As the puck drops on the dawn of a new season, the Drake University Hockey Club is ready to take part in the competitive world of collegiate hockey. The Division III team has faced off against Creighton and Northern Illinois University.
The Bulldogs demonstrated remarkable resilience in a recent showdown against the Northern Illinois Huskies on Sept. 28 at the Recplex. After trailing 5-0 at the end of the second period, they returned to make it a tied game at 5-5. Carrying them into overtime ultimately led to a shootout, where the Bulldogs showcased their fighting skills.
“We scored five goals in the third period and went into overtime, but unfortunately, we lost in a shootout. It was a phenomenal comeback,” said Coach Todd Henderson.
Senior Paxton Reading thought that the Huskies faced a different dynamic with more skaters this year.
“Their strategy wore us down. With our limited skaters, we were fatigued later in the game, leading to some breakdowns in our key zone. However, it’s great competition to play against a team like that,” Reading said.
The team is looking forward to the upcoming season and is relatively optimistic about the outlook of its two previous games.
“We had two phenomenal games last spring in DeKalb, where we won decisively, which likely led them to revamp their roster,” Henderson said.
This confidence is reflected in the coaching staff’s optimism for the upcoming season. They believe the team’s dynamic play and strong camaraderie on and off the ice will contribute to their success. The ability to adapt and thrive in a supportive atmosphere has created high expectations as they look to build on their past victories.
“It’s very laid back. You still have a supportive class and group that does not hold anything against you, which is great because I have been on many teams that will rag on you for making one simple mistake,” said first-year Matthew Garcia.
Reading echoed the sentiment about the team’s atmosphere.
“It’s a lot of fun, and that’s probably the best part. It’s not overly serious—we like to enjoy ourselves. While competition is important, I’ve had the chance to meet many of these guys since they first joined the team. It’s been great to see how we’ve developed a friendly and supportive environment in which to have fun while competing,” said Reading.
Moving forward into their season, the Drake team has many goals in mind, but the biggest one is increasing their numbers. Currently, the team has about 15 people, with two unable to participate.
“Our future is very bright. Hopefully, we’ll get our locker room at one of the ice arenas and continue to grow. We’ve got a huge commitment from the school to support us in our recruiting efforts so that we can go to showcases where high school players showcase their talents, to scouts for school and AAA programs, USHL and Division I college, so we can go to Minnesota state high school tournament and recruit, and it’ll be a huge thing for the club and our growth,” Henderson said.
With such a spirited start, the Drake Bulldog hopes to make waves through the rest of the season and can take leaps and bounds toward accomplishing their goals in upcoming seasons.
