MEN’S HOCKEY: Former Yale defenseman Jack St. Ivany settles in at BC following transfer due to winter season cancellation
Jack St. Ivany transferred to Boston College in January due to the cancellation of the Ivy League winter athletic season. So far, he has played 11 games and notched four points with the Eagles.
Courtesy of muscosportsphotos.com
Jack St. Ivany, a junior defenseman from Manhattan Beach, California, recently decided to continue his ice hockey career at Boston College, leaving Yale’s team amid the restrictions on practice and competition implemented by the Ivy League.
The two-way defenseman joined the BC team after their sixth game of their season, picking up his first goal at the University of Connecticut on Jan. 23 with an empty-netter from his own zone and posting his first two assists against Merrimack on Jan. 16-17, according to the Eagles Hockey game notes.
While he had no plans of transferring to BC prior to the Ivy League’s cancellation of winter sports, St. Ivany described the shift in his expectations and his main motivation to take the leap of joining a new team.
“At Yale, in the fall, our team was very focused and determined on being ready for whatever kind of season we were given … and [we] really believed we were going to have a season,” St. Ivany said. “Once the Ivy League came out with their decision, my family and I felt it would be best for my development to find a way for me to play games this season. I did not feel I was ready to play professional hockey, so we made the decision to look into transferring to another university.”
The ability to participate in gameplay with the Eagles was appealing to St. Ivany, who told the News that the period of time between March 2020 and January 2021 was the longest amount of time that he had taken off from competition.
St. Ivany has had a solid start with the Eagles, having played 11 games and recording a total of four points so far in his BC career. While donning the Blue and White, he played in 62 contests, earning a total of 30 points, with seven goals and 23 assists.
“It was a very long 10-month offseason for me and while you can practice skills and train in the gym, there really is nothing like actually playing a game,” St. Ivany said. “So far I have been working to improve all aspects of my game, but I have been putting a lot of time into bettering my skating abilities.”
Transitioning from Yale to BC, St. Ivany described the differences in practice protocols in regard to the current health situation. BC tests and monitors the health of their athletes, in addition to using a “tracking system” to monitor its men’s ice hockey players on and off the ice for better contact tracing.
St. Ivany also noticed a change in his new team’s dynamic compared to his former squad.
“I have really enjoyed getting to know the team so far, they were very welcoming to me,” St. Ivany said. “The team here is much younger than at Yale … which provides a bit of a different dynamic in the locker room, but at the end of the day the message and goal is the same as it was at Yale … to win games and ultimately win a National Championship.”
The BC team consists of three seniors, five juniors, nine sophomores and 10 first years. Meanwhile, at Yale, the team breaks down into their seven seniors, three juniors, seven sophomores and seven first years.
BC sophomore right-wing forward Mike Hardman, one of St. Ivany’s roommates, expressed his excitement to have the ex-Bulldog joining him as an Eagle.
“Jack was a great addition to our team both on and off the ice,” Hardman said. “We were very excited when we heard he was transferring here and have really enjoyed having him on the team.”
Yale Athletics declined to comment on St. Ivany’s January transfer and Boston College Athletics did not respond to requests for comment.
When asked about his experience at Yale, St. Ivany emphasized that it was a pleasure for him to have the opportunity to wear the Blue and White.
“I made some of my best friends for life there and was able to learn from one of the greatest coaches in college hockey,” St. Ivany said. “Yale will always have a special place in my heart.”
Yale head men’s ice hockey coach Keith Allain spoke with a similar tone to the News last fall, stating that “Jack will always be a member of the Yale Hockey Family.”
The Boston College’s men’s ice hockey team is ranked No. 1 in the country according to United States College Hockey Online polls.
Amelia Lower | amelia.lower@yale.edu
Trisha Nguyen | trisha.nguyen@yale.edu