Mount Carmel Caravan hockey, who have not won a Kennedy Cup in 23 years, look to reclaim the Chicago Catholic Hockey League this year and bring the Cup back to 64th and Dante.
One of Illinois’ most storied hockey programs, MC has been in a slump for the past few decades. The Caravan were once on top of the Illinois hockey world. A program that saw 20 Kennedy Cups and five Illinois state championships within 25 years hasn’t had recent success. But this year, with a strong core of returning starters, the Caravan looks to turn the ship around this season.
Three years ago, the Caravan went 0-22, two years ago the Caravan were 1-21, and last season the Caravan were 3-15. Yet the goal this season for the Caravan is to win the Kennedy Cup. “Ever since I have been here, the goal is to win a Kennedy Cup, and we have everything in place to do that this year,” said senior captain Finn Ryan.
The Caravan returns many players who will play major roles this season. Senior leaders Ryan, TJ Kolke, Ryan Jakob, Emmett Carr,
Tommy Cunningham, Brian Leahy, Jett Palmersheim, and Kenny Groen bring extensive varsity experience from previous years. Juniors Logan Gnatt, Rowan Garvey, and Brayden Petro look to be major contributors to the team’s success. Most of these guys have been on varsity for their whole career at MC.
After serving as a bench assistant last year, Mike DiStefano, the new head coach of the Caravan, has big expectations for the team. He knows what MC used to be, and he wants to get back to that point.
“I think that this year you can almost feel the vibe in the room,” said Coach DiStefano. “[We’re] getting back to where the old Mount Carmel was, the championship years. From the day I got here, we keep growing, growing, and growing.”
20 years ago, the Caravan was the premier program in Illinois, consistently winning state championships and Kennedy Cups. From 1977-1990, the Caravan won 12 of the 13 Kennedy Cup Championships. But the run did not end there; they won five more between 1991 and 2000. There is already a great culture around this program.
“You know, these guys are buying into it,” said Coach DiStefano. “We’ve got a really talented group of guys.”
Hockey used to be the most popular sport at MC, with many notable names coming out of Caravan Hockey. “This is a storied franchise,” noted Coach DiStefano. “Chris Chelios, Craig Ferguson, good players played here.”
Lots of good hockey players attend MC, but not all of them play. This year, it was Coach DiStefano’s mission to try to get all of the great hockey players who were playing Triple-A and Double-A hockey to play for MC. “These guys that were Triple A players, the Nico Fraustos and the Paddy Hogans,” said Coach DiStefano. “These guys are coming to play for us now and not go back to Triple A.”
Frausto and Hogan are the two players who are coming from playing Triple-A, which is the highest level of youth hockey in Illinois. “It means more to play for your school than play for some club,” said Frausto, who has been named a senior captain.
The offseason training for the Caravan has been intense this year. They were lifting in the gym three times per week at 6 am for five weeks this summer. They also skated twice per week. “I can see where the conditioning is paying off,” said assistant coach Liam Madrigal ’18 .”They started the third period, and they were gassed, and we were just getting started.”
Offseason workouts weren’t just a time to get in shape; they were a time to bond. Most of these guys have been playing together for two to three years, besides Hogan, a freshman.
“Getting to meet new people was hard at first,” he said, “but once you get to know everybody, it starts to get very fun.”
Team culture is a big thing that the captains are enforcing this year, as they want the team to be a big family.
“We have been doing stuff to get the boys together, having parties here, meet-ups here, and doing stuff together at school,” junior captain Gnatt explained.
The Caravan plays in the second-hardest league in Illinois, behind the Scholastic Hockey League. The Chicago Catholic Hockey League consists of Benet Academy, Saint Ignatius, Brother Rice, Marist, St. Rita, Notre Dame, Fenwick, Providence Catholic, and MC. Winning the league isn’t just about skill; it’s about game plan and who plays better as a team.
“I think that it comes down to many things,” said Ryan, another senior captain. “Lots of guys coming back from the club level, the program’s number jumped from 28 to 39 people, and it really has a lot to do with buying in and working hard.”
The Caravan has a challenging schedule, opening the season on the road at Saint Ignatius, but that’s nothing new for the Caravan. The last Kennedy Cup the Caravan won was 25 years ago, but they are optimistic that they can bring one home this year.
