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UCF making ACHA title push with Cafferty leading the way By Larry O’Connor


F


or six straight seasons, the University of Central Florida has qualified for the American Collegiate


Hockey Association (ACHA) national tournament. That’s good, but perhaps not good enough yet as the Knights have yet to win a Division III title. To appreciate where the Knights are, one must understand where they have been. Some 12 years ago, Sean Weaver started the


program with just nine players and one member, a goalie by trade, had to skate as a forward. “Those first five years were rough,” said Weaver.


“We got pounded by everybody. They were just rough nights. They would beat us by 10 goals. We just kept digging and sooner than later, word got around.”


The club not only plays within the tight-knit circuit of Florida collegiate teams, but ventures out of its comfort zone to compete against Colorado, New York and Michigan-based colleges.


During the past two seasons, UCF has finished


third in the ACHA national tournament. This term, the Knights are seeking a higher plateau. UCF is ranked No. 2 in the ACHA South Division


and features one of nation’s most prolific scorers in Connor Cafferty. The 5-foot-11, 205-pound forward collected 58 points on 28 goals and 30 assists through 22 games this season. In 2010-11, Cafferty poured in 42 goals among 93 points. “He’s been a force; he’s the real deal,” Weaver


said.


Cafferty’s path to UCF was a circuitous one. The Orlando native attended the USA Hockey Develop- ment Camp for four years while in high school and drew interest from many United States Hockey League (USHL) teams. Cafferty declined and chose to remain in Orlando. He was also burned out from ice hockey and opted


to play roller hockey when he enrolled at UCF. “A couple of years went by and I missed being on the ice,” said Cafferty. “I contacted Sean and switched back over.” Weaver remembers Cafferty turning up for tryouts


as a freshman, but realizing he wasn’t ready to play. “I kept that good relationship with him through the


years and didn’t push him,” Weaver said. ‘I figured one of these days he was going to want to come back and play. “Sure enough, he decided he was ready to play


competitively again.” Cafferty’s impact was immediate. He joined UCF teammates Danny Jackson and Bryan Salicco on an ACHA select team that toured Europe last season. About 75 percent of the Knights team is comprised of Floridians. Some like Salicco and Jackson opted to play in the Northeast before returning home. Others players are products of snowbird parents,


who were from the northern United States and Can- ada and wintered in Florida and eventually stayed. Team road trips up north help as well. “It gives us a lot of exposure to kids up there


from bantam and midgets, Junior B and Junior C who pretty much want to get away from the snow,” said Weaver. “If they know they are not going to go


NCAA, it’s a pretty easy sell: ‘Why don’t you come down to UCF where it is 80 degrees? We have a pretty decent team and one of the elite teams in ACHA Division III.’” Fans have also bought in. The Knights average 400 or spectators for 10 p.m. games at the RDV Sportsplex Iceden in Orlando. Against rivals like Southern Florida or Florida Gulf Coast, attendance swells to 800. Gate receipts, along with golf fundraisers and sponsorships, help underwrite the program’s $70,000 annual budget — one of the largest for an ACHA D- III school. The university contributes $10,000 to the club sport.


A big chunk goes towards travel, including the national tournament where in March, the Knights are looking to improve on last season’s third-place show- ing.


“For us to be


an elite team, we have to play the best of the best,” Weaver said.


Central Florida forward Connor Cafferty is averaging more than two points per game for the Knights and has his team looking to bring home some hardware in March. Photo/University of Central Florida


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