Building Character and Winning Championships

by Stephanie Elgin

They are as smooth as the ice they skate on and as fierce as a Cougar should be.  They are the ice hockey team from College of the Canyons.
Recently crowned champions of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA), the Cougars took home the Adam’s Cup for the second year in a row after beating the Matadors of Cal State Northridge in a 6-4 matchup. 
What makes this championship so unique?  “To do anything one time is amazing,” states General Manager Jim Schrage.  “But to be able to win back to back championships is even more amazing.”  Being the only two-year college in the PCHA, the team has about a 50 percent turnover every year.  “We don’t have the luxury or the consistency to our program that most four year colleges we are up against have,” states Jim.  COC is a member of the PCHA, a statewide league and the ACHA (American Collegiate Hockey Association), a national organization.  The Cougars have consistently ranked as one of the top teams in our State, taking first place, twice, and having ranked 5th, 10th and 12th, nationally.  In the nine years of hockey at COC, the Cougars have represented the PCHA four times at Nationals, and in March, they headed to Fort Myers, Florida, to compete once again.
Head Coach John Taferner brings 18 years of hockey experience to the team.  “I started with youth roller hockey, then moved on to club travel teams, and national championships on the ice level,” states John.  “But Jim, the GM of the team, is the real genius of the ice.  If it wasn’t for Jim and his involvement with COC this wouldn’t have happened.”  
Success starts at the top, but it continues with hard work and dedication.  “There’s a saying,” states John, “that athletics does not build character, but rather it reveals it.  And the same goes for our athletes.  We want to build character within each of these kids while pushing them hard to become quicker and better.  We give them responsibilities so they can make decisions for themselves.  Our focus is to get kids to finish college and work towards their degree.  Hockey is just a means to get there.”
And while the 2009-2010 season is coming to a close, a new season is just around the corner.  Tryouts begin in May and the competitive season begins in August.  Home games and practices are at the Ice Station in Valencia.  “We have a no cut policy,” states Jim.  “The kids that come are the kids that we play with.  We play the players equal to the competition, and eventually those dedicated end up staying.  Last year we had 50 players for tryouts and that was the most we’ve ever had.  It takes a long time to be a legitimate entity and I think we reached that level.” 
For more information on the COC Ice Hockey team, visit www.canyonshockey.com