Former SHS goaltender has moved on to a much bigger "Pot of Beans"
Published on February 14th, 2007
BOSTON, MA - BU won their third consecutive and 28th overall Beanpot Tournament Title Monday evening thanks in large part to their MVP goaltender, John Curry.
When asked about his successful career with the Terriers, Curry was quick to credit BU goalie coach Mike Geragosian - a Stoneham native and former standout for the Stoneham High School Spartans hockey team (class of 1971).
"He's meant everything to me regarding my success," said Curry, who set records for save percentage during the tournament. "Without him, I'm not sure I'd be anywhere close to where I am right now.
"Coach Gera" has definitely been the biggest influence on me since my freshman year when I wasn't playing much. He saw something in me and took the time, effort, and patience to develop it," added Curry.
Geragosian taught business and economics in Wakefield for many years and was known as "Mr. G" during his tenure at Wakefield High, but is currently called coach Gera by his BU players, and in his high school playing days in Stoneham was simply referred to as "Cou-Tou the Armenian Butterfly".
"I always felt like the butterfly style was the more natural way to play the position for me," said Geragosian. "It sure beats staying up and taking shots off the head. I started out playing a mixed style, but because of my being short and quick I felt more overall control in the butterfly."
Several Soviet goalies used it in the 1970's successfully as did Montreal Canadiens goalkeeper Patrick Roy and nearly every goaltender of today.
"The chest over and hands-forward approach was more of a Soviet-style while the chest back and hands to the side was more of the Canadian style," explained Geragosian. "I combined the both of them and came up with a style that I still teach my students today."
Geragosian backstopped his Spartans hockey team to the 1970 Middlesex League title for which the entire team was inducted into the SHS Hall of Fame - a squad that had a full complement of puck knowledge including head coach Dick Burns and current Boston College goalie coach Jim Logue.
"Jim Logue was a great help to me as a high school goaltender," said Geragosian. "He and Bobby Quinn brought me along, got me to my goalie camps, and took a personal interest in my progress, which I try to do today with my guys. At an earlier age my older brother Ed taught me the proper way to view and play the game and I'm grateful to him for that."
Following a great high school career at Stoneham High, Geragosian headed up to UMass-Lowell to play for head coach Bill Riley and continue his winning ways for the then-Chiefs and now-River Hawks.
"When I recruited him I can remember his father wanting him to come to Lowell rather than Salem State," said Riley. "He split the goaltending duties the first half of his freshman year with Mike Daley, but after that Gera was my starting goalie for the next three and a half years."
"Coach Riley taught me about work ethic and the difference between playing and competing," said Geragosian of the legendary Lowell coach. "He was a feisty competitor himself and expected the same from his players."
"I was always impressed with his quickness, skills, and competitiveness. He'd throw his face into the shot if necessary to get a piece of the puck and he was very acrobatic," said Riley.
During the 1972 ECAC tournament Geragosian made 64 saves in a game against Vermont, which still stands as the ECAC record for most saves in a playoff game. In addition to being selected as an All-New England goaltender while at Lowell, Gera was inducted into the River Hawk's Hall of Fame in 1981. Geragosian still remains among the all-time UMass-Lowell leaders in career goals against average (tenth with 3.83), saves (sixth with 2053), save percentage (fourth with .893) and seventh with 34 career all-time wins at Lowell. Geragosian's .904 and .905 save percentages from the respective 1974-75 and 1972-73 still stand among the top 10 all-time at Lowell and were tops for Lowell goalies from that era of college hockey. Geragosian returned to his alma mater in 1978 to begin a coaching career that has continued for 30 years.
"As a goalie coach he was a blessing to me because I couldn't pay him very much but he did his job with a passion for the game which he continues to do on a volunteer basis at Boston University," said Riley. "Mike is a good teacher, clinician, and communicator. As a result he has had several of his former players (including Dwayne Roloson and Rick DiPietro) go on to play in the NHL."
Over a 12-year period as goalie coach at Lowell, his River Hawk teams dominated Division II, winning both the ECAC and NCAA titles in 1979, 1981,1982, and the 1980 team won the ECAC Championship. During his tenure at Lowell, the team transitioned to Division I as a member of Hockey East and advanced to the semi-finals of the Hockey East tournament in 1986. Geragosian left Lowell in 1992 to accept the goaltender coaching job at Princeton University. During this same period, Geragosian became the director of development for goaltenders for USA Hockey in Massachusetts - a position he still maintains. In 1994 he returned to Hockey East as the goalie coach at Merrimack, and remained there throughout 1999 season before moving on to Boston University. Two of his Merrimack goaltenders received All-Hockey East honors during this time and Curry may do the same for Gera -- presently in his eighth season as volunteer goalie coach for the Terriers.
"Gera has been terrific with all of our goalies," said legendary Boston University hockey coach Jack Parker. "Curry is a feather in his cap because we semi-recruited him. He had no scholarship and didn't play at all his freshman year, but still worked like heck all year long and Gera convinced me to play him." Our rule of thumb is whoever plays well will be rewarded with additional playing time and Mike said it was time for our third-string goalie to become our first-string goalie," added Parker. "That was his sophomore year and he has been our number one guy ever since."
At BU the coaching staff works as a unit with input welcomed from each member and the accompanying responsibility coming right along with it.
"Jack gives me a certain leeway with the goalies which enables me to give them some string to fly their kite, " said Geragosian. " Each day you let out a little more string until the player can fly the kite on their own. Curry is pretty much flying his kite on his own these days."
Boston College hockey coach Jerry York has witnessed the job Geragosian does with his netminders from the opposing side of the ice - and can't help but give credit where credit is due.
"Curry has gotten better every year because of Geragosion's influence and personal attention," said BC coach Jerry York. "Even as a prep school kid at Taft he was sharing the duties so he really didn't stand out until Mike got a hold of him."
Michael's wife Diane (formerly Devereaux) is also a Stoneham High School alumnus (class of 1973) and they reside in North Andover with their children Leah, Craig, Adam, and Brian. Both Adam and Craig became noted college hockey players in their own right, with Craig finishing up as a defenseman at St. Michael's College and Adam currently finishing out his senior season as a goaltender at Northeastern University. Geragosian continues to pass on his expertise and experience at his goalie camp in Reading during the month of August and on weekends in Woburn - where he gives private goaltending instruction. Young goalies can learn from the best with one-on-one personal consultation at All-American Goalie Camp by contacting Geragosian at www.aagcamp@aol.com.
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