The SFU Ice Hockey Club hopes to some day become a varsity program at the University.

The team is currently 2-2. It defeated Pitt-Bradford before a big win on the road at West Virginia.

The club’s players push their bodies to the max, sometimes playing up to 35 minutes during games due to the team’s small size (15 players).

“We have the talent, we just need a few more people,” said junior Andrew Ebert, an SFU club member since 2013 and hockey player since age 5.

One of the main reasons that the club wants to become a varsity program at the University is to better position itself to recruit players.

“We hit like football players, while having the endurance of soccer players,” said Ebert. “Our team battles to represent the school and each other, just like every other team here at SFU.

“That deserves to be rewarded.”

In addition to the work of the players, the club leaders and advisors put in countless hours of behind-the-scenes work, from scheduling games and events to paying the team’s bills.

One of the reasons SFU players believe that becoming a varsity sport is a possibility in the future is because the University is located in a region with a rich hockey tradition. Earlier this year, Johnstown was voted “Hockeyville USA” and the Pittsburgh Penguins played a preseason game at the Cambria County War Memorial in the city.

The club works with different charities. In 2014, they raised over $1,000 for the Wounded Warriors Project during a jersey auction game.

“We are working really hard to prove ourselves and gather support,” said second-year player Tyler Skipper.

CJ Spellman, the president of the club, began playing hockey when he was in elementary school.

“With proper spending, a high-caliber team can be established relatively quickly due to the small size of NCAA hockey, compared to other collegiate sports,” said Spellman.

The club averages roughly 12 matches each season. It plays its home games at the North Central Recreation Center in Ebensburg.

The team competes in College Hockey East (CHE), which includes schools from western Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia.

“The people on this team are gladiators,” said Ebert. “We put our all into every game because we love the grit it takes.

“We love each other, we love our school, and the future for hockey here is a bright one.”

Skipper agrees.

“If you develop the hockey program here, I guarantee there will be an increase in student attraction,” said Skipper.

“Hockey is growing more and more each year, and Saint Francis University can grow with it.”