Coach Ari Minsky had a clear goal for his Yeshiva roller hockey team when tryouts commenced in September. He wanted his team to return to Nationals, but he knew it would be a tough ask. Yeshiva roller hockey entered the season as one of the youngest teams in D3 and experienced growing pains last season, going 3-10. But through their passion, dedication, and determination, the boys banded together. They put together a season good enough to qualify for Nationals, which will take place in Irvin, California, from April 19-24. "We've come a long way, and I'm extremely proud of our group," Minsky said. "Now, they'll have the experience I did when I was a player, and they've earned it." "It's a surreal feeling," rookie sensation Yoniah Sussia said, "We're excited for the opportunity."
Coach Minsky knew that it would take time for his young players to adjust to the league and style of play. "Generally, players don't make such an impact in their first year. We had only one veteran last season, so we spent a lot of games adjusting. There was also a weekend tournament we had to forfeit due to Shabbat. We had some close games at the end of the season, but we played better teams then. I think we'll be a lot better this season, as we have been in the past," he said.
After dropping their first two games, Yeshiva recorded their first win of the season, 9-4, over St. Joseph's Brooklyn. They saw flashes of what this team could potentially be as rookie Benji Froom potted four. A week later, Yeshiva recorded what the boys called "Our biggest win of the regular season," rallying from a 3-0 deficit to defeat Rhode Island 6-5 behind captain Yoni Drazin's hat trick and rookie Yoniah Sussia's overtime winner.
The Macs finished the first half of the season 4-5-1, but with no games for seven weeks, they needed success in the in-house league at their home rink, Inline Skating Club of America (ISCA), to stay sharp and fix glaring holes in their roster. "I think we look good, but we need to work mostly on skating and positioning," Coach Minsky said of the team then. "If everyone buys in, we'll be in great shape."
However, the team dropped four of their next five ISCA games and reentered NCRHA play short in confidence and a defense that yielded 30 goals in that span. Shorthanded for most of those games, it was a sign they needed depth and someone who could lighten the mood with his personality and play. That's where Zach Levy came in.
With Levy on the team, the Macs were able to regain their confidence and improve their defense. "Zach has been a great addition to our team. He brings a lot of energy and skill, and his positive attitude has helped us stay motivated," said Drazin. Levy was a star in Yeshiva floor hockey for TABC but was unsure about how he could continue to play the game he loves post-graduation. "I wanted to keep playing hockey but didn't know where," Zach told macs.com, "Then Jakey(Jake Rothenberg) told me if I was going to YU, the boys would love to have me. He then taught me how to skate, I worked hard to perfect it, and here we are." Zach quickly made an impression on his new teammates, pulling off a Michigan in his season debut in an ISCA game.
"The guys have been very welcoming"; I love hockey, and they do too." Also joining the team was YU graduate Donny Fuchs,28, who was granted an extra year under the new NCRHA rules, which allow five years of eligibility, and decided to take advantage of it. The forward recorded 87 points in 49 games as an undergraduate and most notably helped lead Yeshiva University to two Nationals appearances. With Donny's veteran presence, it deepened an otherwise young and inexperienced roster just scratching the surface of being Nationals contenders.
Despite their rocky start, the Macs were eager to improve their effort in the second semester.
Donny Fuchs started things against RIT with an early goal, but RIT got two back before the end of the first. Yeshiva roared back in the second with goals from Yonah Suissa and rookie Ariel Greenberg, including an assist from goaltender Michael Mintz. In the third, Fuchs and Greenberg completed their hat tricks to clinch the 7-3 victory over a higher-ranked Tigers team. The win launched a 5-1 stretch to finish the regular season, as the 9-6-1 Macs entered regionals as the division's six seed.
Although they were outclassed 8-4 by Quinnipiac and defeated 4-3 in overtime by RIT, Yeshiva's regular season was deemed good enough by the committee to reach nationals.
Since then, the Macs have kicked things into high gear. They've practiced regularly in the MTA basement and have feasted on their ISCA games, having gone 4-2 since the beginning of March. "Big things are coming, and we're ready for it," defenseman Gabriel Rosenblatt said."We'll try and make everyone proud," Drazin said. "It's an opportunity to represent the community, the university, and our families." "We've been working all year for this. It's time to prove YU is also a hockey school."
