Regent ice hockey team trains for first ever season, wants new players

Regent University’s first ever ice hockey team practices for their first season in the spring semester.

The team works on 3 on 2 drills in the offensive zone at Chilled Ponds in Chesapeake, V.A., Nov. 2017. (Sierra Torrance)

The team works on 3 on 2 drills in the offensive zone at Chilled Ponds in Chesapeake, V.A.,
Nov. 2017. (Sierra Torrance)

 

Not an intercollegiate team yet

Finishing up a semester of hard work and conditioning, the hockey team looks forward to future seasons with the new collegiate team.

“As of right now the team is set up so we’re playing an adult league after Christmas,” said Keegan Magner, Regent University’s ice hockey team founder and goalie. “The beginning of the semester to now has just been conditioning and getting the guys ready to be at a competitive level.”

The team has been training since October, practice days varying throughout the week.

“We have a mixed blend of a couple guys who are 17 who aren’t going to college yet, got some guys that are local who just picked up to play and know some of us personally, and then we also have the guys who actually go to Regent University,” Magner said. “With them, we’ve had a good blend of chemistry that goes on.”

Potential recruitment

The hockey team also functions as a good feeder team, according to Magner.

“We have scouts from George Mason University coming down, which is a D2 school,” said Magner. “So everyone who wants to go and transfer out or go to a post-graduate program would have a place to go play for an extra year or two.”

Next fall, the team plans on playing in the Division III American Collegiate Hockey Association, or ACHA, but will play the adult league in the upcoming spring semester.

“We don’t just put the best guys in the first string and so on and so forth,” said Magner. “We actually find who works best with whomever and try to get them talking, working, communicating, and then see how they play together, how they set up plays.”

Assistant Captain Brandon Goodwin runs the second line through offensive drills, Virginia Beach, V.A., 2017. (Loreena Cushing)

Assistant Captain Brandon Goodwin runs the second line through offensive drills, Chesapeake, V.A., Nov. 2017. (Loreena Cushing)

 

Regent students wanted

The hockey team is currently looking for students who want to work with them to practice, train and get better for the fall 2018 semester.

“With the upcoming collegiate league and us finding more people that actually play hockey here at Regent, we’re going to have to take on some of the guys who have never played before and work with them throughout the years,” said Magner. “We’ve been getting out and doing the conditioning, doing the drills, working on [new players’] skating ability.”

Magner invites inexperienced but interested players to join the team.

“As of right now, we’re joining the Blue Ridge Hockey Conference, it’s division three ACHA where they play against ODU, Christopher Newport,” said Magner. “Everything from Virginia Military Institute to William and Mary.”

Join the team

Magner advises potentially interested players to check out the Regent Ice Hockey Facebook page and contact them with any questions or inquiries.

“We aren’t looking to win any championships in the first or second season,” said Magner. “But I hope by the time I am considered a senior in four years, that we have a team that’s if not in the top three, the very best.”



Shelly Slocum is a Staff Writer for The Daily Runner.