The MCRHL Season Kicks off in Homer Glen

It’s About Time

By Kyle Jones

The 2013-14 MCRHL is set to get underway this weekend at the Megaplex in Homer Glen, IL and it couldn’t come soon enough.  As we have watched nearly every other region across the country start their regular seasons, it’s now the MCRHL turn to kick things off.  Homer Glen has played host to many big time roller hockey event but the MCRHL has not been their since 2011.

This week will feature all of our participating Division II teams as well as all of our B Division teams.  But before the puck drops to start the season. let us examine these teams a bit closer before the season starts.

Division II

Miami OH: Fresh off their best season is school history, the Redhawks of Miami (OH) look for a repeat performance from last year.  Although they have lost some veteran leadership from a year ago, Miami is still the heavy favorite (according to NCRHA Coast to Coast) to win the MCRHL.  Miami will also be playing first semester without one of their top scorers.  Ty May, who scored 52 points during the regular season in 2012-13, is in China studying abroad and will be out for the first semester.  Will Miami be able to survive and still live up to all the hype?

Northern Illinois: Last year marked the first time Northern Illinois made it to Nationals since 2007.  They also finished second in the both the regular season and at regionals in the MCRHL which helped them get to Nationals.  But in the here and now, the Huskies are different team.  Leading scorer from last year, Tom Budzynski, has moved on and NIU will have deal with life without him.  The Huskies will have home field advantage in the first tournament of the year.  Can they make the most of it and who will the be player to step up their game?

Cincinnati:  The Bearcats were the third team from the MCRHL’s Division II to make it to Nationals last year.  A lot of that success can be attributed to second year star Matthew Fischer.  He and the rest of the team have one more year of experience under their belt and look to improve on their 7-7-1 from 2012-13.  Can they make the turn to have their first winning season since 2010?

Western Michigan: It will be a new look Broncos team when they take the floor in the 2013-14 season.  Long time vet, Jaran Malafa, will be sitting out his fifth year of eligibility and will assume the position of head coach behind the bench for Western Michigan.  In addition, leading scorer for the past three season, Mike Vandenberg, has graduated and will no longer be with the team.  On a positive note, newly formed president, Blake Mikolajewski, has enforced a more off-ice training to help them throughout the long grueling season.  “With his new leadership, Blake has already emphasized a harder work ethic from the players, and is showing he means business when he wants an increase in workout regiment for the team this year,” said Malafa.  They say change is good.  Will it all be good for the Broncos in 2013-14?

Michigan Tech: Michigan Tech was a very pesky team last year.  Goals were hard to come by and they leaned a lot on goalie Kyler Witting.  They enter the first tournament with possibly the toughest schedule of any MCRHL team (Miami, Akron, Cincinnati and Central Michigan).  They will be tested early and often.  Will they still rely on Witting to keep games within reach or can Michigan Tech run into enough offense where goaltending will be a non issue?

Central Michigan:  Last time we heard from Central Michigan, they pushed Michigan State to overtime the MCRHL Division I Regional Championship game.  But due to their lackluster regular season, the Chips made the move down to Division II.  The last time they dropped down to Division II, they went undefeated and eventually won a MCRHL and NCRHA Division II Championship.  Can the Chips reclaim some of the magic for last years Regional tournament or will they look like the team we saw in the 2012-13 regular season?

Akron: The Zips are the new kids on the block. Akron’s team will be made of player found from their club ice hockey team.  Greg Revak led the Zip’s ice team in points last year and goalie Max Miller was awarded to the AHCA All-Southeast Region team.  “It has for sure been a challenge getting everything organized but we are extremely happy with it all finally coming together.” said club president and former roller hockey stud Joey Nahay.  Can Akron make the transition from the ice to the floor?

B Division 

Michigan State Green/White:  The most notable difference with the Spartan in 2013-14 will be the addition of a second B team.  “We'd been flirting with the idea of adding another B team for a few years now. We've seen large interest in our program over the years and we feel we've finally reached out to enough quality players to make the addition of a new B Division team a reality,” said club President and captain of the Green team Aaron Boundy.  

Michigan State plans to use their second B to help build for the future.  “With many players being the same graduation class, this new team allows some of the guys to move up through the ranks and carry on the program,” Boundy said.

Not only does a second B team help the Spartans internally, MSU hopes a second B team will help increase exposure to their program. “The addition of our new B team instantly gained more awareness for our program within the school and the community as a whole. Just having those 10-12 new players joining, all their friends and family hearing about us, makes it easier to spread the word and get our name out there’” Boundy commented.

For the first time in MCRHL history, one school will boast two B teams.  How a Michigan State expansion team fair and will that impact the Michigan State B team as a whole?

Grand Valley: Fresh off their B Division MCRHL Regional Championship, Grand Valley looks for a similar results as they enter the 2013-14 season.  It won’t be without some change.  With many graduating seniors, the Lakers will have a new look with some new unfamiliar faces.  Will it be a rebuilding year for Grand Valley or will they repeat at MCRHL champs.

Michigan: After taking a year off, the Wolverines of Michigan have come back with a B team.  Club President, Peter Sesek, was able to recruit experience players who have a passion for the game.  “We targeted anyone who had played hockey and let them know that switching over [from ice to roller] isn't difficult and a lot of our current player had,” said Sesek.  

Sesek hopes that holding a B team will help build for the future.  “It takes time, but building a foundation for players to move up to A once they've played for a few years,”  said Sesek.  Obviously, Michigan has plans to be force for years to come. But, former ice hockey skaters make the transition to ice in a tough B division?

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