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Printer-Friendly ModeWe're bringing hockey back
Cardinals Club Hockey Team laces up skates, gets back on the ice after almost three-year hiatus
October 2, 2006 —
Adam Munro feels the butterflies in the bottom of his stomach before every game. The pressure to win and the anticipation of the crowd leave the Clinton Township defenseman's heart racing.
But this past week was a bit different for both Munro and his new teammates, as they felt an unprecedented nervousness going into this past weekend's games. After all, there was more on the line than just a win or loss; the future of SVSU hockey was at stake.
Yet to understand the future of SVSU hockey, it is important to look at its past. Three years ago, just before the beginning of the 2003 season, a lack of funding and players led to the cancellation of the season and the termination of the program. Hockey was dead at Saginaw Valley.
But while the program collapsed, the interest in hockey never waned, instead laying dormant and waiting for someone to wake it up.
Friday night at the Saginaw Bay Ice Arena, SVSU hockey woke up.
Home ice advantage
The Cardinals defeated Alpena Community College 6-5 Friday night, marking a new chapter in Cardinals hockey. Going into the game the team knew a win was important, but perhaps more important was the ticket sales; the team would need a strong following if it had any chance of surviving.
When the team skated out onto the ice Friday night, the hundreds of fans in attendance indicated that not only would the team survive, but it could very well thrive.
"It was more than what I thought," said captain and Midland native Jake Trombley. "When you come in there and you're skating on the ice and you just hear the crowd roar, you can't even explain it."
While Trombley could not explain the feeling of the crowd's reaction, the crowd itself had a much easier time explaining its reason for attending.
"I think it's awesome," said 19-year-old Gaylord native Alyssa Platte. "I love hockey."
Heather Bird, on the other hand, isn't as familiar with the sport, but is quickly learning to enjoy it. The 18-year-old Sanford native is Trombley's friend and attended both Friday night's game against Alpena and Saturday's game against Oakland University.
"I've never really watched too much hockey, except for on television," she said. "But I'm really excited and really pumped to be here."
Starting from scratch
The process that brought hockey back to SVSU was a long one. Last winter, Trombley, Brian Jensen, and Ryan Schraffenberger decided to form the Club Hockey organization. Just like any club, they held meetings to gauge interest, drew up a constitution, and put together a business plan for the team.
"This is like a business," Trombley said. "We're running a hockey team and you've got to make money somehow to pay for everything."
The money comes from several sources. Currently, players are paying $500 to play on the team, though that number may go up depending on whether they can earn enough money elsewhere. The team is also selling T-shirts, looking for sponsors, and selling tickets. Cost of admission to a game is $5 for adults and $3 for students.
"It's difficult for us," Trombley says, "because at the other schools it's pretty much considered a varsity sport, so the school gives them money. But we don't get anything from the school."
They also had to gain acceptance into the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA), which meant more meetings and fees. Once in the league, the Cards became part of the Michigan Collegiate Hockey Conference (MCHC).
The division is comprised of a number of teams throughout the state, including Northwood and Grand Valley. The season lasts until late February and Trombley estimates that, including tournaments, the team will play about 28 games.
Practice makes perfect
With the specifics out of the way, the team began practicing. Two days a week the team wakes for its 6:30 a.m. practice, honing their skills on the ice for an hour and a half. When that's done, the players head over to the Ryder Center to lift weights and cycle.
"The biggest thing for us is we have to have team chemistry," Munro says. "It's really weird that I just met these guys and we're all real close. I think we all have the same mindset of what we want to do. We want to compete in this league and we're all in the weight room together. I think it's going real well for just being the first year."
Helping build that chemistry is head coach Steve Hart. Hart was a coach at Northwood during the 03-04 and 04-05 seasons before taking a year off to coach his son's youth team. Hart also played at Northwood when he was a student there, and before that, played junior hockey in Chicago. Now coaching at SVSU, Hart says he's working to get reacquainted with coaching at this level.
"It's a challenge for me and it's a challenge for them," he says. "But this is what I like to do and so far it's working out pretty well."
Contributing to the good start is the fact that the players are buying into Hart's philosophy, saying he brings just the right combination of knowledge and patience to the bench.
"He's treating us like players," Munro says, "but he knows that we're still developing. He's not real hard and he's not trying to kill us in practice. He knows exactly what he's doing and what it's going to take to win because he's been in this league before."
Forward Nate Engstrom, a 20-year-old Cheboygan native, says he believes part of Hart's appeal is that the coach is looking beyond this season and into the future of SVSU hockey.
"He wants to help us build the program up," Engstrom says. "He understands that there isn't going to be an instant success with it and that it could take a few years."
And while the team is just starting up again, this past weekend's turnout makes them feel as though they truly are SVSU's hockey team, and they say that makes it worth the price they've paid thus far.
"I think we all feel that we have something to prove to each other, to the coach, and to our peers," Engstrom says. "We want to prove that this is hard work. We want to earn the respect of everyone on this campus."