Now that we can officially call to close the 2023-2024 Penn Hockey season, it’s fair to say it was another season to be proud of! The Quakers finished the season with an overall record of 16-7, winning their third consecutive Colonial States College Hockey Conference (CSCHC) title by defeating the Millersville Marauders 12-5 at the Class of 1923 Arena. With this win, the Quakers advanced to the southeast regional tournament for the third consecutive year. The team continued to showcase their skill and hard work by defeating #7 University of North Carolina 8-6 in the first round of the tournament. Unfortunately, their journey was cut short as they would fall to eventual National Champions Indiana University in the semi-finals. After it was all said and done, the Quakers finished the season ranked 10th in the region, a great accomplishment.
One of the many highlights of the season was the team’s ability to generate offense. The Quakers finished the season averaging over five goals per game, with three players averaging more than two points per game: Ethan Abraham, Assistant Captain Calvin Aliferov, and Spencer Touhy, respectively leading the league by over a half a point per game. Another bright spot for the team this season was our penalty kill. With a penalty kill percentage of 85%, the Quakers defense anchored by Captain Dhruv Raman and Assistant Captain Aidan Armaly, earned one of the best penalty kills in the league. Another key component to this team’s success this season was solid goaltending. Jack Averill, supported by his teammate Reagan O’Neil, provided stability in between the pipes day in and day out, a luxury other teams in the league weren’t as fortunate to have. This made a big difference down the stretch.
With a team as talented as the Quakers had this season, several awards and accolades were bound to come our way. Calvin Aliferov was named MVP for the Colonial States League, the first time a Penn Hockey player has been awarded this honor. Freshman Chris Bugliosi was awarded MVP of the CSCHC playoffs. Additionally, Ethan Abraham and Aidan Armaly were both selected as members of the CSCHC 1st Team All-Stars. Abraham was also named as a member of the ACHA All American Southeast Third Team, selected from a pool of over one thousand players, truly an amazing accomplishment.
The Quakers’ success owes much to the dedicated seniors who relentlessly battled day in and day out, leaving a lasting impact and setting the tone for the program. The program greatly appreciates all the time and effort put in by Calvin Aliferov, Spencer Touhy, Ethan Abraham, Dhruv Raman, Shane Better, and Zach Qian.
Next season, the team anticipates being in a great position to compete for more championships, bolstered by a talented group of young players and strong goaltending.
The Quakers look forward to what the 2024/25 season has in store. We look forward to seeing you all at the Class of 1923 Arena next season for another season of Penn Hockey. Go Quakers!