The NC State club ice hockey team has enjoyed recent success with three consecutive ACC regular season titles and an increasing participation level. As part of an effort to further its success even more, it will have a newly renovated locker room at Raleigh IcePlex, made possible by a GoFundMe project that raised more than $6,000.
According to senior captain Garret Sunda, this will help grow the program even more.
“People have been able to see us develop as a program over the last couple years,” Sunda said. “We’ve come a long way and become a more prominent organization over the last couple years. People have more trust in where their money’s going to and that it’s benefitting a program that’s going to be around for a while and continue to grow.”
After talking with the rink managers at IcePlex, Sunda received permission to renovate the home locker room, adding space for players to store their equipment, among other upgrades. He cited the fact that players would previously have to leave their equipment in their cars or residence halls as motivation for the new project.
“It will definitely provide a lot of convenience for our players,” Sunda said. “Being able to leave their equipment at the rink makes life a lot easier for our guys. They don’t have to worry about storing it or not being able to let it dry between practices, so it adds a little convenience for sure.”
The team also believes the new locker room will help its participation even further.
“I think it definitely helps with recruits as well,” said Chris Wing, a sophomore studying sports management. “Seeing a locker room, which is something that other teams around us don’t have, is pretty nice. I think it encourages people to play for us.”
The locker room renovation is currently underway, and the team hopes to have it completed by mid-October. Additions include new equipment stalls, new flooring, repainted walls and improved plumbing and electricity. Members of the team have done most of the labor themselves, with the exception of the plumbing and electricity, which require licensure. They have spent many weekends and weeknights at the IcePlex working hard to finish the project as early into the upcoming season as possible so they can use the new space.
Regular season ACC champions in 2014, the team is hoping to have an even more successful season in 2015. Opening the season at home against Wake Forest on Sept. 19, the team has its sights set on winning the ACC tournament in February. After losing seven seniors, the team held tryouts on Aug. 25 and Aug. 27 and added at least seven new players, including four new seniors, raising the team roster to 27 total players.
The new locker room gives the players a lot to look forward to.
“I’m pretty excited, I’ll have it for the next three years,” Wing said. “I’m excited to have most of my hockey experience at State in this locker room.”
Sunda views the new locker room as a big part of his legacy with the team.
“For me as a senior, it will be really nice to be able to leave something behind as I graduate,” Sunda said. “It will be nice to have contributed something to the organization that will be around for years to come.”
