All Stars Make Statement in Philly
Two Hoosiers tabbed for ACHA Selects
The ICHC sent a team of league all stars to compete in the ACHA D3 All Star Challenge held in Philadelphia the weekend of April 13th. A national stage for the best D3 players in the country, the ICHC was competing for the first time as a conference in its young history. Coach Manard, from IU, and no stranger to big time hockey tournaments, led the team along with Terry Hebert of Ball State Univeristy.
The All Stars went 2-3 on the weekend finishing sixth in the ten team event. The highlight of not just the ICHC's weekend but maybe of the entire tournament was the victory over the Michigan Collegiate Hockey Conference (MCHC) who annually turns out some of the best teams in the country including this years national champion. Down 1-3 with under 3:00 minutes in the game, the boys caught fire, tied the game in regulation and buried the game winner 30 seconds into OT.
Manard was beaming with pride over the effort his boys put forward. "Look, nobody thought we could come here and make any noise other than us. We had something to prove and I think we did that. The talent in this league is surprising people and I can assure you, we are close to sending multiple teams to Regionals every year" said Manard. Tim Driscoll, Commissioner of the league had this to say, "I wasn't able to make the trip so I was glued to my phone. The number of texts and calls I got from my coaching friends in D3 spoke volumes. I kept hearing two things; these guys can play and what a great group of kids. I am proud of all of them."
ICHC Heads To Russia
Not only did the ICHC pick up two impressive victories in their first foray at the All-Star Challenge, but two Hoosiers earned spots on the ACHA M3 Select team in the process. The Select squad, chosen from among the best at the ASC, will travel to Krasnoyarsk, Russia in October to participate in the 2018 Student Hockey Challenge International Championship.
The Student Hockey Challenge is an official test event of the 29th Winter World University Games, which will be held in Krasnoyarsk in March 2019. The M3 Selects will play five games against other university teams from Europe, Asia, and Russia as part of the Challenge.
Kody Wagner, a 6'3 blueliner, and Devan MacKellar, a 6'0 forward, were both members of an 18-2-1 Hoosiers team whose season ended with a second-round loss in the North Regional tournament to national runner-up Oakland. MacKellar racked up 23 points (9g, 14a) in 17 games, and Wagner's 13 assists (16 games) was good for second on the team among defenseman.
