Catholic schools merge hockey into independent team

Friday, Oct. 03, 2014

DRAPER — Juan Diego and Judge Memorial Catholic high schools have combined their varsity and junior varsity hockey teams to form the Independent Catholic Griffins team to play 24 other teams in the Utah High School Hockey league. 

The mascot, a griffin, is a legendary creature with the body, tail and back legs of a lion, and the head and wings of an eagle with eagle talons as its front feet. “It’s the closest thing we could find that resembled a bulldog and an eagle,” the mascots of the two Catholic schools, said Maurice “Moe” van der Sluys, Juan Diego head hockey coach. 

Van der Sluys came up with the idea to merge the teams in January; one reason is because his school has had few hockey players the last few years, he said. He approached Tony Musci, Judge Memorial head hockey coach, with the suggestion. 

“The hockey community is very tight-knit; we’ve all coached together, or coached each other’s players throughout the years,” said van der Sluys.

The Bulldogs were the 3A hockey state champions in 2012 and 2013, but following their second championship, 11 seniors graduated and the team had fewer players, said Musci.

The coaches got the merger approved by their administrations and the Utah High School Hockey board. The new team consists of 13 Judge Memorial players and 13 Juan Diego players, three of whom are girls.

“It’s been a whirlwind,” said Musci. “We had to scramble to get the proposal approved and get the logistics worked out.” 

The coaches’ goal is to provide a meaningful hockey experience for the team, said Musci. “It’s a physical game. It’s difficult to compete, to practice, to learn and to grow, and that isn’t possible when there aren’t enough players. We have to have adequate substitutions so they’re not prone to injury, and one of the difficulties in the sport is learning to skate.”

The team has three coaches from each school: van der Sluys, Davis Mullholland and Frank Conte from Juan Diego; and Musci, Shawn Heckman and Roger Rougelot from Judge Memorial.

“We’re getting to know each other and our way of doing things,” van der Sluys said. “The players are making some strong bonds.” 

The team jersey has both school logos on it: the Judge Memorial Bulldog and the Juan Diego Soaring Eagle.

“In the past we were rivals when we played each other, but we supported each other off the ice,” van der Sluys said.

Merging the two teams has been positive, said Duncan Hickman, team captain and Judge Memorial senior, adding that as a team they find common ground. 

“We started playing hockey together when we were younger; all the hockey players in the state know each other and we’re all friends outside in the community. We have a tradition of praying before each game to Our Lady of Victory,” said Hickman.

“Having the same faith brings us closer,” said Morgan van der Sluys, a Juan Diego senior, who said he is anxious to see what the future holds for this hockey team when it comes time for playoffs.

The hockey season runs from September through February; the regular season will begin Oct. 8. 

A junior hockey team was formed two years ago at Saint Vincent de Paul and Blessed Sacrament middle schools to build the program, said Moe van der Sluys. “UHSH liked the idea and now the league has eight teams,” he said. “It’s open for girls and boys.”