BY RANDY SCHULTZ –
It is hard to believe that a year has gone by since the Hilbert College Athletic Department announced that they would be forming a D-III women’s hockey team that would begin play in the Fall of 2022.
But here it is, Fall of 2022, and the Hilbert Hawks women’s hockey team is in full swing. Quite an accomplishment considering the fact that a head coach wasn’t hired until late December, 2021.
For the ice Hawks head coach, Cole Klubek, it has been a very fast paced year in preparing for the 2022-23 hockey season. There certainly wasn’t a lot of time to recruit players and put together a new hockey program.
Why would you jump into a situation like this, especially considering the fact that he left a job as Hockey Director at Kendall Ice Arena in Miami, Florida?
“It was a chance for me to come home,” replied Klubek, a graduate of Hamburg High School. “To be around family, a family I love.
“My mom has already seen me coach a game here in Buffalo. It was the first time in 15 years I’ve had my mom at a hockey game, so that’s a special meaning for me right there.”
Prior to his job in Miami, Klubek, a U.S. Air Force Veteran, was head coach of the Laramie Outlaws (14U) team in Laramie, Wyoming.
But coming to Hilbert College offered a bit of a challenge. After all, Klubek was creating something out of nothing. He was creating a hockey team from scratch.
“This was not a job for the faint of heart,” commented Klubek, who also had head coaching positions with youth hockey in Shreveport, LA, a coach with the Mississippi State University Ice Hockey program and a head coaching job with a pro women’s hockey team in Germany (Maddogs Mannheim). “It’s a lot of long, sleepless nights.
“But to see this team play it’s first game at home, 10 months and 14 days in the making, they came out and performed. This was after just four days of practice.
“The players performed at a high level. It’s exciting to watch.”
What does the head coach of this Hilbert Hawks hockey team see for the upcoming season with this team?
“What I see is in the locker room, where I see players who care about each other,” remarked Klubek, who served a tour of duty in Iraq, among other places he was stationed during his time in the Air Force. “You can’t build for the future without having good locker room chemistry.
“The results on the ice will come. But it first has to start in the locker room.”
How did Klubek build this team?
“I built from the backend out, meaning that I began with goaltending,” answered Klubek. “The first two weeks I had the job with Hilbert I never even talked with a forward or defender.
“It was all goaltending. I knew I would have to have good goaltending to be competitive.
“From there we built our defenders and then forwards. I have players from Sweden, Pennsylvania, California. We went all over to get these good players.
“My official start date was January 1st. This was well after the typical recruiting cycle. I was travelling a lot.
“The internet is a great tool to use, especially with recruiting web sites. I also used word of mouth from friends and connections I have.”
Hilbert is currently carrying 13 players on their roster. They include: Mia Bouchard, Kirsten Kyte, Cadence Pounds, Jacqueline Alaburda, Kayla Myers, Abby MacNeil.
Abby Dawson, Courtney Wesolowski, Caitlin Conrad, Taylor Loretto, Cassie Troy, Jewely Monford and Tia Card.
“The team was built around everybody,” said Klubek. “Not just one or two players.”
The Hawks head hockey coach also appreciates the support the college has given his team, from the administration right down to the students themselves.
“We’ve already had administrators, teachers, other coaches and students at our games,” commented Klubek. “I just want to give these players the best experience they can have.
“They deserve it.”
(Photos by Janet Schultz Photography/NY Hockey OnLine)
