Men's hockey introduces Division-III team
Matt Chandik
Issue date: 10/19/09 Section: Sports
West Chester University has seen its men's hockey program make great strides in recent years. With the team on a tremendous upswing, team officials decided that it was time for the program to add a second team at a lower level. The 2009-10 season marks the unveiling of the WCU Division III club team, and the team figures to make an impact right away.
"We're very excited about our D-III team," WCU general manager Dom Bellizzie said. "We've got a lot of talent in our organization and we only have so many spots on the D-I team, so this team presents a great opportunity for some very talented players."
Former WCU teammates Jason Munter and Jason Ferrell will be behind the Golden Rams' bench. Both are coaching rookies at this level, but both are bright individuals who should quickly become comfortable handling the coaching reins. As younger coaches, the pair should be able to relate well to the players, as they've both been through similar situations. The two bring experience, savvy and a deep knowledge of the game to the team.
"I think we've got the potential to be a top team in the conference," Ferrell said. "We've got a lot of players with experience at the D-I level and we're counting on them to be leaders for our team.
Some of those players include Drew Mervin, Tom Haeberle, Justin Lewandowski Ryan Bones, and Andrew Gregoire. All have played a significant amount of games for the Division I team and will be expected to be the team's leaders and its best players.
"I definitely feel like one of the team's leaders," Lewandowski said. "I feel that a lot of the new guys look up to some of the older players, especially those with experience on the (D-I) team."
While Haeberle, Mervin, and Lewandowski will lead the offensive charge, much of the defensive game plan will revolve around Bones, a sophomore defenseman with tremendous potential and poise.
"Bones is going to be our captain," Ferrell said. "We really like what he does back there. He's very calm and composed and he seems to calm everyone down. He's got some game experience and he's someone the team can look up to."
"We're very excited about our D-III team," WCU general manager Dom Bellizzie said. "We've got a lot of talent in our organization and we only have so many spots on the D-I team, so this team presents a great opportunity for some very talented players."
Former WCU teammates Jason Munter and Jason Ferrell will be behind the Golden Rams' bench. Both are coaching rookies at this level, but both are bright individuals who should quickly become comfortable handling the coaching reins. As younger coaches, the pair should be able to relate well to the players, as they've both been through similar situations. The two bring experience, savvy and a deep knowledge of the game to the team.
"I think we've got the potential to be a top team in the conference," Ferrell said. "We've got a lot of players with experience at the D-I level and we're counting on them to be leaders for our team.
Some of those players include Drew Mervin, Tom Haeberle, Justin Lewandowski Ryan Bones, and Andrew Gregoire. All have played a significant amount of games for the Division I team and will be expected to be the team's leaders and its best players.
"I definitely feel like one of the team's leaders," Lewandowski said. "I feel that a lot of the new guys look up to some of the older players, especially those with experience on the (D-I) team."
While Haeberle, Mervin, and Lewandowski will lead the offensive charge, much of the defensive game plan will revolve around Bones, a sophomore defenseman with tremendous potential and poise.
"Bones is going to be our captain," Ferrell said. "We really like what he does back there. He's very calm and composed and he seems to calm everyone down. He's got some game experience and he's someone the team can look up to."
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