By Alexis Demopoulos
Rockets Hockey Club defenseman Dylan Margel has had a great experience playing in the NCDC for the past two seasons and he is thrilled to announce his NCAA Division III commitment to Wesleyan University for the 2025-26 season.
Margel, a Potomac, Md., native, spent his 2023-24 season in the NCDC with the Junior Bruins where he had four points in 42 games. He joined the Rockets Hockey Club this season where he has thrived. In 51 games played, Margel has 41 points (11 goals, 30 assists) and has been a top defenseman all season long. He also was chosen as an Atlantic Division All-Star back in January.
“The Rockets have always had a consistent program, from the youth level, all the way up to Juniors,” said Margel. “I have long-standing friends who have played within the program and who have had nothing but good things to say, so when the opportunity presented itself to play for them and to have a true opportunity to showcase my talents, it made it a very easy and exciting decision for me.”
Margel began talking with Wesleyan Head Coach Chris Potter right after Christmas break and everything took off from there.
“The coaches at Wesleyan were looking for an offensively-minded, right-handed defenseman who could perform on the power play,” said Margel.
Choosing Wesleyan was the best of both worlds for Margel as it allowed him to play hockey, get a top-notch education and keep him close to family.
“My goal has always been to attend a top academic school with the opportunity to play high-caliber hockey,” said Margel. “Wesleyan offered an all-in-one solution that also allowed me to stay on the East Coast to be near family.”
When Margel visited Wesleyan for the first time, it had a similar feel to the prep school he attended for three years which was comforting to him.
“Some people step on a campus and instantly know whether or not it is the right fit for them,” said Margel. “For me, it reminded me quite a bit of South Kent School where I spent three years, specifically the style of the buildings, the smaller campus, and the fact that the people seem to know each other. Not that it had any bearing on my decision, but I found it quite ironic that Wesleyan not only has the same colors (black, red and white), but also has the same mascot [Cardinals] as South Kent.”
Margel identifies as an offensive defenseman when he takes the ice, but he has taken an upfront approach to shut down plays quicker.
“Whether it’s a line rush against, or a play out of the defensive corner, my focus is to be able to stop the momentum of the puck, and start an offensive transition to push the play back up the ice,” said Margel.
Margel wants to finish out by achieving personal goals and making a deep playoff push with his teammates towards winning a Dineen Cup.
“I’ve always felt there were two sets of goals for athletes – personal accomplishments and team success,” said Margel. “For me, I am going to continue to push to be one of the top defensemen in the league from a points perspective while maintaining my strong defensive play. With respect to the team, as a group, we have the ultimate goal of winning the Dineen Cup.”
The NCDC congratulates Dylan Margel, his family, the Rockets Hockey Club and Wesleyan University for his commitment.
