DePaul men’s hockey club is coming off its most successful season in team history.
Last season, the team was the first in school history to win the Northern Collegiate Hockey League (NCHL) tournament. They defeated No. 1 ranked Concordia University in a hard-fought game that went back and forth until the end, finishing with an empty net goal to cap off the 6-4 win.
“We have a group of guys who go out there and play for each other, [which] is evident when you watch us practice and play,” said team captain Brock Ash.
The club team finished the season with a record of 24 wins, seven losses and one tie. Their success also saw four players make the NCHL All-Rookie First Team: freshman Liam Farrell, juniors Chris Lee, Josh Maloney and Lukas Theodosopoulos.
This year, the team’s goal is to return to regionals and then take the next step to nationals to compete for a national title.
DePaul hockey rents the ice for practices and games at Johnny’s Icehouse in the West Loop (1350 W. Madison St.) near the United Center. The team plays a 30-game schedule as part of the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) and practices two-to-three times weekly.
“There isn’t a guy on the club that I couldn’t hang out with for hours,” Ash said. “We do a lot of fundraising together throughout the year and put in the time with our practices. I think this past year it really showed.”
DePaul went on to compete in the ACHA Division Two regionals in Chesterfield, Missouri. An eventual loss in the ACHA regional tournament to the No. 9 ranked University of Iowa Hawkeyes ended their historic season. Despite the loss, DePaul’s regional bid was their first since the 2012 season. Head Coach Dan Wood echoed the words of his captain when speaking about what makes the club so great.
“Our team is about unity and a next-man-up mentality,” Wood said.
The team is hoping to gain even more support from the DePaul student body after a season that fell just short of going to nationals. DePaul was ranked No. 5 in the ACHA at the end of last season. The team hopes to be ranked higher going into regionals this year. To do that, they will need to be anchored by its defensive effort, which starts with the center of the defense and goalie Asher Motew.
“A lot of guys have returned this year,” Motew said. “For the most part, we have the same club from last year.”
Motew won NCHL Goalie of the Year. The senior recorded a .920% save rate. The NCHL Player of the Year award went to DePaul senior Michael Helf. The defenseman led the team with 27 goals and 36 assists, totaling 63 points for the club.
“I’ve played at the junior hockey level, which was great, but I want to get it done here at DePaul, which could be my last ride in hockey,” Motew said.
The team does not prioritize any particular opponent, but Wood said if there were any series they were preparing for the most, it would be Marian University, who has been at the top of the leaderboard in the conference in recent years along with DePaul. The next series between the two clubs is Jan. 26 and 27.
Editor’s Note: This version of story corrects name of DePaul team captain Brock Ash.
