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Start of a New Season

With the start of the 2022-2023 season just around the corner, the USF Bulls are ready to hit the ice and face some new opponents. Finishing the 2021-2022 season with a record of 16-15-1, the Bulls had a difficult ending at Nationals after not advancing to the second round. After concluding the 2019-2020 season #1 in the South and #3 in the nation, ending their season early, and missing their 2020-2021 season, it was an emotional time for the team’s graduating players. Although it was a somber ending for the Bulls, the team is electrified for a new year.

The USF Bulls will be starting their season on home ice against the University of Tennessee Ice Vols for a two-game series on Friday, September 9th at 7:00pm and Saturday, September 10th at 7:00pm. The Bulls will be facing off against familiar and new foes including the University of Florida Gators, the University of Miami Hurricanes, the Vanderbilt University Commodores, Lynn University, the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Eagles, the Florida Atlantic Owls, the University of Mississippi Rebels, the University of Central Florida Knights, and the University of Tampa Spartans.

Last year’s team was comprised of only a handful of returners due to the gap in seasons from Covid-19, but this year will consist of a team that already has a strong bond. Returning for the USF Hockey Club is #13 Kelly Barlett, #24 Zachary Parker, #3 Logan Breen, #14 Jackson McVay, #11 Kevin Holman, #23 Charles Rongo, #12 Trevor Woodall, #4 Keith Moss, #26 Dylan Hultberg, #25 Danila Mikheev, #7 Zachary Slezak, #19 Tyler Young, #8 Adam Kupferman, #20 Andrew Miranda, #6 Cameron King, #9 Owen Welch, #33 Sean Jenal, and #29 Tyler Leniek.

A forward from Mount Dora, FL, #21 Hauken Barber is joining the team after playing for the D3 USF Hockey team for his 2021-2022 season. Barber is “expecting a lot of high intensity hockey, a lot of growth from [the team], and looking to take each week individually.” He’s hoping for “a lot of growth since [he] wasn’t really playing as high as [he] was in the past, and to improve [his] skills all across the board” for his junior year.

Charles Rongo, a sophomore from Flemington, NJ, is ready to see all the younger guys from their previous year “step up in their leadership roles,” and with those guys stepping up, he wants to “build a connection early on [with their new teammates], build that connection through the years, and take this year as far as [they] can ride it.” After the first two days of practice, Rongo noticed “some areas of improvement as well as some strong spots,” but it won’t take long to get back into the swing of things. Tyler Young and Kevin Holman, both seniors from Tampa, Fl, are looking forward to “building off the chemistry from last year” and with so many returners, “[they] don’t need to spend as much time adjusting to the new guys on them team.” Young and Holman were “pleasantly surprised with the effort from tryouts and practice,” and they’re ready to get back at it.

Written by Kayla Deegan (Twitter and Instagram)