With the winter approaching, Carnegie Mellon University’s students start to complain of the cold, but CMU’s Hockey Team embraces the ice. The Ice Hockey Team was formed here at CMU in 1971 and is still going strong today with its home rink based in Shady Side Academy's McKnight Arena.

The team welcomes new players of all skill levels and is a co-ed club sport. "The squad is looking solid this year,” player Chad Trice explains. “We have some good young talent and even picked up some seasoned veteran grad students. We are looking to have a strong push in the playoffs this season.” 

Fred Maddalena, Bill Nichols, and Ephraim Hathaway coach the team with Head Coach Fred having coached the team here at CMU for over 20 years. This year, they also have two new managers: Sarah Gutekunst and Becky Gruebel. The team is made up of 23 current players with six graduate students and the rest undergraduates.

Despite the varying skill levels and ages, player Skylar Weaver explains that their bond is extremely close: “When it comes to hockey teams, we certainly are one.”

Their strong teamwork has shown incredible results. During the 2013-2014 season, the team made it to the playoffs for the fifth year in a row and even received a bid to compete in Nationals. “Last year we just barely missed out on the league championship and nationals,” member Neil Carleton explains. “This year we came back even stronger and with even more depth – putting us in the perfect position to go all the way.”

The team competes in the NCHA Southeastern Conference where they play both local teams and out-of-state teams. In addition to regular season play, the players also compete in one or two tournaments each year. They meet once a week on Wednesday nights and play roughly one game a week on weekends.

Recently, CMU’s Ice Hockey team defeated the defending league and national champions, University of Pitt Greensburg, and are looking forward to continue their strong showing this season.

They explain that the key to their success is simply their friendship. “Team bonding on and off the ice has had a noticeable impact on our team’s success,” member Max Gonzales explains.

For others, some believe that the team’s success might come from other reasons besides their teamwork on and off the ice. “This season I started something new: before each game,” player Martin Piekarski says, “I sit in a quiet, dark corner and meditate with a candle and some soft Taylor Swift music. I’ve had a point in every game since, and I truly believe this new tradition is the largest contributor to our team’s recent success.”

Whether the Taylor Swift music is working or not, CMU’s Ice Hockey team has played impressively so far and hopes to continue to do so for the rest of the season.