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Club hockey drops season opener 12-2
By Stephanie Riebe
Collegian Reporter
Hillsdale's
club hockey team played its first game of the season Saturday
night, losing 12-2 to St. Clair Community College.
The first Hillsdale College hockey
game in over 20 years was well attended, as over 100 fans made
the drive to Jackson to support the first-year team.
"I was proud to skate out
onto the ice wearing a Hillsdale jersey," sophomore assistant
captain Jamie Kasuboski said.
"I am proud of how far this
team has come to become a club sport, and I know I will continue
to be proud as we grow in the future."
The Chargers found themselves
in a 9-0 hole after the first period.
"We were really struggling
during the first period," coach Adam Lussier said. "The
other team was playing a lot faster than we were."
The Chargers managed to regroup
after this rough start. In the remaining two periods of the
game, the Chargers scored twice and allowed St. Clair only three
additional goals.
The Chargers said that their play
improved as the game went on, and that they were satisfied with
the team's effort at the end of the game.
"At first we didn't know
what we were getting into," senior Kristal Korzon said.
"But after the first part
of the game, we played how we knew we could play. We all stepped
up as a team and we were able to play the game well."
Freshman Phillip Fischmeister
and junior Tod Hunt took credit for the goals.
Junior Dan Greene, sophomore Daniel
Douglass and junior Jeffrey Grana recorded assists.
Freshman Greg Moore played goalie
for the first time in his career during the game and was able
to make some substantial saves for the Chargers, Kasuboski said.
One factor in Hillsdale's slow
start may be their lack of practice time prior to the game.
Although the team began conditioning
together off the ice four weeks ago, they have only been able
to hold four practices on ice in the two weeks leading up to
their first game.
The team plans to spend the rest
of the season holding ice practices twice a week during game
weeks and once a week on non-game weeks.
Money is a big factor in practice
time.
"Ice is our biggest expense,"
Lussier said. "We are hoping to fundraise so that we are
able to practice on ice more often."
Lussier said he hopes the team
can find corporate sponsors to support the team financially,
and the Chargers are planning a fundraiser to sell hockey jerseys.
With one game behind them, the
Chargers said that they are optimistic about the future of the
hockey club's program.
"We only have three seniors
that will leave after this season," Lussier said.
"Our goal is to use our young
team to our advantage, and to let people know that there is
a hockey team and that we are going to be around for a while."
The Chargers plan to play ten
games this season, and then join the Michigan Club Hockey Conference
next year.
Hillsdale will play next on Nov.
8, when they host Lansing Community College.
"For our second game, we
hope to improve as a defensive team," Douglass said. "We
are looking forward to coming together."
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Tyler Horning/Collegian
Graham Polando faces a shot
against St. Clair Community College.
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