It's almost 10:30 p.m., and they haven't finished the second period yet. That wouldn't be a problem in the NHL, but it's a major concern when you're paying hard-earned cash for 90 minutes of ice time and the meter is threatening to run out before the game does. It's not great hockey. Most players are Easterners or Canadians who played in youth leagues but gave up when they realized they had no professional futures.California-bred players couldn't make Division I teams because they didn't have top-notch coaches to push them when they were young and because the hockey boom touched off by Wayne Gretzky's arrival in Los Angeles hadn't filtered down to their level. Yet, competition in the PCHA is intense and the skill level is respectable, considering most clubs subsist on budgets that make practice a rare luxury at upward of $300 per hour for ice time. Moorpark College players pay about $450 a season for the privilege of skating before sparse crowds at the Easy Street Arena in Simi (805-520 RINK). The school's recreation club council last season contributed $300 and players raised $12,000 themselves.
"On a bare minimum shoestring budget, most clubs need $12,000 to operate, and that includes four road trips without staying in a hotel," said David Green, the team's representive and most energetic promoter. Orange Coast College, relegated to playing home games on Saturdays at 11:15 p.m. at the Disneyland Ice Arena in Anaheim, gets limited funding from the school but gets a van for northern trips. A donor supplied the Pirates' classy black and red jerseys. UCLA, which usually plays at Burbank's Pickwick Arena on Fridays at 8:45 p.m. or Saturdays at 10:15 p.m., charges dues of $300. The school kicks in $2,600, which does not come from the athletic department budget.
In contrast, at the University of Minnesota, a Division I varsity hockey team, the operating budget for expenses such as supplies and travel is about $400,000. That doesn't include the cost of 18 scholarships or coaches' salaries. But what they lack in polish, PCHA players, coaches and administrators make up for in dedication. Moorpark goaltender Jason Shaw, who just turned 20, has spent at least $3,000 on equipment. That's in addition to club dues and traveling expenses. "It's a hobby," said Shaw, who is barely 135 pounds before the 5-6 pounds he looses during a game. "But it's something we take really seriously. We're representing our school and we're working real hard."
Hockey was a varsity sport at USC in the 1930s but died in the early '40s. It was also popular at Stanford and Cal, where it remains a strong club sport. U.S. International University in San Diego had a Division I program until it was overwhelmed by the costs of travel, ice time and insurance. Over the years, as operating and insurance costs skyrocketed, rinks closed and college hockey faded away. A forerunner of the PCHA was born in the early 1970's, but it was a renegade league. Players looked suspiciously old to be students. Teams entered the league and abruptly disbanded.
Stability has been a missing link. Colleges in the league vary from year to year. As played on the West Coast, hockey is almost like playing pickup games with full checking and officials. Anybody taking 6 units, can play if they make the team. Schools have had their personal code of ethics and regulations. The ice hockey clubs are allowed to exist at the college level because the student body thought they were "cool".
New on the PCHA scene in 1994 was Moorpark College's Hockey Club in a revitalized PCHA. With a Club Membership of 60 students taking 6 units or more, Moorpark finished current season with an 8-0 record, according to Tom Fakehany (Electronic-Mail) the General Manager/Coach of the Program (310 457-4741). "Fielding a team of only 20 hockey skaters per game (3 defensive lines, 4 offensive lines, and 2 goalies) the competition for the starting positions is fierce," he stated. Tryouts for the teams take place in November with the season starting in January and ending in March with a winter break in December and January due to school schedules. The Hockey Club Faculty Advisor at Moorpark College and the Supervisor of Student Activities, (Steve Doyle - Sharon Miller 805 378-1400) are big supporters of the team and can be found at most every home game cheering their students on. The team trainer is Dr. Rick Palmer, DCM (805 371-6144) and the business manager is Jay Wartenberger, (805 583-3367)
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Site Created by Tom E. Fakehany on August 28, 1995