ACHA Team Spotlight - Eastern Kentucky University

ACHA Team Spotlight – Eastern Kentucky University
 
 
Name of School: Eastern Kentucky University
Location: Richmond, KY
Enrollment: 13,000
ACHA Level: 3
Conference/League Affiliation: Independent
 
Head Coach: Dr. Joel Cormier
Assistant Coach: Duane Muhsman
 
Best Way for Players to Reach Out :
Dr. Joel Cormier -508-868-0885 (Cell) joel.cormier@eku.edu
 
Other Support Staff: Andrew Hershman (Scout) 812-470-6656
 
Last Year's Record/Ranking: 12-8-1
Players Lost/Returning: 5/15
Roster Size (generally): 20
Region Where Most Players Come From: Midwest
 
Cost to Player to Play: $2,000
Equipment or Gear Provided: Jerseys
 
Number of Games on Schedule: 24-28
Big-name or Ranked Programs on Schedule: Kentucky, Tennessee
First Practice Date: September 1st
First Game Date: Mid-September
Regular-season End Date: Mid-February
 
Practices Per Week & General Times of Practices? 
Twice per week – moving to an afternoon slot in 2020-21
 
Games Per Week & General Times of Games? 
2 games per week. Friday night = Midnight Madness (sellout)
 
Film Sessions Per Week if Any: 1
 
Other Team Commitments: 
Study Hall, FERPA agreement to coach, team management duties (elected)
 
Team Locker Room for Equipment Storage?: Shared locker in team colors with a separate ventilated storage room at rink
 
Number of Home vs. Road Games: 50/50
Number of Overnight Trips Per Season: 3-4:
 
What the School is Known for Academically:
Criminal Justice, Fire and Safety, Aviation, Nursing, Sport Management
 
Typical Test Scores/GPA Needed: 2.0
Campus Location (urban, city, etc.): Suburban/rural
Class Sizes: 17:1 Student to Faculty ratio
 
Program Philosophy:
EKU Hockey is coming off our fourth winning seasons in five years in 2019-2020. While EKU continues not to be an NCAA varsity team (no athletic scholarships available, but we do offer Michigan students SMART tuition rates – see link below), we are at least able to try to provide that same varsity experience to athletes in the program.
 
We practice twice a week have access to a gym for two dryland sessions per week, classrooms and exercise facilities. We also have full access to the same sport-science training staff and facilities as our NCAA Division I athletes. With our sport management students needing experience administering and managing sport programs, we also have a full slate of graduate students who market and sell our program.
 
Yearly Performance Goals:
Winning season during which our players grow on and off the ice.
 
How is the team supported on campus by students and fans?
 
Campus Newspaper Story:
 
Practice and off-ice facilities, locations and transportation provided or required:
New campus recreation facility on campus that has an indoor training center.
 
Characteristics of Recruited Players:
A player who can compete in all areas of the ice who still has motivation to improve on and off the ice.
 
What is important to know about the program's history and what might lie ahead?
The EKU hockey team had a coaching change in August of 2013. Overcoming many challenges, we have constantly improved in three seasons from 0-18 (where the season ended due to lack of players prior to my arrival) to our three winning seasons in a row. Those seasons featured two big wins over Kentucky and losses in the Indiana College Hockey Conference final. With budget cutbacks and other issues, EKU switched to an independent in 2019, and we are looking at joining the SEC in 2021-22.
 
Financial Aid Info:
 
 
Other Program Details:
Coach Joel Cormier is a three-time provincial champion ice hockey coach in Canada and holder of the Canadian Hockey Association Advanced I Coaching Certificate as well as a Master’s Degree in Coaching Studies from Central Michigan University.
 
While pursuing his Ph.D. at the University of New Mexico, he guided the UNM Ice Wolves in 2006 to an 18-6-2 record and a Southwest Showdown Tournament Championship in Dallas. Prior to his time at UNM he won the provincial and Atlantic Canadian Regional championships with the Pownal Midget AAA Red Devils in 2004.
 
Coach Cormier also spent some time coaching in Saskatchewan with a resume that includes a Queen City League Championship with the Regina Bantam AA Hawks in 2002 and league and provincial championship with the Notre Dame Bantam AA Hounds in 1999.
 
His first experience as a coach came as a young assistant, winning a provincial championship leading to an appearance in the Air Canada Cup Midget Championships with the Charlottetown Midget AAA Abbies in 1997. He also coached Midget AAA hockey in Saskatchewan, where NHL goalie Curtis McElhinney played for him, and in the Central Junior A Hockey League in Ottawa as well as at the NCAA Division III level with Nichols College.