The West Chester University men’s hockey team currently sits in eighth place in the national ACHA Division I rankings with a stellar 12-4-0 record. Among the team’s biggest wins are a 5-1 win at then No. 4 Delaware, a two game sweep of then No. 7 Rhode Island which saw them outscore URI by a combined 13-3, and a 6-3 win against Stony Brook that reminded SBU who was the boss in the ECHA. However, there may be no better time than the near future to make a national statement.The Golden Rams will travel to the U.S Naval Academy on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, for a three-game slate, which features some very dangerous teams. Pollsters tend to take notice of these types of tournaments, and this will be an opportunity for the Golden Rams to shine.
Right off the bat, they will take on the No. 7 ranked Iowa State Cyclones in a big showdown game. The Golden Rams upset the Cyclones two years ago in the first round of the national tournament by a 6-3 margin, and another WCU upset would go a long way in possibly securing a top five spot in the country for the Golden Rams. WCU will need to counter Iowa State’s massive size advantage with their speed, quickness and agility, or else they will get physically manhandled.
The following day, the Golden Rams will take on the No. 32 Washington & Jefferson Presidents, and will cap off the weekend with a game against the hosts from the Naval Academy. Of the two games, Navy could end up being a tougher challenge for WCU, as they traditionally have played the Golden Rams very tough and are probably the most physically fit team in the country. Crazy things always seem to happen when games are played at Navy, and the Golden Rams should be on upset alert.
However, one of the biggest opponents for the Golden Rams this weekend will not be on the ice. Rather, it will be in their minds. A home and home with the mighty Penn State Nittany Lions awaits them the following week. The two game set will cap off the first semester, and the Golden Rams must be wary of looking ahead to the big showdown. Penn State is currently ranked No. 3 in the polls, and if WCU were to upset them, one would have to surmise that you could make a strong case for the Golden Rams being a top five team. However, the Golden Rams must stay focused on the task at hand, because should-be top five teams can defeat the likes of Navy and Washington & Jefferson.
It is entirely possible that WCU goes 3-0 next weekend. Heck, it is expected. If they can clear the initial Iowa State hurdle, they should be able to soundly defeat W&J and Navy if they aren’t caught peeking at the daunting task that lies ahead of them.
It may be cliché, but the old adage of “taking it one game at a time” fits this team perfectly right now. It’s not hard to get ready mentally and physically for a great team like Penn State. It can, at times, be hard to be fully ready mentally and physically for teams that aren’t ranked. If WCU can win the three games in Annapolis and at the very least split with Penn State, pollsters would be hard-pressed to find a way to keep them out of the top five. The next five games will be an excellent barometer for WCU, and could serve as a springboard into a great second semester.
Matt Chandik is a fourth-year student majoring in Spanish with a minor in journalism. He can be reached at MC618553@wcupa.edu.