By Alexis Demopoulos
For goaltender Ryan Crowshaw, playing college hockey has always been the goal and with hard work and determination, he has earned himself an NCAA Division III commitment to Arcadia University.
After spending last season in the Eastern Hockey League, Crowshaw signed for the 2024-25 season with the Islanders Hockey Club and coach Tim Kyrkostas in the NCDC. Crowshaw has settled in nicely to his new digs. In eight appearances so far, he has gone 5-1 with a 2.46 GAA, allowing 20 goals in 487 minutes played. Crowshaw also has one shutout on the season.
Crowshaw wanted to take his success up a notch and he knew signing with the Islanders would give him that opportunity.
“The Islanders HC is a great organization,” said Crowshaw. “The IHC has demonstrated its ability to remain true to its core values of getting players the opportunity to play at the next level as well as providing the tools to thrive at the next level. I decided to sign with the IHC because of the team’s success last season as well as their reputation for developing and moving players to the next level. Although I have spent a short time in the league, I can already tell the proximity to the local Division III programs helps players, such as myself, to be seen by schools.”
Crowshaw started communicating with Arcadia last season when he got introduced to Assistant Coach Ryan Wagner. The interest grew from there and once he visited the Glenside, Pa., campus in August, everything clicked for him.
“I had first met Coach Wagner in March of last season while he was still coaching for Johnson & Wales University,” said Crowshaw. “He made the move to Arcadia and had first brought me to campus in August where I met Coach Heikert [Head Coach Ryan Heikert]. The coaches really liked my puck-playing ability and my compete level in the net.”
What was vital in drawing Arcadia University to Crowshaw were the relationships he formed with the coaching staff. They made him feel at home and he knew Arcadia would be the perfect place to continue his hockey career.
“My initial interest in Arcadia’s hockey program stemmed from the coaching staff because they made it clear that I can trust them with my hockey career and that relationship between player and coach is what I value most,” said Crowshaw. “When doing my research on Arcadia, I learned it was nationally ranked for my major, and having learned more about it from current students, I realized it was a great fit.”
The campus drew Crowshaw in with its beautiful landscape and history. He liked that it is close to the city and academically he felt like he would thrive. Crowshaw plans on majoring in psychology.
“When I first visited campus, I knew it was a unique campus, certainly not one that I had seen before,” said Crowshaw. “It is a brief train ride to downtown Philadelphia and the campus had a similar vibe to the city. It has new buildings across campus but still preserves its history with buildings such as the Grey Towers Castle.”
As a goaltender, Crowshaw takes pride in his athleticism and is continuing to improve each time he steps out on the ice with the Islanders Hockey Club. In terms of preparing for next season at the college level, Crowshaw knows it will be a challenge and the pace will be a lot faster.
“I believe my puck playing ability is what makes me unique,” said Crowshaw. “ A goalie with the ability to make stretch passes can change the flow of a game and make good defense into good offense. I also believe my athleticism is the foundation of my game as it allows me to be more patient on plays and make saves that I’m not supposed to make. Playing against opponents that have four to five years worth of experience in college, I want to continue to build my technique and rebound control to be ready for the pace of play at the next level and limit unnecessary opportunities.”
With his commitment already secured, Crowshaw is focused on giving back to the Islanders HC what they have given him and the ultimate goal would be to win the Dineen Cup.
“I am grateful for the opportunity that the Islanders Hockey Club has given me,” said Crowshaw. “With my college search complete, it is now my responsibility to give back to the organization that has already done so much for me. The best way I can give back is by doing my best on the ice to help the program hoist the Dineen Cup.”
The NCDC congratulates Ryan Crowshaw, his family, the Islanders Hockey Club, and Arcadia University for his commitment.
