Story by Sam Bell, Staff Writer
Photo Courtesy of Andris Visockis

One of the signs of a good team is when a program expands. Aquinas’ Men’s Hockey team is at that point.

The Aquinas College Athletic Department announced that due to an increase in men’s hockey players, they will form a second team starting in the fall of 2016. The new team will be a member of the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) and compete in the North Region of Division III.

“We’re excited to provide this opportunity for young men who want to continue their competitive hockey careers while at the same time earning a degree from Aquinas College,” coach Mark VanVliet said.

As far as this season, the squad is looking great, being 13-2-0-1 overall and 2-0-0-0 in the MCHC West.

The men got two big wins on November 19 and 20 against Adrian College (Black) to start MCHC league play, taking the first game 6-1 and the next 7-3. Leading the way for the Saints in game one was first-year Nathan Aloisio, who had two goals and two assists.

In the second game, sophomore Bill Warren led the way with two goals and one assist, with Aloisio chipping in three assists of his own.

Their most recent victories were a weekend sweep against Davenport University, winning the first game 10-4 and the second 6-0. In the first game the team was led by Aloisio, who had three goals.

Although our offense has been playing phenomenally, you also cannot win games without good defense. Junior goaltenders Sean Schmeiser and Matt Glowacki have done just that for the Saints. For the majority of their games, these guys have held their opponents offensively enough to get the win, which is seen in their current record. Sean Schmeiser recorded his eighth win on Sunday against Michigan State, while Glowacki has five wins thus far.

The most important games are yet to come, however. As Warren said, “The second half of the season is going to be much different than the first half. It’s obvious that we have our most important games coming up after Christmas break. We play the top teams in the league and our division. Everything needs to be turned up a level in the second half. Our preparation, practices, and mental attitudes need to be shifted into a higher gear.”

With this in mind, the squad will be looking to take their division and league. Come out and support them at their next home game on Saturday, January 9 against Central Michigan University.

About the writer…

Sam Bell is a sophomore from Mackinaw City. She played three sports in grade school, including basketball, volleyball, and softball. Outside of reporting on sports, Sam enjoys listening to music, hanging out with her friends, and with her cat, Oliver. She is a Psychology and Community Leadership major and is considering Sports Journalism.