USF
Ice Bulls Continue To Sparkle
Ice Bulls Coach Jay Jodoin talks to his team during a stoppage in play against the Florida Institute of Technology.
USF multimedia journalism student Jeffrey Jones
Published: Dec 27, 2006
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TAMPA - Competitive hockey in Tampa Bay did not start with the Lightning.
It began two decades ago when the University of South Florida Ice Bulls skated as the first college hockey program in Florida. At first, the team was not officially affiliated with the school. But in 1991, freshman Erik Lugris and a few teammates persuaded the USF student government to recognize hockey as a club sport, and the Ice Bulls continue to compete as such today.
"What we did was significant," said Lugris, former USF hockey president and current head coach at the Florida Institute of Technology. "The bottom line is, nobody can ever take it away. We were the first college hockey program in the state of Florida. We were the first really organized hockey program. We were just playing hockey because we loved it."
The club has grown to 42 players. They hail from all over the country and even Canada, where hockey is not only the most popular sport, but also a rite of passage.
"I've been playing since I was 5 or 6 years old," said Bulls captain Sean Williams, 22, a junior exercise science major. "I grew up in Canada, so pretty much when you walk, they throw you into skates."
After four years of high school hockey in his native Nova Scotia and two years playing in Elmira, N.Y., Williams found himself heading south to join the Bulls.
"It was kind of a fluke happening," he said. "My dad was checking schools online, and found us a hockey team down here. He said, 'Well, they play hockey here, why don't you check it out.'"
The Bulls (11-4), who play in Division III of the American Collegiate Hockey Association, have enjoyed a solid 2006-07 season. They are tied for third place in the South Division and have hopes of advancing deep into the playoffs.
"I think we have a good shot of winning out the season [and] moving up in the rankings," Williams said. "Our goal this year is to win the national championship."
The Bulls play in the 32-team South Division of ACHA Division III, along with the likes of first-place Tennessee (15-1), Georgia, Georgia Tech, South Carolina and Central Florida. There are four divisions and 120 clubs at the Division III level.
In the past, the Bulls had to play at a small facility in Clearwater. Now, they play and practice at the Brandon Ice Sports Forum, where their ice time of 6 a.m. requires dedication to both hockey and their education. They also play occasionally at the St. Pete Times Forum.
"It keeps you focused. It helps you manage your time," 21-year-old goalie Kevin Stockslager said of the early hours. "You've got to get your school work done and be on time for practice and games."
"It's something you learn to do," Williams said. "Six a.m. practices, you know, it's tough, especially if you've got a test and you're trying to stay up late and study."
Games average crowds of about 400. The Ice Bulls employ various tactics to get fans to the games - usually spreading fliers around campus or running promos on the USF radio station, WBUL.
"I would like to see the place packed every single game," Coach Jay Jodoin said.
The club's budget has steadily increased from when the student government first allotted $10,800 to Lugris to give his club a chance to hit the ice. Most of the budget goes to ice time, travel and equipment, according to Ice Bulls general manager and USF graduate student Colleen Hennessy.
"To effectively run the team, as a competitive ACHA Division III team with travel and everything, ideally we would like $90,000. We put in an amount in hopes that it just covers ice. That's all we hope for - that our ice and our referees are covered."
The Ice Bulls are looking forward to possibly advancing to a higher ACHA division, and perhaps someday reaching the NCAA level. Unfortunately for the Bulls, location is a problem in any effort to become an NCAA team. The closest NCAA competitor would be Alabama-Huntsville, which is hosting the 2012 NCAA Frozen Four in Tampa.
"At this point in time, regionally, there aren't a lot of schools to compete against [in NCAA]," said Barbara Sparks-McGlinchy, USF's senior associate athletic director.
"Right now we have a lot of work ahead of us," Williams said. "But we are up to the task. We would like, eventually, to [be in] the NCAA, where we are funded by the school, you know. That is something that is going to take a lot of time and a lot of work. It's not something we can do overnight. It is not something we can do by ourselves."
For now, the Ice Bulls remain at the club level, knowing they have come a long way as the oldest such program in the state.
"I think we've done a lot this year as a team to move forward," Williams said. "It is really exciting to be part of that. I mean, we've had the team for 20 years, and we're really starting to get things together and get organized and try to be a real serious organization."
ABOUT THIS REPORT: This report is part of a multimedia project produced by a University of South Florida journalism class in cooperation with The Tampa Tribune, TBO.com and News Channel 8. The students work for a semester with professionals from all three media. Keyword: Ice Bulls, to view an online photo gallery and watch video highlights and interviews.
