The William Paterson Pioneers Ice Hockey team closed out a successful season with 20 wins, a 2nd place ECHA finish, and ECHA playoff runner-up.  The team finished the season with 20 wins, the highest total at the ACHA Division 1 level.  After finishing in 2nd place in the ECHA regular season, the Pioneers hosted a playoff semifinal matchup against Villanova.  In a back and forth thriller at the Ice Vault in Wayne, New Jersey, the Pioneers came out victorious with a 6-5 overtime victory over the Wildcats.  Zach Thompson (Anchorage, Alaska) got the game winner for the Pioneers to send the team to the finals twelve hours later.  In a matchup between the ECHA's top two seeds, William Paterson and Navy faced off for the ECHA finals.  Navy came out strong and grabbed a 2-0 win, however the Pioneers would not quit tieing the game up at 2-2.  Sixty minutes were not enough for this battle, however it was Navy scoring in the extra session to take the ECHA playoff crown.  Although the season did not end in the Pioneers favor, many players received post season accolades!

Austin Teats - ECHA Rooke of the Year

Austin Teats - 2nd Team All ECHA

Cole Mulholland - 2nd Team All ECHA

George Boyle - 1st Team All ECHA

Adam Marvin - 1st Team All ECHA  (*10th in ACHA D1 scoring)

Nick King - Senior Scholar Athlete Award

Congratulations to our seniors, who led the program for the past several seasons:  Tommy Bauer, Braden Ploehn, Alex Cavaluzzo, Nick King, Mike King, Adam Marvin and Dillon Krok. 

The Pioneers are gearing up for the 2022-2023 season with a solid returning group and new players looking to take the team to the next level!

Stay tuned for the 22-23 schedule and other announcements on social media:  @wpuhockey on Instagram and Twitter.

Photo:  Marissa Vandenberg