WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. — When USF hockey hits the ice, it’s always intense. President Dylan Hultberg said you can expect to see players bringing their all.
“It’s very competitive, we play other teams in Florida: FAU, UCF, UT, Miami, and really it’s all-out all the time,” he said.
What You Need To Know
- USF Ice Hockey is a club sport with students driving the program’s success
- In 2020, the pandemic wiped out their season, but since then, they’ve had record turnouts for tryouts
- AdventHealth Center Ice in Wesley Chapel is now the official home of the Bulls
They may be a club team, but these athletes are extremely dedicated. It takes countless hours, and all the gear adds up to thousands of dollars.
Hultberg says the program has evolved in its 34 years.
“We actually started this club in 1989. It’s been just about a little over 30 years,” Hultberg said. “In that span, we’ve moved rinks, we’ve been shut down a few times.”
In 2020, the pandemic wiped out their season, but since then, they’ve had record turnouts for tryouts.
“Overall in the last couple of years, Florida hockey has absolutely shot up. We’ve seen a lot more college players, we’ve seen a lot of high-end junior players come out of Florida, we’ve seen a few kids out of Florida go to the NHL,” Hultberg said.
The growth of hockey in Florida has boosted the Ice Bulls, but so has their home rink.
After years of not having a place to call their own, AdventHealth Center Ice is the official home of the Bulls.
“We have an on-ice logo, we have banners set up, we have video boards playing back some of our in-game situations, we also have signage up from letting everyone know that AdventHealth Center ice is the home of USF hockey,” said Hultberg.
It has increased awareness about USF hockey, and it’s attracted up-and-coming players.
“Youth teams that are really looking and say, ‘Hey, where can I go to college and play hockey?’ Well, it’s USF now, so that’s really cool,” Hultberg said.
In the last five years, the popularity of the team has grown, as evidenced by the full stands on game night.
“Average turnout (is) probably 1,000 to 1,500 for the most part, especially for our rivalry games, we’ve got plenty of fans who come out,” said Hultberg.
The Ice Bulls have a history of winning — they’ve made 11 postseason appearances. This season, they’re setting out to bring home the national title.
“You can expect a game, that’s for sure,” said Hultberg. “A lot of hitting, shots on net. The last game we put up 10 goals, I don’t know if that’ll happen again, but we’ll have to wait and see.”
