Overview of URI Hockey - 2023
The University of Rhode Island Men’s hockey program dates to 1950. Most recently, the team has been guided by head coach Joe Augustine who took the reins of the program back in the 1989 season and hasn’t looked back leading the program to 28 straight winning seasons. He registered his 600th career win at URI on Oct 27th, 2017 and coached in his 1000th career game on Jan 20th, 2019. Coach Augustine achieved the 700 win milestone against Drexel in a 4-3 win at ESCHL Playoffs in Feb of 2023. With the storied and winning history of the program there have been many milestones and championships celebrated throughout the years and many players that have been a part of this storied program. The current team looks to continue these traditions and history of winning under Joe Augustine (700-344-74) as he enters his 34th season at the helm.
The hockey program at URI started up in 1950 and has had a long and storied history of winning. The program regained momentum in the 1975-76 season under Professor Connie Hill. In 1980 Jim McCarthy took over the program leading them to two winning seasons. Coach Tom Macari then arrived as the new coach in the 1982-83 season. Led by Coach Macari through the 1982 to 1988 seasons the team accumulated 72 wins 38 losses and 7 ties. The program was then taken over by Coach Peltier for the 1988-89 season after Coach Macari became ill, the team went on to a 17 win 4 loss and 3 tie season. After the 1988-89 season a new era began when Coach Joe Augustine took over the program in 1989 and since then he’s taken the program to 11 ACHA national championships including a National Championship in 2006, 6 conference playoff championships and 3 conference regular season championships. With the team having so much success in 30 of 31 winning seasons, Coach Augustine is the current active wins leader as a coach in the ACHA and has taken the program to historic heights.
Throughout the history of the URI men’s hockey program many different players have given their all and sacrificed for the school. Before the Boss Arena was built on URI campus in 2003, the team had to travel off campus up to Warwick, RI where they played home games and practices at the West Warwick Civic Center. With support from the University most of the program has been funded privately through alumni donations and player fees. The biggest supporter of the program has been Brad Boss, alumni of the 1955 team, who continually has supported the team where the arena is named after. This NCAA Division I facility is walking distance to all URI facilities and contains top notch locker and weight room to rival if not surpass many other varsity programs. The team practices 4 times a week in the afternoon after classes.
Many people have come through the hockey program since it’s resurgence in 1975. The URI hockey program has become one of the most storied programs in the ACHA and some players have been able to continue their hockey careers beyond URI in leagues across North America and Europe. Seven former players have gone on to professional status, Jon Jolls ’90 (East Coast Hockey League), Rob Mencunas ‘95(East Coast Hockey League), Billy McKiernan ’07 (Irish Hockey League), Eric Hogberg ’07 (Irish League Hockey), Derrick Douglas ’07 (East Coast Hockey League), Joe Spagnola (Federal Hockey League) and Ray Boudiette ’16 and ‘19 (Southern Professional Hockey League). The team has also had many players who received many ACHA national awards and every year there is the Brad Boss award given out to the team MVP, the Thomas A Macari award given out to the player who best personifies Coach Macari’s exemplified courage, dedication and the will to succeed, the Jim Allenson Memorial Award that goes to the unsung player of the year, the Art Tuveson Award goes to the team members who have shown the best leadership over the course of a season, and the Brandon Kape Award is given out to team members who best exemplify inspirational qualities as a leader.
This past season, the team was able to complete a 36 games season with an overall record of 25-9-1. This was the 17th time in its history that the program won at least 20 games. The 2022-2023 roster is made up of 31 players from across the country. The team consists of 3 goalies, 12 defensemen and 16 forwards. The team is made up of 10 players from Rhode Island, 6 from Massachusetts, 6 from New York, 2, from New Jersey, 3 from Connecticut and 1 from Maryland, Georgia, California and Pennsylvania. The ages of the team members range from 18 to 24 with many coming from junior hockey, prep schools, other colleges and high schools. The roster is spread out between 7 freshmen, 11 sophomores, 4 juniors, and 9 seniors.
The team competes nationally in the ACHA and in the ESCHL conference. The ACHA or American Collegiate Hockey Association founded in 1991 is a chartered non-profit corporation that is the national governing body of club or varsity college ice hockey in the United States. The organization provides structure, regulations, promotes the quality of play, sponsors National Awards and National Tournaments. The ACHA currently has three men's and two women's divisions and includes approximately 500 teams from across the United States. Teams offer no athletic scholarships and typically receive far less university funding. The ACHA offers an opportunity for college hockey programs that struggle with large budgets and Title IX issues, as an alternative to the NCAA financial structure. Sometimes, NCAA and ACHA teams will compete against one another.
The ESCHL is considered the premier conference on the east coast with teams from Syracuse University, New York University, Stony Brook University, University of Delaware, Pittsburg University, Niagara University and Drexel University. Every team in the ESCHL plays up to 4 games against each other which make for some intense rivalries. Outside of the ESCHL, URI competes against teams from all over the country from Arizona to Illinois, to the east coast.
URI has a great mixture of athletics and academics. I would highly recommend that you come for a visit and see the campus and facilities for yourself. I guarantee the school will impress you after you see it.
