By Nick Gimbel

With the start of the Embry-Riddle Eagles’ 2019-20 season opener just around the corner, we take a dive into ERAU hockey and their ambitions. To do that, I sat down with Ben Solomon, club Vice President and one of four Senior looking to leave a lasting mark for their Alma Mater.

“This year we are looking to rewrite the novel we started last season. We have an entirely new roster, lots of new faces floating around the locker room, and a really strong recruiting class looking to shake up the organization,” said Senior forward Ben Solomon. A total of ten new recruits have earned their place on the roster for Head Coach Bob Joyce, including Byce Korner, Jack Bokun, Victor Cho, Ian Betkis, Remy Hatua, Mario Filardi, Noah Austin, Adam Letarte, Adrian Debrah, and Billy Callahan, all of whom except Letarte and Filardi being Freshmen. When asked if he had his sights set on a top newcomer, Solomon said, “To be honest, I can’t see myself picking a top recruit. Our staff did a fantastic job of recruiting this off season, and I’m really excited to see what everyone can do at game speed.”

As mentioned earlier, Solomon is one of four players who will be skating in their final home opener in an Eagles uniform. He joins Jeremy Kerson, Alec Bischoff, and club President Andrew Caputo as the Seniors leading the charge. With the Eagles losing their captain Brendan Barger at the end of last season, the question all summer long was finally answered. Junior forward Ryan Marks takes the helm as team captain for the Eagles’ 2019-2020 campaign. “We are looking for Marksy to lead us to the Promised Land,” stated Solomon. “We feel his experience within the conference along with his ‘lead by example’ captainship style can lead us to victory.”

With the start of the season being delayed by Hurricane Dorian cancelling the original season opener against the University of Miami Hurricanes, the Eagles have been that much more eager to hit the ice at home on Friday September 13th when they play their I-4 rival, the UCF Knights. ERAU had a tough time against SCHC rivals such as UCF last season, and Friday’s home opener is a chance to show what the Eagles are capable of. “The team as a whole is excited for our home opener, now season opener, against UCF,” said Solomon. “UCF has been a mountain that we have yet to climb, but the mood is more optimistic this time around. We know we have what it takes to not only play with but beat these kinds of SCHC giants. Everyone around the locker room is looking forward to being able to prove our worth.”

The ERAU hockey team looks to start their season off on the right foot at the Daytona Ice Arena against the UCF Knights. Puck drops at 6:30pm on Friday Sept. 13th. Catch all the action on the ERAU hockey YouTube page if you cannot make it out to the rink.