Penn-Trafford Hockey Club disbands junior varsity team, cites low participation

Three weeks into the season, Penn-Trafford’s junior varsity hockey team disbanded because of low participation.

Following tryouts in April, about 10 players were placed on the junior varsity roster, according to parent Michael Broker of Penn Township.

“Having that few of kids, it’s really not ideal, because there’s injury, people get sick, family events,” said Broker, who has previously coached youth hockey teams. “If you have two or three people that can’t make a game, then it’s really hard for those other players that are there.”

Penn-Trafford Hockey Club board members met with parents on July 29 to discuss how to approach the season with a limited roster, Broker said. The club initially planned to drop down to a less competitive league but later decided to bring up a few eighth grade athletes from the middle school team to bolster the junior varsity numbers, he said.

That was until parents got an email from the hockey club earlier this month, stating the junior varsity team would disband for the remainder of the season.

Safety, logistical concerns drove decision

Four seniors were placed on the junior varsity team, including Broker’s son, Avery. All but Avery decided to leave the team early in the season, Broker said.

The email sent to parents, obtained by TribLive, points to the loss of additional players at the start of the season as one of the reasons for disbanding.

“This was not a decision we made lightly,” the email reads. “Over the past several months, we’ve explored every possible option to keep the team going, but in the end, we simply don’t have the numbers needed to field a JV team this year safely and competitively.”

Club President Michele Ferraccio, Vice President Glen Scholze and Director Justin Kiste did not return email requests for comment.

Tom Halaburka, commissioner of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League, confirmed that the Penn-Trafford Hockey Club no longer has a junior varsity team registered with the league.

Penn-Trafford Athletic Director Kerry Hetrick said the team is a club sport, not an official school sport. He deferred comment on the matter to the club board.

‘I feel bad for the kids’

The hockey club board said in the email it made the decision to disband after considering the limited number of high school players on the team, the safety concerns of bringing middle school athletes up to junior varsity, low attendance during practices and the financial strain on families — who would have to pay more than usual to cover ice time, travel and coaching costs.

Parents will be refunded their athlete’s tuition for the rest of the season, the email says. But the email does not mention the $500 fundraiser in which athletes were required to participate, according to Broker.

The club hopes to bring back the junior varsity team in 2026-27.

“We have a large group of new players expected to enter ninth grade, and we’re excited about the potential to bring back a full JV program,” the email reads. “We truly hope the players impacted this year will return and continue to be part of our hockey community.”

Since other local high schools and recreational hockey teams have already established their rosters, Broker’s son is missing out on his final year in the sport he has played for six years.

“They took away his ability to play hockey his senior year, which is kind of devastating,” Broker said. “He’s not going to play professional hockey. He’s not going to play college hockey, but he just wanted to play hockey in general.

“Talking to him, he’s like ‘Yeah, this really sucks.’”

The team’s disbanding could also impact the underclassmen’s ability to make the varsity team next year, said Amy Broker, Avery’s mother.

“I just feel bad for them. I feel bad for the kids,” she said. “This shouldn’t have happened.”