T.J. Manastersky
T.J. Manastersky
Title: Head Coach
Phone: 617-333-2224
Email: tmanaste0812@curry.edu

Check out Coach Manastersky's Blog at: https:/tjmanastersky.com

Listen to Coach Manastersky's Podcast: Coaching Project Podcast on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/coaching-project/id1511440278

Follow Coach Manastersky on Twitter: @tjmanastersky

The 2020-2021 season will be Manastersky's ninth season leading the Curry Men's Ice Hockey program.

In the 2019-2020 season, Manastersky led the Colonels to a 17-6-3 finish, good enough for the third seed in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC). Four Colonels landed All-CCC selections and the team earned the Sportsmanship Award. In all of NCAA Division III, Curry ranked in the top 20 in scoring margin (#11, 1.73), scoring offense (T-#11, 4.04), scoring defense (#15, 2.31), power play percentage (#12, .248), penalty kill percentage (#7, .883), and win percentage (#12, .712). Over the course of the season, the Colonels were assessed the fewest penalty minutes in the CCC (306), allowed the fewest power play goals (13), and turned in the best penalty kill percentage. On Nov. 23, Manastersky earned his 100th win as the head coach of the Colonels in a decisive 8-1 road victory over Nichols.

Manastersky guided the Colonels to a 16-7-3 overall record in 2018-19, entering the CCC Tournament as the number two seed, earning a bye straight to the semifinals. Three of his student-athletes were named as All-Conference selections while Manastersky was named the CCC Coach of the Year, as voted on by his peers. 

Manastersky led Curry to a 17-8-1 overall record in 2017-18, qualifying for the CCC Tournament as the number four seed for the second straight season and fifth out of the last six seasons. It was the most successful season for the program since 2008-09, finishing 17th in the nation in winning percentage. Adam Valadao was named as a Second Team All-CCC selection at season's end and Freshman Michael Snow finished third in the nation for Freshman scoring. Academically, the team thrived once again, posting a 3.7 Team GPA, the eighth semester in a row with over a 3.5 GPA including 11 players with a 4.0 and two of the College’s five Valedictorians: Ryan Fitzgerald and Shane Tracy.

During the 2016-2017 season, the Colonels finished with a 14-10-2 overall record. Curry qualified for the inaugural CCC Tournament as the four seed. Ellery O'Hara was named the CCC Men's Ice Hockey Senior Scholar-Athlete while three others earned All-CCC Recognition. Mack Heisinger and Jarret Kup were named to the Second team while Tyler Vankleef earned Third Team honors. Robert Cammalleri and Ellery O’Hara were school valedictorians for graduating with a perfect 4.0 GPA. There were only four students in the entire college with this distinction.

During the 2015-2016 season, the Colonels competed against six nationally-ranked teams.  They defeated #13 nationally-ranked Plymouth State, 3-1.  At year's end, Curry's freshman Mack Heisinger was named to the ECAC Northeast Second-Team and All-Rookie Team. He was also named as the ECAC Northeast Rookie of the Year. The Colonels placed 20 players on the ECAC Northeast All-Academic Team. 

His 2014-2015 Colonels finished their season with an overall record of 15-10-2 and a 7-6-1 mark in the ECAC Northeast.  Curry was the #4 seed in the ECAC Tournament and hosted the #5 seed Wentworth in the Quarterfinal game.  Curry would go on to win that game by the score of 8-4 and move on to the Semi-final where they would lose to the eventual ECAC Northeast Champion Nichols College, 3-2.

 In 2012-2013 Curry won the Wisconsin-Superior Tournament, defeating the host team and ninth-ranked Wisconsin-Superior in the championship game.

Manastersky graduated cum laude from Canisius College with a Master of Science in Education in Health and Physical Education and graduated cum laude from SUNY Oswego with a Bachelor of Arts in English Writing Arts and a minor in Athletic Coaching.

Manastersky comes to Curry after a successful three-year stint as assistant coach at SUNY Fredonia. While with the Blue Devils, he was responsible for recruiting efforts, strength and conditioning, power play, video analysis, and coaching the defense. He was also an Assistant Professor in the Sport Management and Exercise Science Department. Manastersky coached and recruited three All-Americans, one SUNYAC Player of the Year, and one SUNYAC Rookie of the Year while at Fredonia State.

The Oakville, Ontario native joined the Blue Devils after working with the Division 1 Canisius College Golden Griffins of the Atlantic Hockey Association. At Canisius, Manastersky was responsible for coordination of video analysis and academic monitoring, while assisting in all facets of the program, including: recruiting, strength and conditioning, skill development, practice planning and game-day preparation. While at Canisius, Manastersky coached two players who signed NHL contracts, Carl Hudson (Florida Panthers) and Cory Conacher (Tampa Bay Lightning). He also assisted in the recruiting of Canisius’ senior class of 2013 who won the Atlantic Hockey Association Championship.

Manastersky has also spent time as an assistant coach with Team Western in the Empire State Games, as well as serving as a guest coach and evaluator at the USA Hockey Selection Camp in the Mid-Am District and at the Greater Toronto Hockey League Under-17 camp. Manastersky holds his Hockey Canada High Performance I certification and has served as an evaluator in the Team Ontario Under-17 Selection process.

Manastersky played collegiately for the Oswego Lakers from 2004 to 2006 and was a member of the SUNYAC All-Academic Team. He was a key member of the team's defense and helped the Lakers earn as high as a No. 3 national ranking. After graduation, Manastersky played with the Richmond Renegades of the Southern Professional Hockey League.