Skating Success
By Jennifer Bissell
By Jennifer Bissell
Every Wednesday night from August to February, 25 Hawkeyes take to the ice at
Coral Ridge Mall to defend their Mid-American Collegiate Hockey Association
(MACHA) title.
Despite a lack of fan or financial support from the university, the IceHawks have
found a way to be successful and compete with the best teams of the American
Collegiate Hockey Association Division II.
“A lot of people that run into us now say ‘Iowa has a hockey team?’ Well, we have for
30 years, but people are finally starting to hear about us,” said Head Coach Kevin
Harter.
The IceHawks club team was formed in the mid 1970s. The team was a part of the
Waterloo Adult Hockey League in 1979 before moving to the Dubuque Adult Hockey
League the next year. From the mid 1980s until the late 1990s, the team operated
independently and was not a part of a collegiate league. The IceHawks joined
MACHA in the late 1990s and have enjoyed success since.
While the defending champions have continued to improve each year since joining
MACHA, their journey hasn’t always been smooth, even now.
From the mid 1980s until they joined MACHA, the team didn’t have a rink to play on.
In order to compensate for this, the team attempted to build its own outdoor ice
arena. Using a generous donation, the team had goals of building a sand bag
bordered rink with lights and in North Liberty, however the attempt failed.
The IceHawks currently split time between Coral Ridge Mall and the Cedar Rapids Ice
Arena. However renting practice time has been a problem because of all the events
hosted at Coral Ridge, said Harter.
Because they have to pay to rent time on the rinks, the activity fee for each player
can act as a deterrent.
“The money is a drawback. It costs over $600 to play because the university doesn't
cover much, but all of us just love the game too much to walk away,” said sophomore
forward J.P. Cadorin, who was varsity co-captain of his high school team and began
skating when he was four.
While the university does contribute some, it’s not enough to cover all the costs.
“We get about $1,200 a year, which is about enough to cover for vehicles we rent
from them so we just about break even,” said Harter.
The $600 activity fee helps pay for everything else—uniforms, rink time and costs for
away games. Each player is also required to provide his own equipment and is
responsible for carrying insurance.
The IceHawks also use sponsors and fundraisers to fund their team. They sponsor a
golf tournament in the fall and work with the Cedar Rapids Roughriders to get their
name out. They also get support from former hockey players and even from former
Hawkeye football player Tim Dwight and current Head Football Coach Kirk Ferentz.
Another problem the IceHawks face is getting enough publicity to recruit new
players. The official team website offers a section on recruiting and information on
team tryouts, however the problem has been that people don’t know the team exists.
“I would really like to work on getting our name out in public so whenever we meet
someone and tell them that we play for the Iowa team, they just don't say, ‘Iowa has a
hockey team?’ said senior captain Mike Coleman, who began skating when he was 4.
Finding a coach with hockey experience also has challenged the IceHawks. Last
year the team looked to former goalie Kevin Harter to become their head coach.
While leading the team to a 14-9-1 record and the Silver Division Championship,
Harter became more of a friend than a coach, said Cadorin.
It looked as though the coaching problem would be solved this year. The IceHawks
welcomed assistant coach Todd Larson to the team. Larson has experience playing,
coaching and refereeing hockey. However just a few months into the season, Larson
left the team.
“Todd Larson is quite the story. He moved to Iowa City from Dallas over the summer
and became the GM of the ice rink. He had tons of experience and brought some
discipline to the team for the first time ever. Then we find out that he's gone. He
moved back to Dallas and we never really found out why. So we don't have a real
authority figure anymore,” said Cadorin.
Finally, just staying motivated throughout the season is a challenge. Practice starts
in August, and the season doesn’t end until late February. They play 24 games a
year, all occurring on back to back days. They also take a six week break when the
university goes on winter break.
“The worst part about it is what it does to your social life. With 1-3 practices a week
and two games a weekend, your social life takes quite the hit,” said Cadorin.
Coleman challenges his team to stay fresh and look to the end of the season to stay
motivated.
“We get a good break over Christmas, so it gives you a rest at least. But I think
everyone on this team has such a huge passion for the game that come February
when it's tournament time and the season is about to end we've got just as much
excitement to practice and play as we did in August when we first started,” he said.
Despite everything that’s been thrown in their way, the IceHawks continue to thrive.
They’ve compiled an 10-2-2 record, with their only losses coming from Division I Iowa
State. With 10 games left in the regular season, there’s still a lot up for grabs, but
Coleman is making sure the team stays focused.
“We want to win another conference championship and take the club to higher a level
than the year before,” he said.
Coral Ridge Mall to defend their Mid-American Collegiate Hockey Association
(MACHA) title.
Despite a lack of fan or financial support from the university, the IceHawks have
found a way to be successful and compete with the best teams of the American
Collegiate Hockey Association Division II.
“A lot of people that run into us now say ‘Iowa has a hockey team?’ Well, we have for
30 years, but people are finally starting to hear about us,” said Head Coach Kevin
Harter.
The IceHawks club team was formed in the mid 1970s. The team was a part of the
Waterloo Adult Hockey League in 1979 before moving to the Dubuque Adult Hockey
League the next year. From the mid 1980s until the late 1990s, the team operated
independently and was not a part of a collegiate league. The IceHawks joined
MACHA in the late 1990s and have enjoyed success since.
While the defending champions have continued to improve each year since joining
MACHA, their journey hasn’t always been smooth, even now.
From the mid 1980s until they joined MACHA, the team didn’t have a rink to play on.
In order to compensate for this, the team attempted to build its own outdoor ice
arena. Using a generous donation, the team had goals of building a sand bag
bordered rink with lights and in North Liberty, however the attempt failed.
The IceHawks currently split time between Coral Ridge Mall and the Cedar Rapids Ice
Arena. However renting practice time has been a problem because of all the events
hosted at Coral Ridge, said Harter.
Because they have to pay to rent time on the rinks, the activity fee for each player
can act as a deterrent.
“The money is a drawback. It costs over $600 to play because the university doesn't
cover much, but all of us just love the game too much to walk away,” said sophomore
forward J.P. Cadorin, who was varsity co-captain of his high school team and began
skating when he was four.
While the university does contribute some, it’s not enough to cover all the costs.
“We get about $1,200 a year, which is about enough to cover for vehicles we rent
from them so we just about break even,” said Harter.
The $600 activity fee helps pay for everything else—uniforms, rink time and costs for
away games. Each player is also required to provide his own equipment and is
responsible for carrying insurance.
The IceHawks also use sponsors and fundraisers to fund their team. They sponsor a
golf tournament in the fall and work with the Cedar Rapids Roughriders to get their
name out. They also get support from former hockey players and even from former
Hawkeye football player Tim Dwight and current Head Football Coach Kirk Ferentz.
Another problem the IceHawks face is getting enough publicity to recruit new
players. The official team website offers a section on recruiting and information on
team tryouts, however the problem has been that people don’t know the team exists.
“I would really like to work on getting our name out in public so whenever we meet
someone and tell them that we play for the Iowa team, they just don't say, ‘Iowa has a
hockey team?’ said senior captain Mike Coleman, who began skating when he was 4.
Finding a coach with hockey experience also has challenged the IceHawks. Last
year the team looked to former goalie Kevin Harter to become their head coach.
While leading the team to a 14-9-1 record and the Silver Division Championship,
Harter became more of a friend than a coach, said Cadorin.
It looked as though the coaching problem would be solved this year. The IceHawks
welcomed assistant coach Todd Larson to the team. Larson has experience playing,
coaching and refereeing hockey. However just a few months into the season, Larson
left the team.
“Todd Larson is quite the story. He moved to Iowa City from Dallas over the summer
and became the GM of the ice rink. He had tons of experience and brought some
discipline to the team for the first time ever. Then we find out that he's gone. He
moved back to Dallas and we never really found out why. So we don't have a real
authority figure anymore,” said Cadorin.
Finally, just staying motivated throughout the season is a challenge. Practice starts
in August, and the season doesn’t end until late February. They play 24 games a
year, all occurring on back to back days. They also take a six week break when the
university goes on winter break.
“The worst part about it is what it does to your social life. With 1-3 practices a week
and two games a weekend, your social life takes quite the hit,” said Cadorin.
Coleman challenges his team to stay fresh and look to the end of the season to stay
motivated.
“We get a good break over Christmas, so it gives you a rest at least. But I think
everyone on this team has such a huge passion for the game that come February
when it's tournament time and the season is about to end we've got just as much
excitement to practice and play as we did in August when we first started,” he said.
Despite everything that’s been thrown in their way, the IceHawks continue to thrive.
They’ve compiled an 10-2-2 record, with their only losses coming from Division I Iowa
State. With 10 games left in the regular season, there’s still a lot up for grabs, but
Coleman is making sure the team stays focused.
“We want to win another conference championship and take the club to higher a level
than the year before,” he said.
