May 17, 20232 min read

Puck doesn’t stop here: RU hockey remembers past season, looks to future

Updated: Oct 24, 2023

photo by Sydney Reed

By Emma Saddler, Amanda Fraser and Luke Chapman

OVERVIEW

The Rochester University men’s hockey team finished its 2022-2023 season with an overall record of 1-28 after its 25th consecutive loss against the University of Michigan Dearborn in February.

The Warriors compete in the American Collegiate Hockey Association, which features teams from Michigan and Indiana. The team's only win came in a non-conference match against Eastern Michigan University on Oct. 14. The team ended the 17-game conference season with 15 goals and 21 assists.

OVERCOMING

Cole Zalewski, a freshman finance planning major, said, “Our record and game wise was rough, but everyone on the team is pretty nice, and it’s a great group of guys. Last year, they only had eight guys on the team. So we knew coming in, there would be a rebuilding team. We're trying to get as many guys as we can. We have 22 guys, which is a normal size roster," he said.

JUST THE BEGINNING

Zalewski said the victory against Eastern Michigan was his favorite moment of the season, but also a challenging one. “Getting the win was the biggest challenge because they had a rough season before, and that was something to redeem us and get us rolling,” he said. Zalewski attributed the win to the hard work and dedication of the team, who practiced daily at 5 a.m. for the duration of the season.

COACH

George Dritsas, head coach since 2020, said, “The secret is to work less as individuals and more as a team, which leads to what we learned at the WHAC tournament this year, accountability. That’s the best memory, we will be a force to be reckoned with this next 23-24 season.”

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT #1

Zalewski, a defenseman from Monroe, Michigan, said, “This season was a lot better because we had many more guys, and everyone mixed well. We were all friends, and we had a good time.”

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT #2

Kade Bacon, a freshman finance planning major from Casper, Wyoming, said, “My experience with the team at RU has come with a lot of obstacles this first season, but the effort from my teammates and coaches has made the season a really fun experience, and the potential for our team makes the future even more exciting.”

LOOKING AHEAD

The Warriors look forward to continuing to build the program, hoping for successful future seasons. On April 5, the team announced the signing of four new players for the 2023-2024 season. The team also hosted its prospect camp on April 14-15.

CONCLUSION

While the team expanded and many things changed, the friendships, teamwork, and dedication built a new firm foundation. Zalewski said, “I look forward to adding more guys and keeping the ones we have. It will be helpful to get more skill and help us win more games.”