The Temple University Ice Hockey Club is proud to announce forward Robert Pilarski has committed to the Temple Owls for the 2020-21 season.
Pilarski has played for the Pittsburgh Hockey Academy Icemen, a high-ranking AA independent youth club. The Icemen did not play in a league and were free to schedule games against whatever opponents agreed to play them. In 2019-20, Pilarski played for the U18 team and scored 16 goals and 20 assists in 40 games.
The 5-foot, 10-inch forward is used to getting involved on both the offensive and defensive sides of the rink.
“Robert is a gritty forward who will help our overall team speed and should be able to provide help in shorthanded and even strength situations,” head coach Pat Carroll said. “I was pleased with his physical work on the puck and his transition to the defensive side of the puck.”
Carroll brought an eager Pilarski on a tour of Temple’s campus midway through the 2019-20 season, where Pilarski met president Kyle Smedley and forward Brandon LaBumbard. Pilarski’s sister, Ruthie, currently attends Temple as a math major and plans to graduate in May of 2021.
“When I was starting my college search, I knew I wanted to look at Temple. And I knew that hockey was going to be a big priority for me in college,” Pilarski said. “I just love coach Pat’s attitude, all the players’ attitudes about where the program is heading and the strides they’ve made in the past couple years.”
Pilarski believes that his versatility on the ice will give the Owls many creative options.
“I can play all three positions, both wings and center,” he said. “I can be a skill guy or a speed guy, get some goals, or I can play more of a pest role, be physical. I’m smaller, but I’m not afraid to throw my body around.”
About the Temple University Ice Hockey Club
The Temple University Ice Hockey Club was founded in 1940 and has played in the top division of the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA), the top league for club hockey in the United States, since 2015. Temple plays in the Eastern Collegiate Hockey Association (ECHA) alongside geographical rivals in Villanova and Drexel. The Temple Owls play at The Igloo at Mt. Laurel at 3033 Fostertown Road, Mt. Laurel, NJ.
You can watch Owls games live on the TUICE Network at TempleIceHockey.com or the Temple University Ice Hockey Club YouTube Channel.