Arcadia’ Koelzer Proud of Her Team’s Success—And Not Just on the Ice

The 14 women who helped launch the Arcadia women’s hockey program three seasons ago have accomplished a lot on the ice as their four-year record of 57-39-6 attests, including 19-3-3 this season. On Saturday the Knights will host Lebanon Valley in a Middle Atlantic Conference game; the winner will play for an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III women’s tournament next week.

Head coach Kelsey Koelzer is justifiably proud of all this. She sensed early on that her first recruiting class was capable of doing some remarkable things.

“Obviously, you never quite know fully what success you’re going to have year over year based sometimes on how your opponents fare year over year as well,” she said.

“But, I think the success we were able to find even within that first year (when the Knight finished 10-15-1, their only losing season) kind of gave me an inkling what the next three years were going to provide.

“I think each year as the team has grown older, we’ve been able to evolve and move past some of those milestones that have tripped us up in the past. A lot of that comes from maturity and experience.

“So, I think when you’re thinking about increased success, some of that is naturally going to come with your team growing together and going through different hardships, which we’ve definitely faced over our first three years.

“But I think it’s also a testament to the mindset that our team, has. I think that goes a really long way because you can’t be complacent with where you’re at, go through it thinking ‘Our experience is going to help us continue to achieve success.’ But our team has really put in the work”

“I think had you asked me at any point if we’d be 19-3-3 in our fourth season, that’s definitely a surprise, having a record that strong. But I 100 percent anticipated dour team having success within those first four years and I’m just happy the seniors have been able to bare winless to the hard work they’ve put in and have some of that success.”

The fact that Koelzer has been able to attract players who were willing and able to accept the challenge that come with being part a new program has contributed significantly to the Knights’ success.

“Every single year we’ve looked to bring in players that are going to continue to push everyone,” she said, “but also fit seamlessly and be able to fit in with the mindset that that inaugural class set forth and be able to kind of commit them and their hard work.”

Koelzer spoke to how the Class of 2025 has evolved as hockey players over the course of their careers.

“They’ve done an absolutely incredible job and kept coming together as a group,” she said. That’ something they stressed early on, celebrting each other’s strengths and pushing each other through their weaknesses and finding ways to compliment each other on the ice and off the ice.

“Every year when you add new people into the mix, there’s an adjustment period to kind of figure that out but every single year what has helped a ton is this team’s ability to settle in with “What are those roles that every individual cam play and how can we play them to our best?’ They’ve really understood that, especially this year and worked to find what those best combinations are are and ‘How can I help the team in every single way, even if I’m playing a different role than I was last year or the year before?”

As pleased as she is with the quality of her program on the ice, Koelzer is particularly proud of how her player have evolved away from the ice.

“As individuals, I’ve seem so much growth in every single one of them,” she said. “A lot of them have been through a lot when it comes to learning who they are off the ice and what their goals and aspirations are long term for their lives.It’s been awesome to see how transformative these four years have been for them off the ice.

“So many of them have such big and lofty goals and they now have that confidence to continue pushing forward and achieve those goals and that’s obviously I think what I’m” most proud of.

When you look at the culmination of being a student-athlete over these four years its making sure that these girls feel prepared when they leave Arcadia and are no longer college athletes but are members of society that are going to contribute positively and I know every single one of them is going to do that.

“It’s been awesome just to see their growth off the ice these four years. It’s just been absolutely incredible.”

The multifaceted success of the Knights on the ice and in the classroom over the past four seasons sends a powerful message re; female empowerment.

“Every single one of our girls has aspirations to do big things,” Koelzer said. Even within traditionally I would say male dominated fields. Whether its STEM, forensic science, or within the medical fields. We have some that want to be lawyers. Girls that want to work within the sports industry.

All of those have been traditionally considered male dominant fields and it’s awesome to see they have never once hesitated in regards to having the confidence to pursue those dreams and the goals. It’s a huge step for female empowerment, absolutely.”

Arcadia’s Ryan Heickert’s Take on Recruiting

Most high-school hockey players envision playing at a higher level after graduation. But what does it take to get there?

Arcadia head coach Ryan Heickert has some thought on the subject.

In his first season behind the bench Heickert has the Knights in contention for a Middle Atlantic Conference playoff spot heading into their regular-season finale at Stevenson on Friday. A win would qualify them for postseason play for the second time in the program’s four-year history. The first was in 2023 when Arcadia was part of the United Collegiate Hockey Conference.

Heickert himself played for an NCAA Division III national championship team at Neumann University and was an assistant coach at his alma mater before spending three years as the head coach at Bryn Athyn College.

Earning a spot on an NCAA roster is a major accomplishment for a hockey player. At the start of the 2024-25 season there 60 NCAA Division I men’s hockey teams, seven at Division II and 81 at Division III.

(By comparison, there are 352 NCAA men’s basketball programs in Division I and nine more in the process of transitioning to that level.)

By any measure, those players skating for an NCAA team, whatever the level, are part of an elite group.

“The level of plyaer that’s playing Division III hockey I very high,” Heickert says. “Just by sheer numbers. And the amount of kids playing D-III that get an opportunity to play some level of pro hockey is very good.”

Heickert shared his thoughts about the recruiting process and how he evaluates prospects, with Hockey Happenings.

“We watch them play,” he said. “We get to talk to them, we talk to coaches, talk to advisors and try to find the right character person first; that’s really important for us.

“And the education piece is very important. I don’t want to be chasing around students, begging them to go to class and worrying about GPAs.”

Heickert is quick to point out that the caliber of play in junior and Division III hockey has improved substantially from his playing days. He was asked what sets a player apart on the ice.

“Skating ability and a level of [competitiveness]really stands out for me if we’re talking about on- ice stuff,” he said.

All these kids are so skilled and can shoot a puck. All that stuff is all beyond what it was when I played D-III hockey.”

Regardless of how skilled a player may be however, stepping up to the NCAA level requires making a series of adjustment, notably in the area of ice time. A player who might have been playing on the number-one line and/or the power play at another level might be on the fourth line or killing penalties at the start of his collegiate career. The ability to make that sort of transition is critical to a player’s development.

“It’s huge,” Heickert said. “And I don’t think anyone is batting a thousand when it comes to recruiting. We do our best. I try to have a real open and honest conversation with anyone I’m talking to about recruiting. I had a conversation with a young man {recently} and I asked him, ‘What are your factors when you’re looking at schools?’”

“One of the things was how much he’s going to play. And I had to remind him I’m not recruiting someone I think I going to sit in the stands but I can’t guarantee ice time That has to be earned.”

The fact that most players play junior hockey before going on to college make the transition process unique.

“I think people forget what it’s like to step in,” Heickert said. “It’s a big jump and they forget that. And they forget that {a college team} is a team full of kids that played in the junior league they’re playing in currently but are now three years older than they are with three more years of experience at a higher level.

I think it can be a mental struggle. But I think it’s having conversations and letting them know ‘The expectation as a freshman is to play every game. That should be the goal. Just get in the lineup. Find a role. And then, build from there.”

Heickert Approaching Arcadia Debut

The Arcadia University men’s hockey program has begun a new chapter in its history with the debut of a new head coach.

Ryan Heickert will be behind the bench when the Knights open the 2024-25 season at Western New England in Springfield, Mass. on November 1 as part of the Western New England Showcase.

Heickert takes over at Arcadia after three seasons as the head coach at Bryn Athyn College. The Oshawa, Ontario native played college hockey at what was then Neumann College (now Neumann University) and played for a national championship team in 2009.

He spent three years as an assistant coach at his alma mater before stepping away from on-ice duties but continued to serve as Neumann’s strength and conditioning coach.

Heickert spoke to what made the Arcadia position appealing.

“Being on the Philly area is great,” he said. “This is where I’ve been since I played at Neumann. Not having to relocate and have the opportunity to coach [at the NCAA level].

“And secondly is it being a newer program that is still trying to I think establish an identity and get its footing in in Division III hockey and the ability to step in and be a part of that is exciting.”

Heickert takes over the Arcadia program as it begins its fourth season. It’s the first season the Middle Atlantic Conference will have an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. As part of that transition, Arcadia has ended its affiliation with the United Collegiate Hockey Conference.

“It’s fantastic,” Heickert said of the new alignment. “Having an opportunity to step into a conference with an automatic qualifier and then getting back into the MAC and competing against some of the other schools that the other sports on campus are. And then travel-wise, it’s just fantastic regularly competing against so many local teams. It’s great.

Heickert spoke to how his years at Neumann as a player and coach shaped his own coaching philosophy.

“They were a team that hadn’t had much success,” he recalls. “I had some great coaches there and some great teammates, and I think what we want to shape here is the culture and I think they have thing going in the right direction.

“We have a lot of great guys on this team and I think what we can do is create an identity and a culture through hard work, teamwork, connecting with our community, connecting with the school, connecting with each other and building something that way.

The Knights have compiled a record of 18-51-7 through their first three seasons.

Heickert says his recruiting efforts will emphasize finding players that fit the program as people as well as hockey players.

It’s a lot of getting the road,” he said. “Watching video, watching how guys play but then outside of that talking with their coaches talking with their GMs getting to know how they interact with their teammates and then getting to know them. Making sure they’re going to fit what we want and fit that culture.”

• Arcadia’s first seven games are on the road. The Knights’ home opener is set for November 21 against Stevenson.