Since 1998, the University at Buffalo club roller hockey teams are some of the elite clubs in all of the National Collegiate Roller Hockey Association. Despite its lack of funding from the university, the Wings recently became the first regional champions in the Eastern Collegiate Roller Hockey Association history, winning both the Division 1 and B divisions.
The Wings roller hockey program has two teams playing in the ECRHA. The A team plays in Division 1 (not to be confused with the NCAA Division I) and the B team plays in the B Division. The compitition is vast, as the Wings play other colleges from all over the northeast. When they qualify for the NCRHA national championships, which the teams have done numerous times, the Wings play against teams from all across the nation.
A major part of the teams' success over the past few years is the group's closeness. The teams' ability to bond with each other has played an important role in their ability to succeed.
"We're a close-knit family, were the tightest team in the country, I'd be willing to say," said Jay Slutsky, team vice president. "Most other schools' A and B (teams) don't get along, but we get along awesome and do everything together."
Working together as one, on and off the rink, played a huge role in the teams' deep runs to nationals. Both teams are at each other's games supporting. They scrimmage against each other in practice and follow each other to the bars afterwards.
Their team chemistry is one thing, but in order to remain successful, Wings' leaders say the teams need more support and funding from the university. The Wings travel the country supporting UB and they do it with money from their own pockets.
The university does not give the team enough money to cover the cost of the team's $9,500 league fee. The team only received $7,200 from the school, which also makes it difficult for the team to pay for travel expenses like the price of gas and hotels when they go on the road every weekend.
"That's the worst part about it; we have to spend so much money in gas and hotels and so many other teams don't," said team president Stephen Ostrow.
What makes matters worse for the Wings is that they have to travel farther than any other team in the ECRHA to get to tournaments. Most of the other schools in the ECRHA are within two hours of the tournaments, whereas Buffalo is six to eight hours away. Traveling that far is just another major expense for the team.
The cost of practicing is one of the most expensive of all sports. The team spends $4000-$5000 to practice year round. This year's teams had the extra expense of going to nationals, where they were forced to pay $13,000 from their own pocket as well as fundraising, to make the trip.
Each player pays $250 per semester, and even though that is not enough to cover all their expenses. The teams hold numerous fundraisers to try and raise the rest of the money they need for travel and equipment.
The Stony Brook University team, another member of ECRHA, received $27,800 this season, according to Stony Brook defensemen Peter Gugliotta.
Buffalo's team chemistry really showed this past season as the Wings dominated the competition in the ECRHA. The A team finished with a regular season record of 17-2-1 and an overall record of 29-4-1. The B team finished with a regular season record of 13-0-3 and an overall record of 21-1-6. Their only loss of the season came in one of the final rounds of nationals.
"We're just light hearted guys that just love to play. We don't need all the funding and we don't need all the support in the world. We're just going to go out and pay out of pocket and do what we have to just to play," Slutsky said.
The Wings became the first school in ECRHA history to win both the Division 1 and B divisions in the same season. The Wings also sent a total of seven players to compete in the Division 1 and B all-star games. Tyler Walser, Joe Malinowski, Shaun Golden and Richie LaTona were named all-stars from the Division 1 squad, while Tim Newbold, Ryan Kelly, and J.J. Klimek were honored from the B squad.
Despite all their financial issues, the Wings seem to put it all aside for the ability to compete. The guys on the team love every minute of being on the rink. This team thrives from the ability to get along, and lives off the competition from some of the top schools in the nation.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
