After a 1-1 tie on Sunday against Central Connecticut State University, the NYU men’s hockey team is hoping to maintain a stellar record and propel itself into the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
The team, currently 11-1-2, competes in the American Collegiate Hockey Association, but coach Chris Cosentino said he believes NYU has an NCAA-ready program. His goal is to bring NCAA hockey to New York City and NYU.
“I think that it’s only a matter of time before New York City will get to see an NCAA hockey team at NYU,” CAS junior Arthur Griem said. “And I think the fans, students, coaches and players deserve it.”
A star player, Griem is among NYU’s top recruits. He transferred to NYU this year after playing two years of NCAA Division I hockey at the University of Vermont. Griem separated his shoulder in the second game of the season and sat out since his injury. Griem said recovering has been tough, and he also said he believes his team is the best in the league.
“I speak for my teammates when I say that we won’t be satisfied without winning a national championship this year,” Griem said.
The experienced athletes’ leadership has been integral to the team’s current success, Griem said. The team’s recruitment is a sign of an NCAA-ready program and a huge contributor to the team’s outstanding record.
Coach Consentino has a similar outlook.
“We have proven that we can recruit elite student-athletes and build a winning program,” he said.
Among these recruits is SCPS freshman defenseman Evan Ripley. Ripley is +8 goal differential and tied for the third-highest goalscorer on the team with seven goals.
SCPS junior defenseman Spencer Varney said the team is taking the season one game at a time.
“We’ve got to get through some very good teams,” Varney said, referencing the team’s near-qualification for nationals two seasons in a row. “Until then, the team is hungry.”
The men return to the ice on Friday, Nov. 22 in Amherst, Mass. to take on the University of Massachusetts.
A version of this article appeared in the Tuesday, Nov. 19 print edition. Kevin Burns is deputy news editor. Email him at [email protected].