The gold standard

Professional coaching and dedicated full-time staff.
46 regular season games, and the Las Vegas showcase
Daily practices and game film sessions.
Strength training with certified coaches in a professional gym.
Goaltending instruction with Nick Cafrelli of Framingham State Univ.
Skating treadmill to help master your skating stride, efficiency, and technique.
InStat reports providing real-time feedback and advanced stats.
Certified athletic trainers with military experience.
Hotel accommodations with pre and post-game meals every road trip.
Volunteer experience in the community.
Team building activities, including hikes, golf, and professional sports games.
Exclusive locker room with individual stalls.
Skate sharpening before every game.
Supplies & nutrition are provided for all games, including tape, wax, laces, healthy snacks, fruit, and sports-themed beverages.
Supportive billet families that have been vetted by the organization.
Media exposure through social media and live internet streaming on HockeyTV.com.
Development and player advancement through the USPHL.

Meet the Staff

Tomas Kapusta

DIRECTOR, HOCKEY OPERATIONS

Tomas served as a coach with the Jr Kings organization for eleven years and is currently the High-Performance Director for the Jr Reign in Riverside, Carlsbad, and Paramount. Tomas is regarded as one of Southern California's best youth coaches among his contemporaries.

Tomas served as a coach with the Jr Kings organization for eleven years and is currently the High-Performance Director for the Jr Reign in Riverside, Carlsbad, and Paramount. Tomas is regarded as one of Southern California's best youth coaches among his contemporaries.

He was selected by the Edmonton Oilers with the 104th overall pick in the fifth round of the 1985 NHL Entry Draft and competed in all three Junior World Championships between 1985 and 1987.

Throughout his 20-year professional career, Tomas represented the Czech Republic, notably at the 1993 World Championship in Germany and the 1994 Olympics in Norway. In 1993, He took home the Elite Finnish League scoring title. Tomas was also a part of each three winning teams in the Czech Republic Extra League.

He graduated from CSULA with a Degree in social science and from CSULB with a teaching credential. Tomas currently teaches at Excel Charter School Academy as an educational specialist.

Through his passion and love for the game, Tomas strives to help each player reach their full potential.

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Domenick DiCicco

General Manager

Domenick DiCicco has over 25 years of hockey experience and played for Penn State University, where he graduated with a BS in finance. Soon after, he accepted the position of head coach of the hockey team at Penn State Harrisburg. While there, Domenick swiftly transformed the club into one of the best in the Delaware Valley Collegiate Hockey Conference and one of the top 25 teams in the nation.

Domenick DiCicco has over 25 years of hockey experience and played for Penn State University, where he graduated with a BS in finance. Soon after, he accepted the position of head coach of the hockey team at Penn State Harrisburg. While there, Domenick swiftly transformed the club into one of the best in the Delaware Valley Collegiate Hockey Conference and one of the top 25 teams in the nation.

Before joining the San Diego Sabers, he spent the former season building the New York Bridgemen of the Eastern Hockey League, a new program for the New Jersey Titans.

Under Domenick, the Sabers have been growing into one of the top Junior A programs on the West Coast. This last season the Sabers had a successful season achieving a 33-11-2 winning record and advancing to the playoffs. Domenick has already moved players from the Sabers onto higher levels of hockey, including collegiate and pro hockey. He looks to continue developing a winning culture and focusing on player advancement.

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Nick Perez

Head Coach

Emailnick@sandiegosabershockey.com

Nick Perez, a hockey coach with over 26 years of experience, began his career with the Norwalk Knights before traveling to St. Louis to play for the St. Louis Selects and later the Rocky Mountains in Denver, Colorado.

Nick Perez, a hockey coach with over 26 years of experience, began his career with the Norwalk Knights before traveling to St. Louis to play for the St. Louis Selects and later the Rocky Mountains in Denver, Colorado.

Coach Perez played hockey for the Surrey Eagles in the BCHL for a while before continuing his career with the Beaver Valley NiteHawks in the KIJHL of British Columbia. While there, Nick was named assistant captain and contributed to the team's league-winning season.

Nick soon received a hockey scholarship from Adrian College in Michigan. While there, he helped the team advance twice to the ACHA National Championships.

After graduating from college, Coach Perez returned to California and began working as an assistant coach with the California Wave 18AA. Recently, Coach Perez has served as an assistant coach with the Long Beach Shredders in the USPHL’s Pacific Division for the past two seasons.

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SCOTT HANSEN

HEAD STRENGTH & CONDITIONING COACH

Building champions in life through sport is Scott’s mission, and for the last 16 years, he’s helped hundreds of athletes from all sports reach their highest potential.

Building champions in life through sport is Scott’s mission, and for the last 16 years, he’s helped hundreds of athletes from all sports reach their highest potential.

Prior to Resilient, Scott trained private clients at Equinox and was an educator in their Trainer curriculum for 10 years, while also working as a strength and conditioning coach at Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning, which was voted the #1 Gym in America by Men’s Health. He also served as the strength and conditioning coach of the Valley Junior Warriors (Haverhill, MA) of the EHL.

Scott graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA, and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association, a Certified Functional Strength Coach, and a Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certified Coach.

Scott has been coaching high school wrestling at La Costa Canyon High School for the last 4 years and previously was the head wrestling coach for Malden Catholic High School in Malden, MA.

Scott resides in Carlsbad with his wife Shannon and, when he’s not coaching, you can probably find him at Beacon’s Beach, hiking, or watching the Patriots, Bruins, or Red Sox win championships.

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JASON MARBLE-SMITH

EQUIPMENT MANAGER

Jason “Smitty” is a native of New Mexico and has lived in the Canadian Atlantic provinces as well as Utah, Arizona, and Oregon and now resides in San Diego, CA.

Jason “Smitty” is a native of New Mexico and has lived in the Canadian Atlantic provinces as well as Utah, Arizona, and Oregon and now resides in San Diego, CA.

Jason joined the Sabers during the 2020-2021 season after taking a hiatus from sports. Previously he worked with a variety of professional sports teams in various capacities. He worked in MLB for the LA Angels Baseball as a Clubhouse Manager in the minor leagues (Pioneer League and AAA visiting Clubhouse Manager) and also at Spring Training in AZ.

He worked in the NBA for the Utah Jazz as security.

He also worked in the WSHL as a trainer/equipment manager for the Utah Valley Golden Eagles Jr B team.

Jason is excited to be back in hockey and here in Southern California.

“My heart belongs to hockey. The rink is where I have always wanted to be. It is my zen place. It is where I feel most comfortable.”

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Strength Training

Resilient Strength & Conditioning is a high-performance training facility designed to take you to the next level, in both sports and life.

EXPERT COACHING THROUGH:

Soft tissue work and proper active stretching to identify and correct muscular imbalances and safely prepare the athlete for the workout ahead.
A dynamic warm-up with a focus on improving movement quality to minimize injury risks associated with hockey.
Speed Development with an emphasis on acceleration, deceleration, linear and lateral speed, running mechanics, and footwork.
Building explosive jumping and throwing power through a blend of plyometrics, medicine ball throws, and Olympic lifts.
Building functional strength in the upper body, lower body, and core.
Conditioning to make sure all our athletes are ready to compete hard from the first whistle to the last.