By Satyne Doner, Arts and Culture Editor
For such a sunny, tropical city, Tampa Bay certainly has a large following of ice hockey fans. The Tampa Bay Lightning won back-to-back during the Stanley Cup Championships in 2020 and 2021, and you would be hard-pressed to find a car in this city without the signature lightning bolt decal on the back.
Similarly, students at Saint Leo University who are fans of hockey are invited to join the Hockey Club. No experience is necessary—the club is for those who have experience playing, those who would like to gain experience, and those who just simply love the sport!
So far, the club’s biggest success has been getting up and running.
“It’s been a lot of work to get the club founded, get equipment, recruit players, and start playing in our league,” said Dr. Randall Woodard, the department chair of philosophy, theology, and religious studies at Saint Leo. “Our club president Jack has been an outstanding leader in respect to all this work. Making all of this happen over the summer, leading to us playing this fall, has been wonderful.”
The club includes not only students at Saint Leo University but faculty as well.
“We have two staff members on the team: goalie Kevin Floyd from University Ministry and me in the theology department,” said Woodard. Woodard plays defense on the hockey team, and University Ministry’s Office Manager, Floyd, is the goalie.
“Presently, we are a club sport,” said Floyd when asked if the team was counted as an NCAA sport. “While several collegiate ice hockey clubs are very competitive with their NCAA counterparts, they are not in the same group.”
According to EngageLeo, the club will play at the Advent Health Centre Ice in the C League for their first year as a team. The club has big goals—the biggest being joining the College Hockey Federation (CHF), an organization that includes other universities and leagues.
Considering the team is still in its infancy, they have had a great start so far, hitting a deadlock tie in their first game ever on September 11 and winning their second game 10-9 on September 19. This was their first-ever win as a team in the club’s history, and they hope to continue their streak.
Currently, the team does not practice outside of classroom sessions. However, the team is working towards finding an official home for Saint Leo’s Hockey Club. They are going through negotiations with the new Nest Hockey Academy in San Antonio, but nothing has been set in stone. They are hopeful for the future!
Furthermore, while the club has certainly picked up a roster of several hockey lovers and talented players alike, they are always looking for more members. Interested students should contact the President of Hockey Operations, Jack Prieto, at jack.prieto@saintleo.edu. They are also encouraged to reach out to the club advisor, Woodard, at randall.woodard@saintleo.edu.
The future is already looking bright for the Saint Leo Hockey Club, and it is just getting started. In the few short months since the club has been established, it has already gotten the attention of many and has gained valuable players from all over North America. Again, the club is open to anybody who has a love for hockey, and they are encouraged to reach out and join!
