CHICAGO – Under the bright fluorescent lights of an ice hockey rink on Jackson Avenue in the Illinois Medical District, bodies slam up against the glass, the grunts echoing throughout the arena.
The Head Coach of Mount Carmel’s ice hockey team, Mike DiStefano, shakes his head, following the 13-0 loss to Saint Ignatius that occurred last night. However, despite the shutout loss, the future couldn’t look brighter for the Caravan.
DiStefano, a previous juniors player and accredited coach with 15 years of experience, took on the Mount Carmel head coaching position this past September.
“They called me probably about 10 weeks ago to come to Mount Carmel. And I love it. I know quite a bit about it. They were a powerhouse in my day when I was a young guy in the late 70s and early 80s, and I was just very intrigued. It was a challenge for me, and I thought, ‘You know what, we could rebuild this.’”
DiStefano is joined by bench coach Liam Garvey, and they share a common goal. Being Chicago natives, they intend to bring back Mount Carmel’s dominance they once saw. So, what’s their plan of action?
Recruit, recruit, recruit. The coaches are aiming to do a team revamp.
“We are recruiting like crazy, so between Liam and myself and Tony DeFilippo [hockey moderator], we're just looking at a lot of young kids. And right now we got a good crowd coming in. We may have the biggest incoming class in 20 years,” DiStefano said.
With new personnel, DiStefano and Garvey want a complete culture change, as a result.
“I want these guys to play the game the right way. I want them to come in with class. I really believe in playing it right. I want them to dress appropriately. We want them to act appropriately. We want him to play good, hard, clean hockey and just change everything.”
The current athletes are on the same page. Although seniors Zach Tangleson, Connor McClelland and Blane Bertalm are trying to enjoy their last season playing hockey, they fully support DiStefano in his quest to find prospective athletes.
“What he's [DiStefano] doing well the most is he's recruiting. I see him at Carmel once a week talking to guys who left our team or some guys who were just in the school playing a different club hockey team. He's really focusing on eighth graders, getting some good recruits out there, so he's doing a great job with that…they’ll be a lot better for the future,” McClelland said.
The team recognizes this year as a rebuild, and they’re fully embracing the process. While the losses may sting now, the collective focus on recruiting and setting a new culture signals a brighter future for Mount Carmel.
For DiStefano and Garvey, this is more than just building a roster– they’re looking to extend an invitation.
“I would just share with kids who are out there: come and look at Mount Carmel. You want to get a great education, and you want to be on one of the best high school hockey teams going forward, you have a chance to be part of something really, really special,” Garvey said. “You have two people with extensive knowledge here because we were fortunate enough to be in front of a lot of great coaches.”
With a strong coaching staff, a clear vision moving forward, and a dedicated effort to revamp the program, the Caravan are laying the foundation for a comeback. All sights are set on setting a dominant future.
Mount Carmel may be down today, but under this new leadership, the days of reckoning could be just around the corner.
