first camp 15 years ago and now leads our program in the New England area as the Director of The Goalie Academy of Boston.

Doug is also currently Director of Goaltending with TEAMS Training and he is the Head Middle School Coach at the Rivers Country Day School in Weston, MA.  In addition, he works with the varsity goalies at the Rivers School and Governors Academy.

In 2004-2006, Michals served as Director of Goaltending for the Hershey Jr. Bears in Hershey, PA. Upon moving back to Boston, Doug was also the Goalie Coach for the Boston Jr. Bruins.

Doug’s personal style of coaching allows him to teach players of all ages and abilities. Doug brings a lot of passion and energy when teaching the art of goaltending.

Andy has spent the past two seasons working as a scout at the Tier 1 Junior A level.  Andy’s work in junior hockey touches every level and nearly every league in the U.S.  Andy is a Level 4 USA Hockey certified coach and is the President of Five Hole Hockey, an organization that he founded to help players pursue opportunities in junior hockey.

 Prior to coaching and scouting, Andy played two seasons of New England D1 Prep hockey at Choate School.  After Choate, he went on to play 3 seasons of junior hockey in the BCHL, AWHL (now NAHL), MNJHL, and WSHL. After junior hockey, Andy enjoyed a stint in the UHL with the Quad City Mallards before earning a B.S. in Finance from Montana State University and a MBA from The Pennsylvania State University.  Andy resides in Central Pennsylvania with his wife and son.

 A Gaithersburg, MD native, Pudge played locally for the Washington Little Capitals and then DeMatha High School.  From DeMatha, Sillery was recruited to play prep school hockey at Gilmour Academy in Gates Mills, OH, where he produced a .931 save percentage his senior year earning All-MWPHL honors.

Following his prep-school career, Pudge was recruited to NCAA Division-1 Union College.  After four years of varsity D-1 hockey, he moved on to play professionally in the Federal Hockey League.  Sillery ended this past season as the starting goalie for the 1000 Islands Privateers.  Pudge has been a member of The Goalie Academy staff the past five years.  His main duties for the GA are instructing goalies both on-ice and off-ice at PHD in Rockville, MD.

Detroit, Michigan native, Shane Trexler, brings to The Goalie Academy years of knowledge and experience.  Coach Trexler has been coaching goalies in private lessons since 2004 and his resume includes coaching at several goalie specific training camps.  With The Goalie Academy, Shane is our lead instructor for the Northern Virginia Ice Dogs travel program.

Prior to coaching, Trexler played for St. Mary’s prep in Michigan, where he was an All-State goaltender.  In 2002 and 2004, Shane was named to Team USA’s High School team that won a gold medal in the Czech Challenge World Cup and he was named MVP.  After attending RPI, Trexler was an emergency backup goaltender for the Albany River Rats of the AHL.

Coach Spittle has been a key member of The Goalie Academy coaching staff for the past three years.  His main duties in that time have been to head the Washington Little Capitals and Junior Capitals programs, Frederick Freeze Jr B, and Reston Raiders organization as well as instruct private lessons at PHD in Sterling, VA.

Prior to coaching, Troy player Tier 1/AAA hockey with the Washington Little Capitals.  From WLC, he went to prep school at Berkshire School in Massachusetts.  After graduating Berkshire, Troy spent his college years at Skidmore in upstate New York.

PJ is a native of Chantilly, VA.  He played locally for the Washington Little Capitals growing up and from there was recruited to play prep school hockey at Gilmour Academy in Gates Mills, OH, where fellow Goalie Academy instructor, Pudge Sillery and he were teammates!

Following his prep-school career, PJ played ACHA D-II hockey for the University of Baltimore County (UMBC) for four years. This past 2010-2011 season, UMBC, lead by Carmack in goal, ended with a National Tournament run in San Jose, California and finished #12 in the country.  PJ has been a member of The Goalie Academy staff for the past four years, primarily assisting at camps and clinics. His role with GA will greatly expand in the coming year with PJ instructing goalies both on-ice and off-ice at PHD in Sterling, VA and assisting Coach Spittle and Coach Russell with Reston Raiders and Washington Little Capitals training.

Hailing from White River Junction, Vermont, Travis Russel played varsity prep school hockey at the Taft School in Connecticut.  From Taft, Coach Russell was recruited to play for the NCAA Division-I University of Vermont Catamounts.

At the end of Russell’s four years at UVM, instead of playing professional hockey, Travis opted to become a pro golfer.  After several years of breaking onto the tour, Russell moved to the Washington D.C. area and began coaching with The Goalie Academy.

Since joining the GA ranks, Coach Russell has been the lead with the Washington Little Capitals and Junior Capitals and will do so again this coming 2011-2012 season.

Prior to playing NCAA D-I hockey with Union College in Schenectedy, New York, Danielle Kimble played for the Tier 1/AAA women’s teams the perenial Southeast District powerhouse Washington Pride as well as the Albany Ice Cats.  Danielle started in goal for both teams at separate USA Hockey Nationals!

Danielle also played varisity boys hockey at Langley High School in Fairfax, VA.

Since graduating from Union, Kimble has earned a Master of Science degree in Biochem and Molecular Biology.

Danielle developed through the ranks of The Goalie Academy and now works with The GA coaching at clinics throughout the year.

Heading up The Goalie Academy’s and PHD’s off-ice training, Shane O’Donnell brings a wealth of sports related experience and expertise.

A graduate of Bridgewater College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Health and Exercise Science, O’Donnell was also a four year letter winner and Captian on the Men’s Varisty Soccer team.  He was twice named All-Conference.

After college, Shane was an Assistant Coach for the Men’s Varsity Soccer team at Shenandoah University and then went on to become a personal fitness trainer at Fitness First Health Club.

In the very near future, O’Donnell will be receiving his training certification through the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM PT), a highly recognized national organization (http://certification.acsm.org/acsm-certified-personal-trainer).

A graduate of The Goalie Academy camps, Brandon Brennan now joins our ranks as an instructor.

Brandon played NCAA D-III hockey and lacrosse at Elmira College in Elmira, NY, where he earned a degree in marketing and management.

A local Northern Virginia standout for Osbourn Park High School, Brennan was named Washington Post All Extra Player of the Year in 2004, All Met First Team All Star, and All Extra Selection three years in a row.

After his playing career, Brennan gained significant coaching experience at various camps and with local club hockey organizations.  We are very happy to have Brandon join our instructional team!