Digger hockey team to kick off 33-game season full of special community events in September
Montana Tech’s Oredigger Hockey returns to the ice on September 13 in Provo, Utah to kick off their first American Collegiate Hockey Association Division II season in four years. The return to division play comes after the Hockey Club was revived last year, and the Diggers won several exhibition games against the local adult league team as well as Idaho State.
“The turnout for those games was wild,” Head Coach Dave Rathgeber said. “It was probably record attendance for one game. I think the community as a whole has embraced that Montana Tech hockey is back.”
The Montana Tech Orediggers were members of the American Collegiate Hockey Association Division 2 from 2013-2020. The pandemic sent Canadian players home unexpectedly, and it took a few years to bring the game back to campus. For the first year back in the division, the hockey team will be ineligible for regional or national tournaments, but Rathgeber says the team is going to play its 14 home and 19 away games like there is a championship on the line.
“We want to rank high enough to be considered for the regional tournament, even if we aren’t eligible,” Rathgeber said.
The team recruited members at the Capper Hockey Services ACHA Showcase in Las Vegas in June and picked up a few commits during the event – an uncommon practice, but a testament to Montana Tech’s strong presence at the showcase.
“Generally, the committing happens days to weeks after the showcase takes place,” Rathgeber said.“ Players often look at multiple colleges, and decide what is the best fit. To have multiple players commit for not only this year, but also next season shows that Montana Tech truly is a desirable place to get a degree.”
The team has planned a season full of action and community involvement. The Orediggers will don commemorative pink jerseys at the Oct. 25 game to promote breast cancer awareness, thanks to the generosity of a donor who sponsored the apparel. The jerseys will be auctioned off after the game, with 100% of the funds raised being donated to a local cancer charity.
The team will also have a home game on Halloween, which is scheduled an hour earlier than usual to allow folks to also attend holiday events.
“It’s going to be a fun season,” Rathgeber said. “We want to make sure our community involvement is strong. We want to give back to the community as much as they support us.”
The return of the team was made possible through the cooperation of many individuals. The team presented Chancellor Les Cook, Vice Provost and Dean of Students Joe Cooper, and Athletic Director Matt Stepan with honorary jerseys at team orientation because all three administrators were instrumental in bringing the team back to campus. The team has also planned meet and greets with the public at businesses like Bretz RV and Les Schwab who made substantial donations.
“This isn’t something we can do on our own – our local sponsors, along with the encouragement and assistance from the ASMT have been key factors in getting this up off the ground,” Rathegeber said.
In order to get back into division play, the team needed to purchase new jerseys, helmets, and other equipment. While each team member pays $1,500 to play on the team, the team still needs to bring in $50,000-$60,000 every year to fund travel and ice time. Last year ASMT provided the team with nearly $10,000 to assist with ice fees and to pay for new helmets.
“We’re always looking for donations,” Rathegeber said.
The team will run the beer garden at the Copper Game on Aug. 29 to earn a portion of the proceeds. The first big team fundraiser of the season will be September 20 when the Orediggers hold an alumni game. A golf tournament will be held at Old Works Golf Course the next morning on September 21.
The full schedule of games, team information sessions, upcoming events, fan jersey preorder, and the latest recruitment announcements can be found at https://montanatechhockey.com/.
Additionally, you can follow the team on their active social media accounts:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MTechHockey
Instagram: @mtechhockey
If you would like to donate or sponsor the Diggers for the upcoming season, please visit: