Located 20 miles from the heart of Philadelphia, Bryn Athyn College is a private Christian college with a student body of around 300. Founded in 1877, the college’s picturesque and historic surroundings are largely inspired by the religious group, the General Church of the New Jerusalem. The international seat of this denomination, the Early Gothic style Bryn Athyn Cathedral, opened in 1928, keeps vigil over the college campus.
Related: The ACHA: Trailblazing a Path in College Hockey
Nearly 50 percent of the relatively small population of Bryn Athyn College students are affiliated with an athletic team. There are six men’s teams and seven women’s teams that represent the college in athletic competition. With most of the teams competing at the NCAA Division III level, the Bryn Athyn Lions men’s ice hockey program are members of the Colonial States College Hockey Conference (CSCHC), a division of the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA). Teams competing at this level are typically referred to as “club teams” or collegiate-affiliated non-varsity programs.
Historic College Hockey Program
Dating back to the early 1900s, Bryn Athyn College has had a number of organized hockey teams sporadically suit up for games over the course of the college’s history. Founded in 1967, Bryn Athyn’s current men’s ice hockey program stands as the longest-running sport in the college’s history. A prestigious program that often held a national ranking in college hockey, the Lions were ranked number one in the ACHA Division Three Atlantic Region three seasons in a row, from 2014-15 to 2016-17, and therefore qualified for the National Championship. The team made it to the semifinals, or Frozen Four, during the 2014-15 and 2016-17 seasons in Pelham, Alabama and Columbus, Ohio respectively.
The Bryn Athyn College hockey team transitioned to NCAA Division III varsity status in 2017. With the goal to gain entry to a conference close to home, all hope was crushed as the Lions operated as an “independent team” during its tenure in the ranks of varsity hockey. Their status as an “independent team” led to a variety of issues for student-athletes and college officials, including those associated with player fatigue, class participation, and travel commitments. These factors, coupled with the cancellation of the 2020-21 NCAA Division III varsity hockey season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ultimately led college officials to transition the varsity team to an ACHA-affiliated program prior to the start of the 2021-22 season.
Unique College Hockey Experience at Jungé Pavilion
Since Dec. 3, 1995, every season when the winter weather rolls into southeast Pennsylvania, the Lions relocate their home games from a local indoor rink to the open-air James F. Jungé Pavilion on the campus of Bryn Athyn College. Opened as ANC Pavilion, the venue was later renamed in honor of a long-time college board member and donor. Jungé Pavilion replaced a series of outdoor rinks that the Lions ice hockey team used at the same location prior to 1995. The rink is unique in college hockey because it is housed in an open-air venue, setting the stage for the home team and their opponents to play with crisp, winter air blowing across the ice.
According to head coach Ryan Heickert, members of the Lions squad participate in morning practices that typically start around 6:00 in the morning. The coach explained that this method of training helps to acclimate the players to playing games outdoors in even the coldest winter weather. Heickert recalled evening games that were played in 18-degree weather surrounded by snow. “Some of our players don’t seem to appreciate the early morning practices in the cold weather, but they keep any complaining to a minimum,” Heickert told The Hockey Writers (THW) with a smile.
Heickert has served as head coach for Bryn Athyn since the 2020-21 season. Born and raised in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, Heickert played NCAA Division III varsity hockey at nearby Neumann University. There, the former right wing helped lead the Knights to an NCAA Division III National Championship in 2009. Heickert’s prior coaching experience includes time spent as an assistant coach with his alma mater.
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Salvatore Capone, Bryn Athyn College’s Interim Director of Athletics, serves as Heickert’s assistant coach. Capone joined the Bryn Athyn Athletic Program in 2018 as the Head Athletic Trainer and Strength Coach. He has over 15 years of athletic training and conditioning experience at various levels of hockey, including stops with Neumann University and the North American Hockey League’s (NAHL) Aston Rebels. His son Santino, a freshman forward for the Lions, is one of many student-athletes at the college. According to Capone, these athletes are some of the hockey program’s biggest fans. “We get a ton of support from our student-athletes on game days. The student section at Jungé Pavilion is loud and packed,” Capone told THW.
Those familiar with Pennsylvania winters will likely be surprised to hear that the Lions attract a full house of fans for home games. Despite the at times bitter cold temperatures that make locals yearn for spring, fans and players seem to have an affinity for Jungé Pavilion. “Fans love it. Of course, it can be very cold some nights, but the open-air atmosphere brings something to the fan experience that isn’t replicated. The cold, the fire pit, hot chocolate, coffee, seeing your breath is a unique experience. Looking at the success of the NHL with the Winter Classic and Stadium Series, we do that almost every home game and practice. It is a unique experience that’s hard to put into words,” Heickert told THW.
Heickert explained that visiting players can often be seen wearing winter hats under their helmets during games. Despite donning a few extra layers of clothing under their gear, Capone noted to THW, “We have coaches and players from the other team who come up to Ryan and me after games to thank us for the opportunity to play here.”
Fans are not only treated to outdoor game experiences that were far more common in past times, but organist Dave May also brings the retro sounds and music made popular by the game to fans. May, a former organist for the Philadelphia Flyers, has become a fixture at most home games. May’s son DJ is a senior captain and defenseman with the Lions. “Mr. May brings an old school hockey feel to Jungé Pavilion. Our players, the fans, and the visiting team really enjoy his music throughout the game,” Capone told THW.
Community Rink
When asked how the team and fans feel about having Jungé Pavilion as their home venue, coach Heickert stressed that Jungé Pavilion is not just a college rink, it is a community rink. Several teams from the community play there, including the Academy of the New Church (ANC) Secondary Schools and Bryn Athyn Youth Hockey. “It’s a special place to play. It’s a rink that has a lot of connections and history within the community. Everyone here cares deeply about Jungé Pavilion. There is a huge sense of pride playing at the Jungé. All teams love their home rink but not many teams have a rink that is truly their rink and on campus. That is a unique aspect of Bryn Athyn College and is not lost to the players and fans,” Heickert told THW.
The Bryn Athyn Lions men’s ice hockey team is scheduled to begin play at James F. Jungé Pavilion on Dec. 1, 2023, against conference rival, the University of Pennsylvania.
