The men’s American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) hockey season officially begins at SUNY Oswego on Saturday, Sept. 17, at 7:30 p.m. as the team takes on Temple University inside the Deborah F. Stanley Arena and Convocation Hall. 

According to the program website, “Oswego State's Division I ACHA club hockey program gives students the opportunity to compete against top competition in a nationally recognized college hockey league.”

“Our program plays in the Northeast Collegiate Hockey League Conference (NECHL) and American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA),” said head coach Travis Hyde. “The ACHA is the next level under NCAA Division III, where there are D1, D2, and D3 levels. We play in the highest level of ACHA at the D1 level.”

The ACHA team at SUNY Oswego is funded in part by the Student Association, fundraising and the players, and is considered a club organization. The team is a mix of recruited athletes as well as students who tryout every season. This year, many incoming players come from outside of New York -- including Jonathon Murphy from Illinois, Ryan Lempicki from Massachusetts, Duncan Crawford from Georgia and Anthony Del Tufo from New Jersey.

Game day

The SUNY Oswego ACHA program plays between 28 and 31 games between September and March, with several home offerings for fans to enjoy. All ACHA home games feature free admission for the campus and community.  

“Our games are fast and competitive, and we have a dedicated public address announcer, game-day operations staff and players who give their all to keep fans entertained, and hopefully wanting to come back,” Hyde said. “In total, there will be 14 games at home for students and fans to attend, with the first being this Saturday. Fans should expect to enjoy the fast-paced, aggressive style our team likes to play. Players represent the school and take pride in playing in front of the student population, all while they work to win and bring back a conference and national championship to Oswego.”

Featured games this year include Villanova University, rival Syracuse University and a new addition with the U.S. Naval Academy at home on Sept. 23 and 24.

“We play our normal conference opponents (Rutgers University, Buffalo, Canisius, Rochester Institute of Technology and The College of New Jersey) but will be hosting some new faces that have never been in Oswego before in the U.S. Naval Academy, IUP (Indiana University of Pennsylvania), William Patterson and Villanova,” Hyde said. “A lot of the schools we play are Division I schools academically that do not have NCAA hockey so they are very, very competitive programs and a ton of fun to compete against.” 

The team also hosts multiple fundraising games and events, including their annual fundraiser for the Mena Singer Foundation during a Thursday night game against Syracuse University on Oct, 27 at 8:30 p.m., also known as their “Pink the Rink” night. This event contributes to breast cancer awareness and with it occuring on a Thursday night, should be a good lead in to halloween weekend, Hyde said. 

“We host specialty games and weekends every season, including 'Pink The Rink' (Oct. 27) and Military/First Responders Night (Nov, 12) which we have specialty pink and camo jerseys for,” Hyde said. “Additionally, this year we will be doing a 'Toys-for-Tots' weekend Nov. 18-20 for families in need. We will also be hosting 'SAVAC Night' and 'Oswego YMCA Night' in February to give back to the community for their continued support in the growth of our program.”

Both the players and coaches are anticipating a great season and hope to fill the seats of what hockey fans affectionately call “The Deb.”

“I am excited to be back with the team and get going,” captain Andrew Cardi said. “We have stronger opponents, an awesome coaching staff and a great group of players committed to being successful. Our goal is the national tournament in March after a conference championship at the end of February. With the growing support on campus and the Oswego community, this is becoming even more exciting! We hope you come check out a game and support us whenever possible!”

For more information about the Oswego ACHA program and for the season schedule, visit www.oswegoachahockey.com.