Men’s Hockey Captain Reminisces About Accomplishments

BY MARNIQUE OLIVIERI-PANEPENTO, STAFF WRITER

Graduating senior, Brady Fitzpatrick, has a lot of confidence in the future of the Men’s Club Hockey team. This season has already been successful for the Division III club team.

Fitzpatrick, a senior business management major and captain of the club hockey team, said the team’s best accomplishment so far was winning the Upstate New York Collegiate Hockey League championship last year. In February 2022, Bonaventure won the hockey title with a 6-2 victory over SUNY Buffalo State College, who beat Bonaventure twice that season.

“That was the program’s first ever league championship which was pretty cool to be a part of,” he said about his favorite team memory. “So, to beat such a good team, especially one we had struggled against earlier in the season, was such an incredible experience.”

The club team, founded in the early 70s, was one of the first club sports established at Bonaventure.

The team was ranked first in the Collegiate Hockey Federation when the rankings were released and remained on top for four consecutive weeks.

“Although it’s awesome to be ranked so highly, we still have five games left, so, we know we have to work to maintain it,” Fitzpatrick, who has been playing on the team since his freshman year, said.

This year, the team consists of 29 players who practice weekly on Mondays and Wednesdays at their home rink, inside the Olean Recreation Center.

“For me, it’s mostly about staying ahead of things so you don’t have a bunch of work that ends up piling up,” Fitzpatrick said about balancing his school and hockey responsibilities.

“Thankfully, the time commitment is perfect for me. I try to get almost all of my school work done throughout the week, especially on days we have off. With only two practices a week and typically two games on the weekend, I am usually able to get all of my work done and not have to worry about it on the weekends.”

Fitzpatrick was an assistant captain during his junior year and was named captain at the beginning of this year. He ensures the team is keeping high standards both on and off the ice, and motivates everyone while maintaining a high energy on the team.

“I also help to organize some team volunteering events and hold the guys accountable for study hours and other events,” he said.

Fitzpatrick will be the only senior leaving the team once the season ends. The other senior player, T.J. Wahl, will return for a fifth year and continue playing.

“We have a bunch of young guys that will continue to develop, so I have no doubt they will have a great season next year,” he added.

Fitzpatrick said he hopes the “hammer” tradition, which is an award given after a team win to a player that had a distinguished game, will continue to be around for a long time.

Future games in 2023 include: