Congratulations to Georgia Tech ice hockey for being the featured sport club of January! This fast-paced sport requires players to use their speed, strength, and agility to outscore their opponent all while on a slick sheet of ice. Ice hockey is one of the 40 competitive sports clubs available through Campus Recreation (CRC) who compete inter-collegiately. Join us for a conversation with Caleb Rudnicki, ice hockey president and 4th-year computer science major as we learn more about why this sport club has seen much success over the years.

Q: Can you tell me about Georgia Tech Ice Hockey?

A: The Georgia Tech Ice Hockey Club, founded in 1973, is the longest continuously run club hockey team in the Southeast. We play a competitive schedule (~25 games) in the ACHA against other schools like Clemson, FSU, Kennesaw State, Michigan, and UGA. We also compete for the National and Regional Tournaments every season. We practice once per week on ice and once per week off-ice with games during three weekends per month. The team is about 30 students strong with a 4-person coaching staff. Every year, we strive to do our best in both the Regional and National tournament as well as being competitive in every game we play.

Q: What are some reasons for joining Georgia Tech Ice Hockey?

A: Joining hockey offers our players a brotherhood. Similar to joining a fraternity, the experience you will get from being on the hockey team is very rewarding. Players spend time with each other in and out of the rink and often make friendships. Also, I can’t forget to mention the fact that you can continue to play competitive hockey at a high level!

Q: As a member of Georgia Tech Ice Hockey, do you have a favorite memory or experience?

A: I doubt I am alone with this answer. My favorite memory from being on the team is definitely going to the Savannah Hockey Classic every January. This tournament takes place at the Savannah Civic Center every MLK weekend and hosts us, UGA, FSU, and Florida. Not only are the games competitive, but the 5,000-seat arena is filled all weekend to see us play. It is certainly the best hockey environment I have ever played across my entire hockey career.

Q: What are some past Georgia Tech Ice Hockey successes?

A: Last season, our team made a deep run into postseason play. We not only made the ACHA South Regional Tournament in Tampa, FL, but we also were able to beat USF and UNC-Wilmington to gain entry to the ACHA National Tournament in Columbus, OH for the first time in over 10 years. Additionally, we were able to win the Scholar Shootout in Nashville, TN (wins over UNC, Wake Forest, and Vanderbilt) and our own ACC-South Challenge (wins over Clemson and FSU). The great success we had last season has certainly given us momentum going into this year’s campaign.

Q: How can students join Georgia Tech Ice Hockey?

A: To join Georgia Tech Hockey, go to our site and fill out a prospect form so one of the members of the student board can contact you (gthockey.com/prospect). At the start of every school year, we hold tryouts so the coaches can evaluate and select that season’s roster.

Learn more about joining a CRC sport club at crc.gatech.edu/clubs.