The Georgetown Club Hockey program celebrated its 75th anniversary this past weekend with its annual alumni game.
The anniversary celebration started Friday evening with an information session and a meet and greet, which introduced alumni to the current team. The magnitude of the program’s anniversary ensured that more alumni attended than in previous years. Recent graduates and older alumni who attended and participated in this weekend’s activities stressed the importance of alumni connections and Georgetown memories after graduation to current players.

In past years, the weekend focused on the alumni game, which usually only features recent graduates. This year, along with the current team and 20 recent graduates, 10 older alumni visited for the weekend. The oldest alumnus in attendance graduated in the class of 1968 and participated in the game as well.

On Saturday, the team and alumni convened at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Va., to play multiple, shortened games. After the games, the current team’s season banquet, which the alumni attended as well, was held at F. Scott’s.
“It was easy to bond with the alumni, chatting with guys who went here in the ’70s and still sharing similar stories and memories,” Captain Connor Brogan (COL ’14) said.

Not only was the weekend fun for the current players, but the alumni cherished reminiscing at Georgetown.
“It was great seeing everyone, seeing that the camaraderie still exists, learning how the program has changed for the better,” program alumnus Gerard Fritz (COL ’85) said.

The reception at F. Scott’s focused on recognizing the current team, as the Atlantic Coast Collegiate Hockey League commissioner presented the champions’ cup to the team for the third consecutive year.
Apart from the many festivities, the weekend emphasized increasing alumni connections with the team, a focus familiar to many Georgetown student groups.

“The alumni network right now is not very strong. The goal this weekend was to try to create a more solid alumni network, where we can help kids who are trying to get internships and such, and where we encourage the alumni to give back to the school,” Brogan said.

Team members felt they met the goal of better connecting alumni and current students throughout the weekend.
“I think we were pretty successful in the goal to increase a more fluent network of alumni, a network where we can look for career advice and so forth,” Brogan said.

For the underclassmen on the team, the weekend showed them the importance of campus connections, even in freshman and sophomore years.

“Alumni weekend was especially great as a freshman because we were able to meet players who recently graduated, who our older teammates told us great things about and who have accomplished so much in the past for the Georgetown Hockey program,” current player Mike Pesce (MSB ’17).

Many players feel the alumni connection augments the hockey program’s effectiveness.

“I think alumni connections are essential for continuing the Georgetown hockey tradition. The 75 years that the program has existed has established a strong network that is still coming back to support the current team through donating and organizing events such as the alumni weekend,” Pesce said.

In order to connect alumni to the program, Stan Lechner (LAW ’83) leads the Hockey Booster Club, which encourages alumni to give donations. The existence of the Booster Club allows the program to increase funding and further legitimize the program.

“The Booster Club has really done a lot over the past eight or nine years,” Fritz said.

“Back when we played, we had no money, and now they have the Booster club, and really involved parents, which has created a much more formal team than when I was at Georgetown.”

Due to these efforts, the Georgetown Club Hockey program feels that alumni play a vital role in the continued existence of the team.

“I think the alumni have a lot to do with keeping the team alive, maintaining connections, financial support. We welcome donations to the Booster Club, and it’s just another great tie for alumni to have to the university,” Fritz said.

In light of the increasing success of the Georgetown Hockey Club program, questions have been raised as to the potential for the team to become a Division 1 Varsity sport at the university. Although the players are not aware of any current formal arrangements for such an endeavor, it is certainly something that players would support.

“I believe we have the right kind of players and program that could successfully transition hockey into a varsity sport at Georgetown if it were possible,” Pesce said.

The success and increased support of the program are factors that could add to a smooth transition to a varsity team.

“I think everyone would like to see hockey more recognized by the university. From the club sports aspect, the time, effort, travel and talent that we have prove that we could be a successful Division 1 team, and I think it would be a great addition to the sports at Georgetown,” Brogan said.

Although such plans are far off, the success of this year’s alumni weekend for the Georgetown Club Hockey program shows a bright future for the team.