'Dogs will take ice for new season
Despite low profile, the ice hockey team has had success in the past and looks to continue the trend with season opener against College of the Canyons
Joseph Vasquez / The Collegian
(Above) In their last practice before meeting College of the Canyons for the season opener, Jeff Fisher, Justus Friesen, Nikolai Morse and Hiroshi Chai work on getting used to each other’s playing style. “We’ve only had 10 practices. We still have things to work on,” Friesen said. (below) Tyler Guthrie takes his shots at goal against new goaltender Hiroshi Chai.
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By Maggie Thach
The Collegian
Today is a big day for Marcel Bourdase and 18 of his teammates because tonight, they will take on College of the Canyons at Valencia Ice Station. The Fresno State ice hockey players have been preparing for the season opener since Sept. 8, but nobody has known about it but them.
With the success of the football team and the women’s soccer and volleyball seasons under way, the ice hockey team hasn’t received much attention from Fresno State fans.
“Part of it is we’re a club sport, we don’t have that much marketing,” said Bourdase, a first-team pick in last year’s national tournament. “We’re in a warm climate where hockey isn’t a big deal.”
The Fresno State ice hockey team started in 1991 and since then, has found its share of success.
Participating in the Pacific Collegiate Hockey Association, the team has made 10 consecutive appearances in the PCHA playoffs and was the 2002-2003 PCHA tournament champions.
Last season, the team was invited to the 16-team national tournament as the No. 3 seed from the west division and finished sixth in the nation.
“We have other teams in the Western United States that try to emulate what we are doing at Fresno State,” said Brian Chiarito, president and general manager of the team. “We want nothing but the best for our student-athletes. We travel by team bus, fly to Colorado, Pittsburgh and many other cities.”
But finding the money to fund the team’s bus rides and flights doesn’t come so easily. Because ice hockey is a club sport, the team gets no monetary assistance from the university or athletic department.
The club has formed a board of directors consisting of past players who handle scheduling issues, travel plans and fundraising, which comes together to try to raise the $60,000 it takes to keep the team at a competitive level.
The Bulldogs offer sponsorship packages at home games where ads would be placed in the game program and announcements would be made throughout the game. Last year, the team fundraised at Fresno Falcon games that were held at the Save Mart Center and was able to land significant donations.
“With the success that the Fresno Falcons have had over many years, I would definitely say Fresno follows hockey pretty well,” Chiarito said. “I truly believe that deep down inside, once the general public knows that Fresno State has a hockey team, it would be very successful. Especially with the way this town supports Fresno State and the quality product we have provided for many years.”
Gaining more exposure is another issue the club is tackling. The Bulldogs are trying to increase the average 250 fans who attend when the team plays at Gateway Ice Center.
“It’s a decent facility,” second-year player Justus Friesen said. “But there’s no room for fans. The Save Mart Center is a great place for fans.”
The team has scheduled two games at the Save Mart Center. Both games will be double-headers with the Fresno Falcons. Even while splitting costs with the Falcons, the Bulldogs will still pay around $2,500 to $3,000 to hold games at the complex, compared to roughly the $300 they pay to play at the Gateway Ice Center.
“It’s definitely worth the price to play at the Save Mart Center,” Bourdase said. “Some guys haven’t got the chance to play big-time hockey in a first-class facility.”
While bringing attention to the hockey team is important, the most pressing issue on players’ minds is getting used to each other’s playing styles before traveling to College of the Canyons and then to CSU Northridge the following day. The team has its sights set on another trip to nationals and according to the players, they will be successful, whether people know about it or not.
“Our goal is to be the top team in our league,” Friesen said. “It’s fun having fans in the crowd but it doesn’t really matter. We’re still going to play.”
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