IU hockey -- family affair for Ravensbergs
Opponents of the IU club hockey team might think they have been hit so hard they are seeing double when the two Ravensbergs get on the ice. What they are seeing, however, are cousins Bill, a junior defenseman from St. Louis, and David, a senior forward from Indianapolis, who have combined for 27 goals and 56 assists in the season. \nBill and David are not the first from the Ravensberg lineage to compete for the IU hockey team. Both of their fathers played for the team in the late '60s and early '70s, and David's older brother, Bob, was a member of the 2000 nationals runner-up squad.\nAs they were growing up, the cousins heard positive stories about the program from their fathers. They said although there wasn't a lot of pressure to follow in their fathers' footsteps, playing for IU hockey was an easy choice. \n"We both grew into playing hockey at a young age, so we fell in love before we could even really recognize that we did. We both wanted to play hockey, and IU was obviously deep in family history. It was definitely a choice that we both made," David said.\nThey both had considered playing junior hockey at one point, but they are glad they ended up coming to IU. \n"It's such a good school," Bill said. "You've got the business school here, and the hockey team was a bonus. It's a good situation for us."\nTheir coach, Richard Holdeman, is certainly glad they made the choice.\n"They both love to play," Holdeman said. "And they're competitors, and they go out, and they play hard all the time."\nHoldeman said they are different types of players, but both bring something to the team.\n"David is a tremendously good skater," Holdeman said. "He's very quick -- a finesse player and a great passer. He's brought a lot of offensive spark to the team."\nWhen David graduated from North Central High School in Indianapolis, he was one of the few players Holdeman had coached who was effective right after leaving a high school program, Holdeman said.\n"He had been a great high school player," Holdeman said. "And he's not a big kid, but skating ability made him an effective player right away."\nDavid also is the most recent recipient of the Bart Bartle award. Holdeman said it is the program's most prestigious award, given to the player who is the best all-around contributor to the program, taking into account both on- and off-ice performances.\nHoldeman said Bill also is a great skater, but he plays a much different role as a defenseman.\n"He's brought a certain amount of toughness to the team," Holdeman said. "He's been a major contributor. He's playing well, he's quarterbacking the power play for us, and he's moving the puck real well, so he gets a lot of assists. He's a good, complete player. He can shoot, he can pass, he's got good stick skills, he's a very good skater, and he's pretty tough."\nThe cousins also provide leadership for the team, with Bill serving as team captain and David as alternate captain. Holdeman said their positions say a lot about how well they are able to lead the team.\n"It's an indication that they're respected by their teammates, and the team looks at them for leadership," he said. \nHoldeman, who is in his 12th season of coaching the IU club hockey team, said it will be sad when Bill graduates next year and leaves IU.\n"It will be the end of an era," he said "I'd have to do the math, but there's been a Ravensberg on our team for the last six or seven years"\nAlthough the two cousins both have been playing hockey since they were 5 or 6 years old, the IU team was the first team they both played on together. There were a few times when their teams would face off against each other while they were growing up, however.\n"(David's team was) always better than us, actually," Bill said. "So I really didn't have much to say."\nBut they said it never crossed their minds that one day they could be playing on the same team. \n"I never even imagined it, actually, because my brother is two years older than me, and growing up I didn't even think about playing with him until high school," David said.\nThe cousins have found many advantages to playing hockey with a family member, including a chance to catch up with each other. \n"We never really got to see each other growing up," Bill said. "So it's pretty cool that we're able to hang out a lot."\nIn addition to being on the IU hockey team, they are also in the same fraternity, Sigma Chi -- another family tradition. David's brother, both their fathers and their grandfather, who was an IU football player, all were in the fraternity.\nThe Ravensbergs found it funny that they still play at the same arena on South Henderson Street, where their fathers played when they were on the team. \n"I think the only improvement is that there is walling on all sides," Bill said. However, they noted the program has gone through some changes. \n"They didn't get as much people there or have as much money," Bill said. \nWith a season record of 19-7-2, David and Bill are optimistic about their chances of leading their team toward the school's first nationals win. \n"Come playoff time, any hockey fan gets excited for their team if they have a chance," David said. "And I think being on one of the deepest teams I've been a part of in my four years, the guys get excited. We've got a great group of guys. We definitely have a good shot." \nBill agreed.\n"I see no reason why not."\n-- Contact Staff Writer John Wustrow at jwustrow@indiana.edu.
