Students fill club hockey team void

Many lifelong hockey players, who sacrificed sleep for 6 a.m. ice time and weekends to drive to various rinks, find the move to Boston College may mean the sacrifice of the game they love.

As BC currently lacks a club hockey team, viable options are limited for former high school hockey players. While intramural hockey suffices for most, for a group of students that is not enough, and they have resorted to their own means to get back in the action with competitive hockey.

In response to the lack of a club hockey team, a group of students have created their own team, unaffiliated with BC. Operating independently from the University, the team has devoted countless hours to earning sufficient funds and doing whatever is necessary to sustain themselves as a legitimate team and eventually achieve BC club status.

"We're looking for a higher degree of hockey because we come from competitive hockey backgrounds and when you come to school, there's really that void," said Andrew Baird, an officer of the Eagles Club Hockey team and CSOM '08.

In operating a hockey team, there are numerous expenses that need to be considered. Michael Greeley, an officer of the team and A&S '08, estimates that the team has spent between $15,000 and $20,000 this season, with expenses including ice time, transportation for away games, referees, a trainer, and USA Hockey insurance for each player on the team.

"A game easily costs over $1,000 to play. If we want a 20 to 25-game schedule next year, we're going to need to raise that money, which we're ready to do," said Greely. "We're not begging the school for money, we're just begging for affiliation and some ice time."

Affiliation will not only mean using the BC name instead of Eagles Club Hockey, but it will also expand the team's options in terms of scheduling games and establish them as an official team in the New England Collegiate Hockey Association.

Greeley explained that there are many club teams that want to play BC but don't feel comfortable playing an unaffiliated team.

Also, some of the best teams in the country are willing to come to BC but can't because they don't have ice time at Conte Forum.

The team currently plays the official club teams of schools such as Boston University, Northeastern, Holy Cross, UConn, and University of New Hampshire.

The team has developed creative means to obtain the funds necessary to maintain the team. Thursday night the team rented out Who's On First in Boston and 600 students bought tickets in support of the team for this event.

They hosted a similar event in the first week of school and another at Avalon for Halloween, for which they sold 2,000 tickets.

A letter campaign ignited the support of parents, friends, local businesses, and BC alumni. Roggie's offered support in the form of food for away games, and Bank of America offered $1,000 if the whole team opened checking accounts there. "It's little things like that that keep us afloat," said Greeley. They also collect dues and plan to sell T-shirts and hold a raffle.

John Pagliarulo and Mary Ann McChesney, assistant athletic directors, explained that past attempts to create a club hockey team have failed due to the lack of space to accommodate a team, since Conte Forum is shared not only between men and women's hockey teams but also men and women's basketball.

Without access to Conte Forum, the Eagles Club Hockey team has been forced to seek ice beyond the boundaries of BC. They hold practices every Tuesday and play games at the Cleveland Circle rink and have even rented ice from BU.

"It kills us because we see little kids walking out with bags and we can't get ice time at our own school," said Greeley, who explained his frustration at watching youth and high school teams use the Conte Forum ice and also at the sight of unused ice on many occasions.

The team currently consists of 25 players who were selected from a group of around 70 hopefuls who tried out for the team.

Greeley, Baird, as well as Bobby Kneeland, A&S '07, serve as officers for Eagles Club Hockey and do most of work vital to maintaining the team, but Greeley explains that every player pitches in to keep the team running. The younger students may take home and clean the water bottles or the jerseys or order lunch for away games.

He explained that although the struggle to become affiliated and to continue as a team is often frustrating, it is encouraging to see how dedicated the young players are and to know that they will carry on the team after the older players graduate.

"We've been so careful to do everything by the book. We try to stay as clean-cut as possible," said Greeley.

That includes making sure all of the players are insured, paying all bills on time, and being careful not to use the BC name. "We're determined and we're very hopeful and we're confident that it will happen, we just need to keep going on this track and follow all the guidelines of the school and just try to make it work."

The officers of Eagles Club Hockey have continually gotten in touch with leagues, coaches of other teams, rinks in the area, and working to get the other resources and equipment necessary to run a team.

They will continue to push for official 'club team' status of their currently unrecognized team. "I really want to make it happen and make it last because if there is one school that should have a club hockey team it is BC," said Baird.