A group of SUNY Buffalo State students are in the works of starting a club hockey team on campus.

Juniors Jake Graczyk and Joey Holmes, freshman Ricky Rinallo and sophomore Jimmy Roberto have been making the necessary preparations to get a club hockey team on the ice next fall semester.

Currently, Buffalo State only has Division III men and women’s ice hockey teams, but not a club hockey team.

The group thinks that starting a club team for the sport would not only be a great opportunity for Buffalo State, but also for students.

“Every school in the area has a club team that follows their division teams, so why not have one here?” Roberto said.

Right now, the group is figuring out the logistics of starting an official club team. This includes everything from paying for referees to choosing their jerseys.

However, before the guys can even choose their jersey colors, they have to figure out how to pay for the necessary costs and fees that come along with club sports. Practices on the ice rink located in the Sports Arena can cost around $120, and a two and a half hour game with referees is around $700. They estimate that they will need around $4,000 in total for the games during their season.

For the entire first year, the team will be on probation. This means that United Students Government will make sure that the club is following proper rules and regulations. After the year is complete, the team may qualify for funding from the college for the following year. This will help reduce club member dues.

The group hopes to get as much support from the community as possible to raise the funds that they need.

“We really want to cover as much of our expenses through fundraising,” Holmes said.

“We might even start a GoFundMe page,” he added.

GoFundMe is an online crowdfunding platform that facilitates donations to people or causes.

Much of the financial planning is also determined by how many students join the team. Ice hockey only requires five players and a goalie to be on the ice. The group has already determined that they have enough potential players for a complete team.

“We have at least 15 guys that are interested right now, including two goalies, which are usually the hardest positions to fill,” Holmes said.

“We might even be able pick up some players that are cut trying to make the division team,” Roberto added.

The more players that are on the team, the lower the membership dues will be for each player.

Even in the logistics stage, Holmes, Roberto, Rinaldo and Graczyk are confident that their club hockey team will be ready to hit the ice by next fall semester.

Holmes said anybody interested in joining the team can contact him at (315) 507-0799 or [email protected].

email: [email protected]