MATTHEW NOGA - U12AA AND U14 A GREEN
Introducing Matt Noga to the NC Golden Bears Program. Noga comes to the Carolina's from Chicago Illinois where he most recently was the 12AA coach for the Chicago Bulldogs.
Noga has an extensive playing career including playing in the NAHL, USHL and Saint Cloud State with former Carolina Hurricane Matt Cullen. Noga spent 5 years in the Minor leagues before realizing he wanted to get into the coaching business.
NCGB founder, Paul Strand, played with Matt Noga in Cincinnati in the ECHL in 2002-03 season as they made a run in the playoffs in what was a memorable season. After crossing paths a few times over the years in hockey rinks of Chicago, Noga and Strand found themselves against each other in Nashville 200x85 in the 2023-24 season at the 12AA level. Fast Forward, Strand enticed Noga to bring his 20 years of puck control and skill development to North Carolina and the Golden Bears.
'Nogs" as he inevitably becomes known, is the premier stickhandling and skills coach of Chicago and 'the Handler' is looking forward to bringing that knowledge to the NCGB program, entrusting all the coaches with simple techniques they can run each practice and that he himself will be employing during the NCGB increased skill sessions.
Noga will also be the head coach for the 12AA team and the 14A Green Team
Fun Fact: Noga has seen the David Matthews Band Live more than 280 times.
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PAUL STRAND - U14AA AND U18AA
The Founder of the program will once again return as the Head Coach of the U18 AAA team as it enters its second season. Strand navigated the first year team to a respectable .500 record. Strand began coaching in the Greensboro Stars program in 2002 and this will mark his 24th season coaching youth and college hockey in a head coaching capacity.
Strand is one of the longest serving coaches in North Carolina and has coached at all levels and ages. He has served on the CAHA board and just finished a 4 year term as President of the CHL. His true passion is coaching and developing. He is looking forward to coaching the Bantam age group along with some of the OG's of our 10U program as they enter their age out season at 18AA.
Strand will coach one of the NCGB14AA teams and the 18AA teams for 2024-25 season.
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MATTHEW STRAND - U16AAA AND U18A
Strand will take on the role of the U16AAA head coach for the 2023-24 season along with the 18A head coaching position.
Strand began his coaching career while attending the University of Alberta and took an assistant coaching role with the South Side Athletic Club of Edmonton. While in this program Strand helped coach future NHL players Vernon Fiddler and Jason Chimera.
Later on Strand moved on to coach the Spruce Grove Regals Junior B program taking those teams to Provincial championships multiple times and to a championship on one occasion.
Strand has been a head coach for multiple teams in the NC Golden Bears program each season. He has a talent for teaching the game to players of great travel experience or coming from the house league.
Strand played Junior hockey in the Alberta Junior Hockey league after being a standout in Midget Hockey for the Fort Mcmurray Oil Barons. He was an incredibly smart player who also was known for his ability to protect his teammates, coming to the aid of his brother on numerous occasions.
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DEVIN WARFIELD - U18AAA AND U14 A Gold
Warfield will head up the 18AAA team for 2024-25 as well as returning to his role of U14 A level coach where he does a great job developing kids entering checking for the first time.
Warfield is a local product. Warfield played in the Junior Hurricanes program and was coached by Paul Strand, first at the Quebec Pee-wee Tournament and then again at the U14 AAA level.
Warfield played College hockey at Division 3 Utica and returned home to join the coaching ranks with the NC Golden Bears. He was thrown into the fire as the head coach of the EHL Golden Bears and did a great job weathering the storm for a team that was severely overmatched. After that team folded Devin joined youth side of the program and was brought along slowly as an assistant coach for multiple teams under Matthew Strand.
During the 2021-22 season Warfield stepped into the pro ranks for the Carolina Thunderbirds of the Federal Prospects Hockey league. Warfield scored 9 points in 11 games proving his ability. However, his desire to coach and develop the youth of the Carolinas proved to be a bigger calling.
In 2023-24 Warfield was given the head coach title of the U16AA, and arguably made that team into the best U16AA team in North Carolina according to its overall record.
Warfield is a world class skater and has become the premier Powerskating and skills coach in the Raleigh area.
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DEAN TILTGEN - U14 AA AND U16AA PREP
Tiltgen grew up in Canada and was a very accomplished hockey player. Tiltgen played 5 season in the Western Hockey League before he moved on to the University of Alberta, also playing with Paul Strand for the Golden Bears. After playing for two seasons, Tiltgen moved on to a professional career that lasted 8 seasons in the East Coast and West Coast hockey Leagues.
Tiltgen Coaches in the Alberta Mens Hockey league for the Stony Plain Eagles prior to relocating to the Raleigh Area with his family. After living in the area for a few years Tiltgen decided he wanted to get back into coaching and took on the head coaching position for the U14AA NC Golden Bears in 2022-23.
Tiltgen's teams outperformed expectations, as he brought his playing career background and non-parent perspective to the club. He is truly an asset to the NC Golden Bears in our development structure.
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BOBBY GRAM - 12A GREEN AND 16A GREEN
Bobby is another local product who grew up playing in the now defunct Carolina Eagles and NC Golden Bears after that. Bobby played U16 AAA for the TPH Thunder and then moved on to have a 4 year career in Junior, including the EHL, before succumbing to concussion injuries.
Bobby is very passionate about coaching and works with kids in the Polar Ice league as well as within the NC Golden Bears Program. in 2022-23 Bobby was an assistant coach, under the mentorship of Matthew Strand, for the U16 Gold and U16 Green teams. Many times Bobby took on the head coach role during games including a season ending tournament championship in Hampton Roads.
Bobby will be sharing head coaching duties on two teams this season with Nicholas Sachs.
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AUSTIN FINCH - U10 A
Austin Finch was an original NC Force U16 player during the 2015-2016 season. Finch played 3 seasons of youth hockey before playing both seasons for the NC Golden Bears EHL team. After the team folded Finch was moved onto the Seahawks of the EHL where he got an offer to play Division 3 NCAA at Rivier University in New England.
Finch played one season of Division 3 before moving back to NC and getting into coaching as an assistant coach in 2022-23 for the NC Golden Bears. Finch did an awesome job with our 14A Golden team while also leading and assisting our skills sessions and on the bench with mulitple teams throughout the season.
Finch got accepted into NC State and will play for the Icepack in 2024-25 season. CONGRATS!
Finch will coach our 10A team
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DAWSON SAVCHENKO - U10 AA
Savchenko is another original NC Force player from 2015-2016 season. A goaltender by trade, Savchenko injured his knee early on and his career ended after youth hockey. However Savchenko had an passion for the game and became involved in hockey coaching right from the start.
Dawson did a tremendous job with the 10UA team in 2023-24 and was overwhelmingly requested to continue coaching in the program. Dawson is an extremely good goaltender coach and was being recruited to leave for some very good programs in the country. Dawson will remain in NC And coach for the NCGB as they hold tryouts for the 10UAA level for the first time in their history.
With an increased focus on skills development and with Dawson at the helm the NCGB believe the 10AA team for the NCGB will be a strong one.
