FRANK DICRISTOFARO, MICHAEL JOSEPH, JEREMY LAW, AND MIKE RIVERA SELECTED AS ASSISTANT COACHES FOR 2023 WORLD CUP OF UNIVERSITY HOCKEY IN CARTA, ROMANIA
TROY, Mich. (December 6, 2022) – The American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) announced today that Frank DiCristofaro, Michael Joseph, Jeremy Law, and Mike Rivera have been selected as assistant coaches for the two ACHA teams that will compete in the 2023 World Cup of University Hockey. DiCristofaro and Rivera will support head coach Gary Astalos of Adrian College with the team representing the United States of America while Joseph and Law will support head coach Mike Petrusma of Calvin University with the team representing Canada. The 2023 World Cup of University Hockey will take place April 14-19, 2023, in Cârța, Romania.
Frank DiCristofaro (Allen Park, Mich.) is in his ninth season as the head coach at Indiana Tech. DiCristofaro oversees all hockey operations at Indiana Tech and sports a 184-120-2 record over his collegiate coaching career. In 2021-2022, Indiana Tech had an overall record of 26-7-0, winning back-to-back Wolverine Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) regular season and playoff tournament championships. During his tenure at Indiana Tech, DiCristofaro has coached 30 WHAC All-Academic Team selections, 15 All-WHAC honorees, four ACHA All-Academic, 17 WHAC Player of the Week winners, five ACHA All-Athletic Team selections, two ACHA All-Tournament Team picks, two Great Lakes Collegiate Hockey League (GLCHL) All-Rookie members, two GLCHL All-Defensive Team selections, two All-GLCHL Team picks, and one ACHA All-Rookie Team member. Prior to his arrival at Indiana Tech, DiCristofaro guided Wayne State University to a 14-12-3 record and a No. 10 regional ranking.
Michael Joseph (Kapuskasing, Ont.) has been coaching collegiate hockey since 1993 and is in his 17th year as head coach of Robert Morris University. Joseph is also the general manager of all ACHA hockey programs at Robert Morris University, which now include three men’s and one women’s team. Under Joseph’s direction, Robert Morris University has won three College Hockey Mid-America (CHMA) championships and was named CHMA Coach of the Year in 2014. Joseph has led Robert Morris University to two appearances at the ACHA Men’s Division I National Championships and guided the Colonials to the 2002 ACHA Men’s Division III National Championship
Jeremy Law (Penticton, B.C.) is currently in his sixth year as the head coach of Missouri State University. Law is the Ice Bears’ sixth head coach since 2001 and second head coach since Missouri State University elevated their program to Men’s Division I in 2015. Every team Law has coached has appeared in postseason play, including Missouri State University’s first trip to the ACHA Men’s Division I National Championships in 2018. Before Missouri State University, Law coached in the Western States Hockey League (WSHL) for the Springfield Express, compiling a 91-53-11 record in three seasons with franchise. Overall, Law compiled a WSHL record of 239-135-23 in 13 seasons. In his first WSHL season, Law coached the Fort Worth Texans to the 2005 Thorne Cup Championship.
Mike Rivera (El Paso, Tex.) is in his third season as head coach at the University of Central Oklahoma. After two seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Central Oklahoma, Rivera assumed the head coaching duties during the 2019-20 season, led the Bronchos to a 23-6-0 record, and qualified for the ACHA Men’s Division 1 National Championships before the season was cut short due to COVID-19. In 2021-2022, Rivera’s Bronchos were undefeated at home and made a historic run to the ACHA Men’s Division I National Championship Game, finishing as the National Runners-Up. Prior to coaching, Rivera played three seasons at the University of Central Oklahoma and was an integral piece in the program’s first ACHA Men’s Division 1 National Championship in 2015, for which he was recognized as the Joe Battista National Tournament Most Valuable Player and tournament leading scorer with six goals and two assists in four games.
Interested players that wish to be considered should fill out the interest form located on the ACHA website main page at achahockey.org.
For more information, please contact Executive Director Craig Barnett at cbarnett@achahockey.org.
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