Skating towards a championship

When Whit Matthews signed up for the Penn men's ice hockey club four years ago, he had no idea what he was getting himself into.

Fast-forward to present-day.

Matthews is now the president and captain, coping with the difficult task of managing one of the most high-maintenance clubs at Penn.

Largely due to the dedication of Matthews and his fellow seniors -- Ryan Redpath, Ross Giambalvo, Brian Reagan and Frank Bastone -- the men's ice hockey club has been transformed from a laid back group of friends into a regionally competitive hockey club.

"When we got here four years ago, we were just a bunch of guys who drank beer," Matthews said. "The enthusiasm of the four seniors -- plus the juniors -- have really made it possible for us to build up our notoriety in the Northeast."

Though this season may be the seniors' last hurrah, they aren't complaining. Thus far they've been going out in perfect style -- posting 10 wins in their first 12 games.

This just goes to show that a complete turnaround in competitive athletics is not impossible. It just takes hard work and a serious commitment -- the Penn men's ice hockey club is living proof.

Tearing up the Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Hockey Association this season, the Quakers have raced out to a 10-1-1 league record.

The only blemish in conference play for the Red and Blue came against Rider University in early December. Since then, the often-underestimated Quakers have been taking down league opponent after league opponent.

The seniors "have been great," Penn junior forward Todd Leri said. "When they came into the program, they were like 3-23, and they really turned this program around."

When MACHA powerhouse Montclair traveled to Penn's home ice --the Class of 1923 Ice Rink -- on Feb.1 the Red Hawks expected their typical rollover win against the Red and Blue.

And through the majority of the first two periods, it looked as if Montclair would claim yet another win.

The Red Hawks rifled through Penn's defense, knocking in three goals in the first 40 minutes. But it was the home team's potent offense that Montclair could just not handle.

In the greatest momentum change of the game, the Quakers' Owen Callahen struck back, tying the game at three.

Bolstered by 24 saves from goaltender Patrick Baude, Penn came back to win, scoring two more goals to steal a 5-3 win, despite playing most of the game with men in the penalty box.

The win over Montclair is emblematic of Penn's entire season.

"It was a huge confidence booster and it just shows our discipline and our depth," Matthews said.

Due to their stellar performance thus far this season, the Quakers have a very good chance of capturing their first MACHA league championship.

Whether they will win their first championship or not hinges upon Penn's performances this weekend against Montclair and Tuesday against Seton Hall.

"We obviously have to finish strong," Leri said. "To determine the regular-season champion, we need to win against [Montclair]."

With two wins, the Red and Blue can clinch the league championship.

Not bad for a team that performed so poorly only four years ago that the seniors have chosen to erase the season record from memory.

So what exactly is the difference between this year's Quakers?

The Red and Blue's seniors have instilled a sense of commitment into the heads of the entire team over and over again.

There's no disillusioned fairy tales in ice hockey. Success depends on early mornings, lots of money, strong coaching and plenty of bruises.

"I think its just the fact that everyone's committed themselves to a team that plays and trains at a superior level to the average," Matthews said. "We pay all our own costs. We practice two times a week, and we place two times a week. Our team is has really dedicated themselves to the cause."

Because the team's expenses run as high as $30,000 -- and the University only funds a small portion of the cost -- each player has to pay over $600 per season.

So it quickly becomes clear as to why a dedicated team is necessary. As Matthews has quickly learned, convincing teammates to show up at seven in the morning wouldn't be possible if they didn't love the sport.

Their assets "are hard work and commitment from the players, which on a club team isn't always there," the team's first-year coach Dean Winter said.

The recent success stems from not only the seniors' hard work, but also the surge of interest in the club team, especially from a high-impact freshman class this season.

Rookie Micha Cohen, from Wynnewood, Pa., has played in all 28 of the Red and Blue's games this season. He is the second leading scorer, with 19 goals -- two of which he slipped in when the Quakers were shorthanded.

"We had a very good freshman class this year," Winter said. "We have a couple of guys that are important to the team. They seem to be learning from Whit and the other seniors what commitment is."

Besides having a committed squad, perhaps the Red and Blue's greatest asset this season is their depth.

With a roster 29 players deep, Penn has the luxury of building up multiple offensive and defensive lines and the ability to put its second or third line out on the ice with complete confidence.

"Our strongest asset is certainly our depth," Matthews said. "Scoring from all four lines. Any line that we can put out there can get a goal. It's just the depth overall is far superior than it has been. It's terrific."

As the Red and Blue close out this season, they are hoping that the recent success will garner greater support amongst the Penn community.

This Friday, the Quakers take on Lafayette in their final home matchup of the season at 5:15 at the Class of 1923 Ice Rink on Walnut Street.

"As a team we would like to encourage students to come out," Winter said. "We'd like to get a better turnout."

And with the Red and Blue playing some of their best hockey in years, turning out for Friday's game might not be that bad of an idea at all.

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