From Long Beach Current
Before every game, the Long Beach State club hockey team circles up outside the rink and plays “sui,” a fast-paced soccer game filled with laughs and chaos.
It is a tradition that sets the tone for a program striving to expand its presence on campus and show students that hockey has a home in Long Beach.
Most students are not familiar with CSULB’s club hockey team, and this season, the players are determined to change that.
“We were founded in ‘78, hence our new slogan that we’re bringing back, ‘Since ‘78,’” said Kyle Oki, fourth-year finance major and club president. “We’re trying to revamp the program this year, which is why we’re recruiting.”
Last year, the team finished No. 61 in the American Collegiate Hockey Association Men’s Division III rankings with a 7-8-1 record, but hopes to improve this season.
The hockey club kicks off its season opener on Sept. 19 with a home series against Northern Arizona University at Lakewood Ice, the club’s off-campus rink, located 15 minutes from CSULB.
Oki said the team’s goals are ambitious but straightforward: finish with a winning record, advance deeper into the playoffs and grow the sport in Long Beach.
This year brings familiar rivals back into the division, including Cal State Fullerton and UC Santa Barbara.
“Fullerton blew us out in Irvine pretty badly last season, so this year we’re trying to come back strong,” Oki said. “Same as Santa Barbara, [those are] definitely our biggest games this season.”
The team’s biggest challenge remains visibility.
“No one knows we exist, so we want people to know, even if you don’t like the sport of ice hockey, you never know until you watch it, right?” Oki said. “And it’s a very intense, high-paced game, so we want to get more people, specifically students, to come out and support us.”
Students can attend the games at zero cost.
“You wouldn’t really think of Southern California as a hockey spot, but we’ve got some pro teams around; people really do like the sport. And Long Beach students are super passionate about their school, and so our games are pretty fun too,” said James McGuire, a senior member of the team majoring in kinesiology with a focus in sports psychology.
McGuire said he is most excited to see how the new roster comes together.
“We worked really hard on rebuilding the program the last couple years,” McGuire said. “I’m super excited to see how this team performs as a group, and Long Beach hockey is definitely on its way back.”
(Originally published at https://lbcurrent.com/sports/2025/09/05/long-beach-state-hockey-club-prepares-for-season-comeback/)
