Thursday, Feb 26, 2015
The team will make their third trip in the last four seasons to the American Collegiate Hockey Association’s Southeastern Regional competition
by Matt Metzger
The Rider Broncs will make their third trip in the last four seasons to the American Collegiate Hockey Association’s Southeastern Regional competition. If the Broncs can string together two wins, they will find themselves on a plane headed for the ACHA National Championship in Salt Lake City, Utah.
After dropping Penn State 4-3 in the first round of the MACHA playoffs, the Broncs (19-13-0-0,38 points, ninth in the Southeast) secured their bid to regionals after they were announced at No. 9 on Monday, Feb. 16. If the Broncs can clinch a national berth, it will only be the second time in program history that Rider will be represented. The last time Rider made the trip, in 1999, it was also held in Salt Lake City.
“I don't think there is any sentimental value returning to Utah for our second national championship appearance,” says Head Coach Sean Levin. “However, it would be great to honor our alumni to return to Utah and bring home some hardware. This is a great opportunity for this team to create their own legacy.”
A clear goal for the Rider program was to make a return trip to regionals after falling short at the end of last season. As the 2014-2015 squad is looking forward to their regionals appearance, Assistant Coach DJ Nork feels that this tournament is becoming something that this program expects at the end of the season.
“It’s definitely a good feeling to make regionals again and at this point it is almost something that we as a team expect at the end of the season,” says Nork. “All of the blood, sweat and tears that we encounter during the long season are a build up to this weekend and hopefully going forth to Nationals in Utah. Rider is a team built off of hard work and heart, and I know we will be a force come Saturday and the next coming years.”
Throughout the 2014-2015 campaign, the Broncs have made it a habit of not stringing together consecutive bad starts or losing efforts. This element changes at the regional competition as each game becomes a win or go home scenario. According to Assistant Coach Joe Roche, it will be important to focus on just one game at a time.
“Each playoff game has to be viewed as a 60-minute sprint,” says Roche. “We need establish our own momentum from the first shift of the game and sustain a high level of play for three complete periods. We know what we’re capable of as a team when we’re firing on all cylinders. If we put ourselves in a position to dictate the pace of the game, the momentum factor will take care of itself.”
Echoing the statement made by coach Nork, Broncs captain Connor Fox (Junior, Belle Mead, N.J.) feels that this weekend is all about finishing the job on their way to a Nationals bid.
“The thing that has been motivating our team from day one this year is nationals,” says Fox. “Nationals have been our ultimate goal and we have put in the work so far to put ourselves in a position to make it to Utah, we just have to finish the job.”
In order to “finish the job,” Fox elaborated on how he and the Broncs can accomplish that.
“In order to make it we have to work our systems to perfection,” he says. We have to make sure we play a team game for 60 minutes each game this weekend.”
No. 9 Rider University plays No. 4 University of Toledo on Saturday, Feb. 28, beginning at 10:30 a.m. at Warwick Ice Rink, 1621 Mearns Road, Warminster, Pa.