This past season marked the last time Rowan ice hockey forward J.T. Zangara would wear the white, gold, and brown No. 9 sweaters for the team. 

His senior season came to a close in January with a loss in the playoffs to N.C. State, but the memories made and the obstacles that he overcame is something he won’t forget. 

And if there’s one thing the 5″11, 165-pound forward picked up from these four years at Rowan, it’s that time moves fast.

“I was a freshman, and it felt like at the snap of my fingers my career was over,” said Zangara.

The pace of the game was also a challenge that Zangara had to learn over the course of his three-year career with the team. 

“It’s very physical compared to high school and travel. A lot of bigger guys come in at ages 21-25, and as an 18-year-old, I had to learn how to use my body, how to keep the puck on my stick, or how to box someone out,” said Zangara. 

To make matters more complicated, Zangara joined the program during COVID-19, so the season didn’t start until his sophomore year.

“My class came in double the size. I was competing with guys who were a year older than me and also a year younger,” said Zangara. 

Despite all of these setbacks and difficulties, it did not stop the 22-year-old forward. 

In his sophomore year, Zangara would become the assistant captain of the Profs. At that time, there was only one other captain on the team. Around midway through the season, the team had a practice, as they usually do every week during the season. It was after the practice where the head coach of the team, Brien Bennett, handed out the “A” patch, which represented that Zangara was a leader. 

“It was really cool, especially being one of the youngest guys on the team. It was cool to see that the guys looked up to me and looked for me to lead,” said Zangara.

Last year, the team defeated the odds as a sixth seed, and won the Admiral’s Cup, taking down the No. 2 seeded Penn State Nittany Lions and the No. 4 seeded N.C. State Icepack to get there. 

“No one really trusted us, besides the kids in the locker room, and the coaches,” said Zangara.

But other than that, what Zangara will miss most especially are the trips with the team. Especially the bus rides to the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) playoffs. He even lived with three members of the team during his time at Rowan. 

“Just having those memories of being together all the time and going to the rink together, and traveling will always stick with me,” said Zangara. 

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