Ice Hockey at YU?

Let me let you in on a little secret, Yeshiva University has an Ice Hockey Club. Yes, that's right, good little Jewish boys playing ice hockey. In fact it has been in the making for some time. In the spring of 1998, two students came to Yeshiva with an agenda. They each wanted to start a hockey team. Luckily, the students, Ronen Elefant and Mark Tenenbaum met each other on the first day of orientation. By the end of their first month here, plans were already in the making to form an ice hockey team at Yeshiva. Two semesters later, in the Fall of 1999, this dream of theirs cam to fruition when they, along with twelve other like-minded YU students joined a local men's ice hockey league in Englewood, NJ.

During that year and a half, countless hours and enormous efforts were spent on preparation and orginization. The team, which at the time went by the name Yeshiva, played 2 games against a Synagogue team from Kehilath Jeshurun of Manhattan. In those games, Yeshiva was victorious, but continued quietly, unknown to the masses. Despite these games the Yeshiva Hockey club had a hankering for more games, and a more organized setting.

At the beginning of this academic year, the group got back together, with a few new additions to replace those who graduated and went looking for a more organized place to play. Mark and Ronen found a league in Englewood, recruited players and joined the league as the Lightning. The current team is a model of diversity and proves that you do not have to be from Canada to appreciate and/or play ice hockey. The teams' diversity is best illustrated by its co-captains and founders, Mark and Ronen who are from Toronto, Canada and Hollywood, Florida (yes, there is ice in Florida), respectively. The twelve other players include the goalies, Michael Silverberg from New Jersey, and Josh Platt from California. Our requisite Canadians, include Yoni Abenaim, Dov Fried, Shannon Kleinman and David Sandel. Nachum Lifschitz hails from Maryland, Yoni Sherizen from Michigan while the others, J.A. Bruckner, James Seplowitz, Ben Stern and Eric Taub are all residents of the Tri-State area. The coach of the team, Manhattan native Ari Kellman receives no compensation and works diligently to help make the team what it is today.

In our first season at Mackay we finished with a 7-5-2 record, won our division and made it to the final game of the championship. Unfortunately, due to the timing of the playoffs (during winter break) our team was severely depleted and lost. But we have returned for the arena's second season, changed our name to the Colt 45's, and are ready to avenge last season's heart-breaking loss.

The team has faced many obstacles along the way, including logistical (you try to organize fifteen people, all juggling a dual-curriculum along with all of their other responsibilities), and financial problems. We could not have not gotten to where we are today without the help we have received from YCSC, the YU Athletic Department, and Student Services due to our club status. Accomplishments notwithstanding, we are not content to stop with a club team in a men's league. We are currently lobbying the athletic department to make an official Yeshiva Ice Hockey team and until that happens we are looking for sponsorship and/or financial aid to help us continue in our efforts to promote Ice Hockey at Yeshiva University.