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First and foremost, the 49ers truly appreciate the support from loyal fans and private sponsors. Without their effort, hockey at UNC Charlotte would not exist.
The UNC Charlotte hockey program began in 2003, with three Niners who shared the dream of playing hockey at the collegiate level. Maureen Mulhall, general manager of a local skating rink, introduced transferring juniors Alan Morgan and Daniel Porter to rising senior Justin Visconti. The group tracked down
Jason Lynch, a freshman, to play in net.
Dr. David Spano, was new to campus after relocating his family from
New York over the summer to become the Counseling Center Director. Dr. Spano was looking for a hockey outlet, and was a perfect fit to become the Faculty Advisor.
Eight students attended the first interest meeting on campus, most of whom had some hockey experience. The group formed a team in a local men's league and began contacting other college teams for prospective games. In November, nine skaters and a goalie drove to
Columbia,
SC in the inaugural game against the
University of
South Carolina. The first team also made trips to
Greensboro,
Atlanta, and
Fredericksburg.
May 2007,
Jason Lynch and Ben Cheek became to the first two Niners to graduate after playing four seasons with the team. In October 2008, the 49ers co-hosted the Charlotte Shootout, the largest college hockey tournament in the Carolinas. The program is a member of the American Collegiate Hockey Association, Division 3 and the Blue Ridge Hockey Conference and enjoys 20 conference and exhibition games each season with an operating budget of $35,000.
Please
contact us
if you would like to get involved with the program.
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