Some sports are a staple of the Cabrini University community. Lacrosse, soccer and basketball are sports that are always talked about on campus, but there are some that students did not know Cabrini had. The Cabrini roller hockey team has been active since 2001 and is one of the few club teams on campus.
Chris Fonte, a senior communication major, is the president of the roller hockey club team. Fonte has been playing hockey since he was 13 years old and began playing for Cabrini his freshman year.
“I was inspired by the 2003 New Jersey Devils who won the Stanley Cup,” Fonte said. “My roommate actually was the one who got me to play for [Cabrini]. I wasn’t going to play, but he forced me to play and I did.”
Due to the team’s recreational status, they do not fall under the NCAA regulations. The team is part of the Philadelphia Collegiate Roller Hockey League, or PCRHL. This is a competitive league, hosting schools in the Philadelphia area, including St. Joseph’s University, University of Pennsylvania and Widener University.
“We play pretty tough teams,” Fonte said. “We play top Division I teams who have both NCAA hockey teams [and a club team].”
As a club team, there are there are no restrictions on player eligibility. The league allows anyone who is enrolled in a class at Cabrini University, as well as staff and faculty members of the institution, to participate in the game. The Cabrini roller hockey team is co-ed, allowing men and women to play.
Devon Scharf, a junior exercise science major, is currently the only female on the roller hockey team.
“Being the only girl on the team really isn’t that big of a deal to me,” Scharf said. “Honestly, I’m just like one of the boys.”
Scharf got involved with the team after approaching the roller hockey table at an open house.
“I love being on the school team,” Scharf said. “It’s nice to play on a team where we just get to show up and do something that we love. It’s low commitment and tons of fun.”
The team does not practice regularly, due to the costly price of private rink time. When they do practice, the team gets to work, focusing on the importance of teamwork and improving their roller hockey skills.
“We usually have one or two practices a year,” Fonte said. “We do get lots of work done in those practices, but stinks we can’t have more time.”
Cabrini roller hockey, in recent years, has had many successful seasons. The team won the PCRHL championship title in 2011, 2015 and 2016.
Tyree Holmes, a junior computer science major, started playing roller hockey his freshman year.
“Winning the championship my freshman year was a great memory,” Holmes said. “We played best two out of three games and ended around midnight. It was an intense and rewarding night.”
Holmes was always interested in playing hockey, but did not start until he joined the team at Cabrini.
“I play hockey because it’s really fun. I love fast sports and there are not many sports faster than this one.”
The roller hockey season runs from the end of the fall to the beginning of the spring. As of Dec. 4, the team has played seven games and owns a 2-5 record.
The team does not solely focus on winning, as putting their passion for the game in motion is the main purpose they lace up their skates every Sunday.
“Being a part of a Cabrini University team is great,” Tyree Holmes said. “Everyone is welcoming and helpful. When I joined the team, I instantly gained more than teammates, I gained friends that I hang out with outside of hockey.”
