It was the sixth home game for William Paterson’s own ice hockey team, and the loss didn’t begin on the scoreboard. The stands were nearly empty, but the students who showed up made their presence known. 

Families wore jerseys, and a handful of students arrived proudly displaying their “Will Power,” determined to support their team.

William Paterson’s ice hockey team is one of the better compared to the other sports at the university. They’ve qualified nine for the ACHA (American Collegiate Hockey Association) national tournament while also competing at ACHA Division 1.

The boys played with such speed and intensity that it felt as though some of the smaller, more crucial details were being overlooked. That loss of focus opened the door for Drexel, leading them to take the game with a final score of 7–3.

“We were sleeping pretty much the whole game,” said Bill Katinsky, the head coach of the team.

You could easily tell that Katinsky wasn’t upset the entire time but a little disappointed with the actions he took near the bench.

In the first period, it honestly looked like William Paterson had the game in the bag. Austin Teats scored the first goal, and goalie Kevin Brennan was locked in from the start. 

He was playing so well that Drexel could barely get a shot on goal until he had to come off the ice.

“Our goaltender was hurt after the first period; that’s why we ended up switching goaltenders.” This unfortunate situation led to Drexel stealing the win by four points, 7-3. 

During the second period, it felt like the guys just lost their flow. Mistakes kept piling up on the ice, the defense fell apart, and they got so caught up trying to score that they forgot to back up the new goalie, Hunter Galgani. 

On top of that, the team kept getting hit with multiple penalties, making it even harder to get back on track, taking out some of their strongest players like Darrin Lacorte.

Lacorte was sent to the penalty box twice in the third period, once for checking from behind and another for hooking. At one point, things got a little heated after being slammed into one of the sideboards. Lacorte swung his stick and hit a Drexel player. 

Surprisingly, he didn’t get a penalty for it; instead, Drexel was called for boarding, and Lacorte was sent off the ice.

Forward Thomas Swartwout said he thought the team came out a bit flat and needed to dig deeper to find the will to compete. 

Coach Katinsky offered a slightly different perspective, noting that Drexel was practically handing the puck to William Paterson, but the team simply couldn’t sustain the momentum when it mattered most.

Even with all the competitiveness and intensity that William Paterson showed that night, the team still remembered how to be good sports. When a Drexel player took a hard fall on the ice, a player from William Paterson was quick to help him up and check if he was okay. 

Moments like that showed the kind of players they are, reminding everyone that, beyond the game, these men care about the well-being of others.

By the end of the third period, Drexel University had already taken the lead, and the fans in the stands slowly began to leave, realizing a comeback was highly unlikely.

Inside the locker rooms, Drexel celebrated their win by playing loud music and cheering, while William Paterson was pretty quiet for about 20 minutes, likely reflecting on the game’s mistakes and discussing what they could do differently to improve for the next matchup.

Interviewing the players was tough. Most of them were reluctant to talk about the loss, and you could feel the weight of it as they headed into the locker room with their heads down. The impact of the defeat was written all over their faces.

“Hopefully, a much better effort,” Coach Katinsky explained the team’s need to bring more focus and energy moving forward.

“Should expect the boys to come out fired up and ready to take one back.” Swartwout is pushing the expectations of his teammates, telling them they will improve.

The team’s determination shows just how tough they are, even when looking at this season’s stats. It’s been a challenging season, but William Paterson’s ice hockey team has proven that it’s a tough season, but they are a tougher team.