Hadley Bodell
Sports Editor
Many students and staff are unaware that Idaho State University has a hockey team, let alone the details of their season, recruitment, start-up, and culture. I talked with head coach Shawn Gardener to get all the details on the hockey team’s first season.
It all started with Dusty Gardener, a hockey player from BYU in Provo, Utah, who transferred to ISU and wanted to make a team. He started talking with coaches and players over a year and a half ago, and finally, in September of 2023, the ISU Hockey Team was officially underway.
Dusty came to Coach Gardener asking him to coach the Bengals’ team, and it was such an exciting opportunity that Gardener came out of retirement for it. But it hasn’t been easy. Starting a team is no small task and the commitment and dedication of these players to make Bengal Hockey a special organization has led them to victories on and off the ice in their first season.
Coach Gardener said, “The biggest difficulty of our first season is that we’re doing this with 12 skaters and two goalies. A normal hockey team has 20 skaters. We’re going against these teams with half as many guys.” He explained their first games didn’t go quite as planned. Their first match was against Weber State, who were ranked third in the west, and they stomped all over the Bengals. Besides the team from Wyoming, every conference game has been against ranked teams, and ISU saw no victories.
The head coach also commented the boys played very well against Boise State, but they just “ran out of legs.” The ISU players may be just as talented as the BSU players, but with only 12 boys on the squad, they get tired quickly without any subs. Every game has gotten better and better for the team. Gardener mentioned their three games against Utah Valley University progressively got closer in score, but more importantly, the team chemistry and skating techniques improved.
The coaching staff is currently recruiting for their upcoming season, as they have to bulk up the roster as soon as possible. The team has already found one current ISU student who simply didn’t know there was a hockey team here. They’re also scouting high school players and junior league athletes who are aging out and looking to play at the college level.
While there have been lows of the season with losses and a small squad, there have been irreplaceable highs. Gardener explained the biggest accomplishment of the season has been the team unity. Gardener said, “Everybody has got to come together as a team if we want to win any games. Nobody gets on each other in the locker room, and we deal with it if there are issues.” He emphasized these are the most dedicated and one-minded boys he’s coached in his career. In an interview with all the players, over 75% of them stated the biggest accomplishment of their season was getting a team on the ice. It started as a dream and an idea for Dusty, and now there’s an incredibly passionate group of players out on the ice every week representing Idaho State.
Coach Gardener said, “If you’re divided in the locker room, you’re divided on the ice,” and I couldn’t agree more. Watch an ISU hockey game, and you’ll be able to tell yourself how committed these athletes are to each other. The high-fives, the hugs, and the cheers from teammates make it obvious these boys support each other on and off the ice.
The coach explained after team unity, their biggest focus is work ethic. He tells the team they’ll never lose when they’re focused on getting better themselves and supporting one another. “The score might not show it, but we’ll never lose; there’s a fine line between losing and getting beat.”
Another important part of the ISU hockey team is their venue, which is in Idaho Falls at the Mountain America Center. This means community members and students must travel to Idaho Falls to attend games. However, Gardener said they’ve had a decent turnout all season, averaging about 300 fans per game.
While the center is beautiful and provides an incredible game atmosphere, Coach Gardener says his goal is to build a rink in Pocatello that could hold 2000 people and provide a home for the Bengals. He explained that right now, the focus is on building the team, as he needs another 8-10 players before the next season starts in September.
He said, “Once you get through those growing pains, the committee would start to work on getting support from the community to build a venue in Pocatello.” He mentioned the venue would not only provide a place for the Bengals’ hockey team to practice and play games, but the community of Pocatello could enjoy the rink recreationally, and the junior hockey scene could be revived.
Coach Gardener also told me his favorite parts of hockey, and how important it is that ISU keeps its’ hockey team on the ice for years to come, “Some of these guys, the only reason they’re at college is so they can play hockey. It gives them the opportunity for a higher education, they get to do what they love and do it for their school.”
He explained he was surprised at how much Bengal pride this team carries. Once they put on those ISU uniforms, they are out there doing their best and leaving it all on the ice for their school. Part of this comes from the fan base and the electric atmosphere the crowd gives the games. He says the team gains momentum and energy when the crowd roars for them, and it goes both ways. At away games, the crowd going crazy for the other team also provides the energy the Bengals thrive on.
When asked what the one thing he wants students to know about their program and the hockey team, head coach Gardener stated, “Hockey is the best sport to watch live. If students haven’t seen a live hockey game, they need to come out and watch a live game.” He also wants students to know it’s important to reach out if they are interested in playing for the team. They can email the coaches at moc.liamgnull@yekcohslagnebusi or reach out by phone at 208-206-2471.
The ISU hockey team has their last home game of the season on February 17th against the University of Idaho at the Mountain America Center in Idaho Falls. Tickets are $10 and half-price for ISU students! Make sure to come out and support your Bengal skaters before the season ends!
