Here in South Florida, icy conditions are never around but UHockey seems to be okay without it. The University of Miami Club Men’s Ice Hockey team has made it to Division III Nationals as the number one seed for the tournament, with no frigid weather needed. The team will be headed to West Chester, Pennsylvania to compete in their biggest tournament ever. Having won the DIII College Hockey South Championship this past weekend, and moving to Division II next year, the team is ready to win it all.
Having overcome many obstacles to get to where they are this year, finishing last season with a record of 1-17-1, the team was ready to reshape and bring their best. Starting with an overwhelming interest for Fall 2023 tryouts, this allowed for a large and talented freshman class of players. The returning players showed strong resilience and appreciation for the game, which spread to the new fierce group, earning a regular season finish of 16 wins and a top seed spot at nationals.
Club Sports at the University are entirely student led—from budgets to bookings, the e-Boards of the clubs are the ones executing it all. They not only practice and condition with the team, but they handle all the logistics. The president of the Men’s Club Hockey Team, Chris Kourgelis, was ready to take on the work of running a club sport because of his passion for the game. “As President of the club, changing the culture of the team was one of my main goals heading into the year. In previous years this club was seen as something to do in your free time and wasn't taken very seriously. This year, with the help of other leaders on the team, we were able to turn this club into a tight-knit group. We all feel as though we owe it to each other to show up every week and perform to the best of our ability. This attitude has allowed us to turn the program around and let us proudly represent the University of Miami,” states Kourgelis.
Within the Department of Wellness and Recreation, the Club Sports program is run by the Federation of Club Sports (FCS), which establishes the guidelines and policies that all registered club sports must follow. It is a place where individual teams can work together to create a general program that suits the student body’s needs. Billy Cincotta is the president of FCS this year and is a two-sport athlete himself. “Not only have these clubs given me the opportunity to continue competing, but they have provided me with a community. Some of my best memories from college have been with my teammates,” he states. Coincidentally, our FCS president is also a long-time member of the men’s hockey team and is stoked about how far the team has come.
The team will be honored at the women’s basketball game Thursday night at 6 p.m. by Coach Meier. Let’s all join together and cheer on our fellow ’Canes as we wish great success to our Men’s Ice Hockey team during their national championship tournament.
