April, 2016 -- The 2016-2017 season sees the Fordham University ice hockey program now entering its 47th campaign, one of the longest of any the clubs at school. The team was actually created in the 1967-68 season playing and winning one game versus cross-town rival Manhattan College. The "Maroon Six" as they were known then, began playing a full slate of games during the 1970-71 seasons. The team joined the MIHL (Metropolitan Intercollegiate Hockey League), in the fall of 1970 and began playing such teams as Columbia, Fairfield and St. Johns. The team was originally created and funded by Fordham University athletics to become a varsity program. However the team was relegated to its current club status in 1975 when the school chose to elevate its club football team back to varsity instead. After a league name change to the BSMIHL (Bi-State Metropolitan Intercollegiate Hockey League) for the 1975-76 season, the team held the longest tenure as a member of the MCHC (Metropolitan Collegiate Hockey Conference) after the league changed its name at the start the of the 1976-77 season.
The team is coached by Rich Guberti, who begins his 9th year with the team (2 years assistant coach - 7 years head coach). The team has gone 129-52-5-8 during this time. They have finished the regular season in 1st place 4 times. The team has also gone to the finals 5 times, winning twice. In his six years as the team's Head Coach, Guberti historically ranks 1st in overall wins (101) and winning percentage (.721). A USA Hockey Certified Level 4 Coach, he runs successful year round Pro Player Clinics and Summer Camps. His Westchester Select tournament teams play in AAA tournaments during the summer on the East Coast. He has also run successful youth hockey and junior programs. Those teams have gone on to compete for State and National titles as well as International Silver Sticks both here and in Canada.
Behind the scenes is Director of Hockey Operations, Andrew Mola CBA '86 (33rd year) who handles the day-to-day team operations which can range from organizing transportation, finances, alumni relations, statistical analysis, scheduling, recruiting, and running game day operations. Mola also is in his seventh year serving as the President of the MCHC and has held prior MCHC Executive Board positions such as Director of Eligibility and Director of Structures.
The 2015-16 seasons was expected to be a rebuilding year for the program with the graduation of 8 seniors the prior May. However with the addition of 6 incoming freshman and a solid core of returning players from the prior season, the Rams proved to remain competitive throughout the year. In addition to their MCHC schedule, the team played in 7 non-league games against outside competition which included several contests coming against the American College Hockey Association's Atlantic Divisions nationally ranking top 15 teams.
In league play, the team finished with a respectable 9-4-0-1 record finishing fourth in the Metropolitan Collegiate Hockey Conference. In the post season, the team upset number one seed Stevens Tech with a thrilling 3-2 overtime win but fell short in the championship game with a 5-4 loss to Yale. This marked Fordham's third consecutive appearance in the championship game, a feat which was never accomplished before by any other Fordham team.
The team finished the season with an overall record of 14-8-0-1. The team reached the post season league tournament for the 16th consecutive year and posted their 13th consecutive winning season, the longest in team history. Academically, the team maintained a solid 3.286 overall g.p.a. Despite the disappointing loss in the championship game, the team continued to cement its status as one of the elite teams in the region.
The team begins its practices early September skating twice a week until the 16 game league schedule kicks off mid-October. Once the league games start, the practices are scaled back to once a week. No games are played during Thanksgiving break, finals week in December or Christmas break. The season culminates with first round of playoffs in the second weekend of February and the semi finals and finals the third weekend in February. The season is concluded with the annual alumni game, which was reinstated twelve years ago after a 5-year absence.
For more information on the team please contact Andrew Mola at 917-743-4429.
