[PHOTOS] An Inside Look at UC’s Club Ice Hockey Program

Just north of the University of Cincinnati campus is the Queen City Sportsplex, an athletic facility that the University of Cincinnati’s club hockey team calls home. Competing in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) without NCAA recognition, the University of Cincinnati’s Club Hockey team proudly wears the red and black on their jerseys.

Led by head coach Chris Crane, the team mirrors the structure of a Division I program, balancing intense training, travel and competition against top-tier club teams. But, unlike NCAA athletes, these players fund their own season, covering expenses through player fees. As defenseman and team treasurer Brad Backston puts it, this player-run style of operating brings about a deeper connection: “Everyone here wants to be here. It builds a community.” From budgeting to driving vans to regional tournaments, the team members handle it all.

With a growing fan base, UC hockey games are electric. Students, parents and local fans fill the stands of the Queen City Sportsplex to the point that if you get up in between periods, your seat will most likely be taken by the time you get back.

Now, with a move to ACHA Division I on the horizon, the Bearcats are ready to take the next step. They may be a club team, but their mission is clear: to represent the University of Cincinnati as one team, with one mission.

Keep scrolling to see the game between the University of Cincinnati club hockey team and the Dayton Flyers on Feb. 7, in which UC came out victorious, beating Dayton 6-0.

Photos by Maylea Salmon