Olivet Nazarene University is excited to announce the addition of full-contact ice hockey as a club team. The Office of Undergraduate Admissions has started to recruit talented players for the inaugural team.
This fall the Department of Athletics hired Bjorn Lindgren, a 1997 graduate of Olivet as the head coach, and Brad Featherston ’15 as the assistant coach. The men bring a combined 17 years of hockey coaching experience to the positions.
“God has used hockey in my life to teach me so much about hard work, team work and unselfishness, humility, and encouragement,” Coach Lindgren reflected. “I believe that when we play the game in a way that makes God happy, we play the best brand of hockey there is. My vision for the team is to communicate that to the players and build a culture that revolves around the concept of being a family who is encouraging, hard working, humble, and unselfish.”
Any student interested in playing on the club ice hockey team can reach out to Coach Lindgren at bjornandjodie@gmail.com.
Olivet’s addition of men’s club ice hockey is a natural expansion of ONU athletics. The sport is affiliated with the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) and Mid America Collegiate Hockey Association (MCHA). There are several MCHA institutions within 250 miles of Olivet including Wheaton College, Bradley University, Northern Illinois University, Marquette University, Southern Illinois Edwardsville, Illinois State University, Maryville University, McKendree University, and Iowa State.
“This is a great opportunity for 20 young hockey players to continue to play the sport they have grown up playing for four more years and get a high-quality Christian education along the way,” says Jeff Domagalski, Senior Development Officer.
As is the standard for club teams, players will be responsible for season fees. All students will be able to qualify for standard academic scholarships and financial aid that the University offers. The team will play during the fall and winter at Ice Valley Centre Ice Arena in Kankakee, a conveniently-located competitive NHL rink facility.
The University also offers 22 varsity athletic teams with affiliations to the NAIA, CCAC (Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference), Mid-States Football Association, and Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference. More information and news about Olivet athletics can be found at onutigers.com.
To learn more about ONU Athletics and life at Olivet, contact the Office of Admissions at admissions@olivet.edu or 800-648-1463.
Published: 10/29/2021
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