The Missouri State Hockey team skated onto the ice for the first time in September 2001 with the opening of Jordan Valley Ice Park. This marked the beginning of collegiate ice hockey at Missouri State University.
UNIVERSITY
Missouri State University offers more than 190 undergraduate and graduate academic programs. With an enrollment of over 21,000 students, the school is the second-largest university in Missouri. Through a curriculum and emphasis on all aspects of public affairs, Missouri State is committed to helping students succeed in their own lives and as active citizens.
The Missouri State Hockey Club is an officially recognized University student sports organization. It receives a small portion of its budget from the Student Organization Funding Allocation Council (SOFAC) through a competitive application process. Most of the organization's funding comes from player fees and sponsorship, and game admission.
For more information about Missouri State, visit the university website at www.missouristate.edu
FACILITY
The Missouri State Hockey teams play all of their home games at Jordan Valley Ice Park, which also serves as the Ice Bears' practice home. The Ice Park is a $7.5 million facility with two NHL-regulation rinks. Each rink features 600 permanent bleacher seats, with an additional 500 temporary bleacher seats and standing room area on the Stan Melton (formerly the JVIP east) rink.
The team has a permanent dressing room and equipment storage room at the Ice Park. Division 1 and Division 3 teams players are provided a locker to store their equipment during the season.
The Ice Park, at 635 E. Trafficway, is five blocks from the heart of campus and within Center City’s Jordan Valley Park.
PROGRAM
The Missouri State Ice Hockey Club competes in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA). The ACHA is an organization of college and university-affiliated programs that provides structure, regulates operations, and promote the quality of collegiate ice hockey.
The ACHA establishes and regulates academic standards, eligibility criteria, and standards of play, and conforms to NCAA Ice Hockey rules.
The ACHA consists of five levels of play: Men’s Divisions 1, 2, and 3, and Women’s Division 1 and 2. Each Division hosts Regional and National Championship Tournaments for the top-seeded teams in each respective Division.
DIVISION 1 AND DIVISION 3 TEAMS
The Missouri State Ice Hockey program includes both ACHA D1 and ACHA D3 teams. The formation of a Division 3 team increases the depth of the hockey program and provides an opportunity for player development before attaining membership on the Division 1 team.
The "Varsity" team is an ACHA D1 team that competes in the Western Collegiate Hockey League after acceptance into Division 1 in 2015. The Varsity team previously played as an ACHA Division 2 team in the ACHA Central Region, while the "Jr. Varsity" team is currently an ACHA D3 team competing in the ACHA Pacific Region. Both teams participate against other collegiate teams in the Midwest in these states: Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana, Missouri, Iowa, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Alabama, Nebraska and more.
The Division 3 team is a member of an ACHA affiliated conference – the Mid-America Collegiate Hockey Association (MACHA) – Silver Division. The top eight (Silver) MACHA teams in each division play in the MACHA Silver Division championship in mid-February.
The Division 2 Ice Bears team played 13 MACHA League seasons from 2001-02 through 2014-15.
For the Ice Bears first two seasons, the team competed at the Division 3 level. In 2003, the team narrowly missed qualifying for the Division 3 National Tournament – finishing fourth in the Central Division rankings.
At the start of the 03-04 season, the Ice Bears moved to Division 2, competing against teams from the Midwest and Great Lakes regions.
During the 2005-2006 season, a Division 3 team was formed based on a significant level of interest in the hockey program.
It is anticipated that selected players on the Division 3 team exhibiting the necessary athletic skills to compete at a higher level, may be assigned to the Division 1 team during the season.
The hockey program continues to build a strong reputation throughout the ACHA and has attained an ACHA Division 2 National Tournament berth in 2014 and 2015, a Division 1 National Tournament berth in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022 and a Division 3 National Tournament berth in 2017, 2018 and 2021.
SEASON SCHEDULES
The hockey season begins in late August and coincides with the beginning of the fall semester. Games begin in mid-September and continue through early March.
The Division 1 team generally plays a 32 to 36 game schedule against Division 1 and/or Division 2 opponents with most games consisting of a two-game series. WCHL league games are currently 2-game series. Home games at Jordan Valley Ice Park are usually played at 7 p.m. on some Thursdays, but mostly on Friday and Saturday nights.
The Division 3 team generally plays a 28 to 32 game schedule against Division 2 and Division 3 opponents.
Both teams travel approximately seven to nine times per season to opponents throughout the Midwest (and to Arizona, Colorado and/or Nevada and Utah for the Division 1 team) ranging between 3 to 12-hour bus rides from Springfield. Team travel occurs by chartered bus and players stay in a team hotel during each trip.
On a few occasions, players are required to miss class on a Friday to permit team travel. Players are provided with absence letters but are responsible for any work, including exams missed during team travel.
The Division 1 team practices three times per week and the Division 3 team practices twice per week. In addition to on-ice sessions, players also participate in dry-land conditioning and strength training throughout the season.
MINI-CAMP
All prospective Missouri State Ice Bear hockey players are invited to attend the annual Ice Bears Identification Camp at Jordan Valley Ice Park in Springfield, MO usually held in late June or early July each year.
The I.D. Camp is open to all current players, incoming freshmen and transfer student players as well as high school junior and senior players who would like to skate in front of Ice Bear coaching staff.
TRYOUTS
Tryouts, usually the last week of August, consist of informational meetings and on-ice evaluations at the beginning of the Fall semester. Division 1 and Division 3 team rosters are finalized at the end of August.
PLAYER FEES AND EQUIPMENT
The Division 1 and Division 3 teams both function as one organization. However, each team maintains a separate operating budget to ensure the stability of the organization and fairness among each team.
Player fees will be discussed with players at the team orientation meeting before tryouts. Player fees for those who are selected to either the Division 1 or Division 3 team are payable in installments during the Fall semester. There will also be an equipment fee (held by uncashed check) which is returnable after the successful resubmission of borrowed jerseys and equipment.
The team provides team tracksuits, practice jerseys, game jerseys and socks, and maroon pant shell covers which are part of the equipment fee.
MAROON helmets and MAROON gloves are items purchased once for incoming freshman or first-time players. Each player must supply his own full, legal equipment, including full face masks.
Player fees and other team revenues cover the expenses of all practice and game ice time, officials, marketing, team equipment, uniforms, travel, and lodging expenses.
Players are responsible for their meals during team travel, but the Ice Bears Booster Club does provide, when able, for some players' meals on road trips.
ACADEMICS
Student-athletes must abide by the academic requirements established by the University and the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA). Student-athletes are required to sign an ACHA player eligibility form at the beginning of each season.
All ACHA student-athletes must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 by the beginning of a student athlete’s second year of eligibility. In addition, each student must maintain a minimum credit requirement of twelve (12) semester hours (and pass 9 hours) in both the Spring and Fall semesters to be eligible for play.
SERVICE
The Missouri State Hockey program recognizes that it receives many benefits from the community and a part of each player’s experience at Missouri State is to give back to the University and the Springfield community.
The team hosts a variety of game night promotions and participates in a variety of events such as team promotional activities, volunteering at local charities, and assisting with youth hockey and ice-related activities at the Ice Park.
FUNDRAISING
The Missouri State hockey teams use a variety of methods to raise funds to support the program.
Game admission fees are one source of revenue for the program. Team revenue is also generated through sponsored game night promotions and team marketing opportunities. In addition, the teams also produce a season program, game-night program for home games and sells advertisements to offset program costs and generate team revenue.
These and additional occasional fundraising, including a fundraising golf tournament, are used to supplement player fees and assist in the payment of team expenses.
STAFF
The Missouri State Hockey teams consist of a player board, faculty advisors, coaching staff, and a 10-person volunteer staff to assist with team management, marketing, advertising, game night events, and other aspects of the team.
The coaching staff consists of a dedicated group of coaches with a variety of playing and coaching experiences, all committed to developing a quality hockey program, both on and off the ice.
The team faculty advisors serve as a resource for the team in navigating university procedures and assisting students in achieving their academic goals. Our faculty advisors are knowledgeable about the hockey teams and assist the teams in abiding by all university policies and requirements.
Jason Kelly Ryan Armstrong
Club President General Manager
Tom Winkler Mark Capkovic
D1 Head Coach D1 Asst. Coach
Cody Blevins BJ Norman
D3 Head Coach D3 Asst. Coach
Steve Casson Josh Davis (D1) / Dr. Ben Goss (D3)
Dir. of Broadcasting Faculty Advisors
TBA
Game Day Operations Mgr.
