Hockey is back and in full force. Although not present on social media this year, they are in-action on the ice. USC’s PAC-8 hockey team is part of the collegiate men’s ice hockey conference that is made up of non-varsity ice hockey teams from most of the universities of the NCAA’s Pac-12 Conference.
Long-time Boston Bruins fan Declan Driscoll is a USC junior double majoring in biology and economics. He is new to the team and excited for both his and the NHL season. The club sport is popular among students and close friends, but relatively unheard of in the regular fall sports hype.
The team practices about once a week and usually plays two games on weekends. Despite its status as a club sport, the environment is still intense with tough practices and competitive programs.
“The skill level on our team is pretty wide. I know for me, I just played high school hockey, but there are some guys on the team that played juniors and played at really elite private programs. So... there’s a big variety in the spectrum,” Driscoll said.
Head coach Jerry Toy has experience with all ranges of athletes, having coached USC women’s hockey for twelve years and having prior experience as an assistant coach before becoming head coach at USC.
“My biggest pride as a coach is taking a team of unskilled players to bring them up in their skill levels and then making them competitive, and that always validates you as a coach that you are able to teach,” Toy said.
Charles Rothschild, a senior majoring in economics and minoring in sports media industries has been an integral part of the team over the past few years. Rothschild offers veteran experience to a younger team full of freshman and sophomores.
“So we’ve had a lot of turnover over the past couple years. Last year, we obviously didn’t have a season because of COVID. And then now this year, guys graduated, a lot of guys that moved on. I think that only me and my other teammate Jake are the only two guys that are returning players. So it’s definitely been a new group of younger guys. It’s been great to bring them along and show them the ropes a little bit,” Rothschild said.
The team isn’t just east coast and west coast; there is a healthy mix of players from all over including some from outside of the country.
“It’s a good mix. We get them from the Northeast. We actually have a player from Tampa this year. Midwest, we get enough players in the Illinois, Chicago area, and of course California. And we get quite a few [from] Vancouver. And in the years past, we had players from Finland, and actually we’re gonna get a player from Finland in the second semester,” Toy said.
As skilled as they are as athletes, they are also good teammates. Toy and his players had nothing negative to say about their experience together.
“Just to let you know, this group that we have, they’re mostly freshmen and sophomores. And of all the years I’ve been involved in this, they are a really good group. I mean, there’s no egos, they all want to play for each other. They have a good time, and they want to build this to where it was before. So give them, the players, the boys credit. They deserve it,” Toy said.
Rothschild noted the same thing.
“I think one of my favorite parts of being on a team is just the guys in general, there’s a really good group of guys that we have. That’s probably the best part. And you know, also traveling, we get to go to a bunch of cool places to play games,” Rothschild said.
The main competition is long-time rival UCLA. Most notably the annual game between the two at Staples Center, usually following an LA Kings game.
“We play UCLA once a year at Staples Center. But other than that, you know, our local rivals weekly series with LMU, but it’s not as intense as the UCLA rivalry,” Toy said.
The players enjoy the rivalry just as much as the coach, remarking on the feeling of playing in the legendary stadium.
“Staples Center is super cool and has an electric atmosphere. It’s cool to have a bit of hockey out here because it’s not as popular out here as it is back home,” Driscoll said.
The team goes between the Anaheim practice arena and the Lakewood Ice rink. Practices run on Monday nights from 9:30 to 10:30 p.m. at Lakewood. For weekend games, the Anaheim rink offers general admission for students and fans alike. The players pull in around 7:30 p.m. at Anaheim Ice on Friday nights for weekly games.
As exciting as it is to be at the rink, the team’s inner circle of friends is mainly in attendance.
“So I think fans can show up as they wish. But a lot of the time it ends up just being close friends just because the word kind of isn’t out yet about the team and the big games,” Driscoll said.
Hockey fans are encouraged to come support especially after a canceled 2020 season. The team is “rebounding” after losing most of their veteran players and senior classmates. However, the new blood is looking to take the team to new heights.