(yumacs.com) The Yeshiva University roller hockey team completed its historical season last week. In its first season competing in Division II, and just the second season as a program, YU advanced all the way to the Elite 8 of the National Collegiate Roller Hockey Association championships, and fell just three wins short of a national title.
After winning the Division 4 championship in its inaugural season, the Maccabees were promoted to Division II, where they would be eligible to compete for the national championship. Despite facing stronger competition, Yeshiva went 15-3 in the regular season, defeating notable programs such as Boston University, Villanova University, Oswego, Penn State, Northeastern, etc. The Maccabees earned a spot in the Eastern Collegiate Roller Hockey Association playoffs.
Despite being eliminated in the ECRHA tournament, Yeshiva’s strong regular season earned them an at-large bid into the NCRHA championships.
In the tournament, Yeshiva went 2-1 in pool play, defeating Illinois State University and the University of Denver, before falling to eventual national champion California State University at Fullerton. As a result, Yeshiva qualified for the single-elimination bracket.
In the round of 16, the Maccabees faced off against the University of Akron, a team that was ranked No. 1 in the nation heading into the tournament. A winner could not be determined in regulation time, so both teams went into overtime with the score tied 4-4. Ari Drazin took a feed from Jesse Gordon and scored the game-winning goal, 4:20 into the first sudden-victory overtime period, to clinch the upset-win for Yeshiva and a berth in the Elite 8.
Yeshiva’s Cinderella run would come to an end in the quarterfinal round, as the Maccabees fell to the Gators of the University of Florida.
In just their first season in Division II, the Maccabees defied the odds to make a deep run in the national tournament and advanced all the way to the Elite 8. The future looks bright for this young program.
The Yeshiva University roller hockey team will be back in action in 2017-18, looking to bring the national championship home!
