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With the Fall Semester here, and another recruiting season in the books,
it's time to look ahead toward the start of the 2005-2006 hockey season.
It's with great pride that we begin our tenth season of competition in
the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA). Before outlining the
specifics of the new exciting schedule that finds the Billikens on home
ice 19 times, dipping back into some old rivalries for the tenth
anniversary season. Lets turn back the clock for a few moments. Ten
years ago, what was happening ten years ago with SLU Hockey? Well, right
about this time ten years ago, we were gathering as many players as
possible that were already enrolled at SLU and just getting the word out
around St. Louis to as many of the "good players" around town that could
handle the course work and schedule that SLU would play. The core
players then started with the "Big Seven" the Captain, Chris Benigno
(Forward, CBC Prep HS), Assistant Captain, Matt Jost (Forward, CBC Prep
HS), Assistant Captain, Brendan Moore (Forward, De Smet Prep HS), Jeff
Bennet (Forward, CBC Prep HS), Chris Coulter (Forward, Chaminade Prep
HS), Bill Zerega (Defense Vianney Prep HS) and Jason Price (St. Louis
Blues Junior B). These players provided the first "heartbeat" of Saint
Louis University Hockey as it's known today. It was because of their
competitiveness that the team was founded and why it continued to
develop over the past ten years. In any good organization you need
leaders, these seven players, night in and night out competed hard and
led by example. I was proud to have been associated with these gentlemen
in hockey but also honored to get to know them at all. From time to
time, and not often enough, we still see each other and when we do the
first question from each of them is "How's the team looking this season,
Coach?". After all these seasons, they still want to know, and quite
honestly if it were up to them, they would be lacing up their skates
again just to try and compete in one more game for SLU". The original
players truly had a passion for the game and today have a passion for
their team. But they also had a supporting cast around them. Players
equally important in helping the team during the first season.
Here's
a trivia question. Who did the Billikens play in their first ever home
game at the U.S. Ice Sports Complex on October 11, 1996? I'll give you
the answer later. The rest of the original SLU roster in 1996, was
comprised of the following members; Alex Graham (Goaltender, Vianney
Prep HS), Player Rep - Jon Wofford (Goaltender, De Smet Jesuit Prep HS),
Chris Smith (Forward, Fort Zummwalt HS), Eddie Moiser (Forward, Fox HS),
Jason Clark (Forward, Granite City HS), Mike Good (Defense, Hazelwood
Central), Rich Kling (Forward, De Smet Jesuit Prep HS), Brian McGraw
(Defense, De Smet Jesuit Prep HS), Lee Hale (Defense, Lindbergh HS), Tim
Watkins (Forward), Vince Ko (Forward, Parkway Central HS) Dale Rossan
(Forward, CBC Prep HS), Pete Odman (Defense, Webster Groves HS), Vince
Marino (Forward, St. Louis University Prep HS), Joe Caspermeyer
(Forward) and Tom Hill (Forward). In total, 23 men hit the ice that
first season for SLU. Time for another trivia question. But before the
question, here's the answer to the last question, University of
Illinois. So here's another question, what was the Billikens win loss
record for their first season? All in all, its been a very rewarding
experience bringing the original team together and now, just like in the
beginning recruiting players that are strong competitors on the ice and
remain very close with each other over the years. I have attended
graduation ceremonies of our seniors, and then it seems soon after,
weddings of our players where one of the other players are standing up
as the best man. I guess that just about says it all. When the best man
in your wedding has played on the ice with you, lived in cramped
quarters for the entire season on road trips, taken long bus trips,
struggled through classes you get pretty tight as life long friends and
that's the byproduct of our efforts putting the SLU Billikens on the ice. The record in season one,
11-15-0. In our second season, the Billikens would appear in their first
of three ACHA National Tournaments over the past nine seasons; 1997-1998
Division 2 Nationals Somerset, NJ (15th), 1998-1999 Division 2 Nationals
Salt Lake City, UT (5th), 2002-2003 Division 1 Nationals Athens, OH
(8th). The performance on and off the ice is a real testament to the
commitment and strength of the SLU Men's Hockey program. With regard
to the 10th Anniversary schedule, we have mixed in a few teams that we
have not faced in years that were on the very first schedule. The
University of Missouri - Columbia (Mizzou) visits Saint Louis on Friday
October 7, 2005 and Saturday October 8, 2005 for the Billikens home
opener weekend. The DePaul University team visits the Billikens late in
the season on Friday, February 3, 2006 and Saturday February 4, 2006.
And the St. Louis Blues Alumni team plays SLU on Saturday August 20,
2005 in a game to benefit Dawson Ivanowski, a Mite player in the
Kirkwood organization that was recently diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a
childhood cancer (for more information visit www.hockeyforhope.com). All
three of the teams mentioned above appeared on the first schedule for
the Billikens ten years ago and for "old time sake" and a great cause we
will meet them in competition again in the 2005-2006 season. All of our
home games are played at The Summit Center - Chesterfield, MO, "The Home
of the Billikens". For more info, see the Tickets section of this
website. |
