By Joshua Boyd / USPHLPremier.com
Three years worth of incredible memories, including a National Championship, are what C.J. Bachman will be bringing with him when he packs up for college. He’ll be headed towards an NCAA career this fall with Arcadia University.
Bachman just finished his third Premier season with the Charlotte Rush, which also included time with the Rush’s Elite team. Bachman was on board with the Elite squad in 2021 for their National Championship, scoring 11 points in six postseason games. He closed his career with 47 points in 106 regular season Premier games and three more points in 13 Premier postseason games.
“The Charlotte Rush have one of the best programs out there. Every day, they push everyone to become better players and better men off the ice. That is something special that many programs don’t accomplish,” said Bachman, a 2002-born native of McKinney, Texas. “Many people hate on the program, but they are just jealous of the success that the Rush have. The culture that the Rush has is what brought me and kept me in Charlotte for all my three years of juniors. There’s no place like the Rush.”
Several colleges certainly like what the Rush bring to the ice, as indicated by 13 NCAA Division III commitments from their 2022-23 program this year. Bachman is not even the only player heading to Arcadia, as he’ll be joined by teammate Bryce Battaglia.
“Going to Arcadia with Bryce is going to be awesome. When he came to the Rush this year, he instantly made an Impact in our lineup, and I think he is going to do the same thing when we get to Arcadia,” added Bachman.
Bachman said that he began talking to Arcadia all the way back in 2021 when he split time between the Premier and Elite teams and, of course, helped the Elite squad to the top of the mountain.
“I started talking to Arcadia during Nationals of my first year with the Rush. The coaches liked how I can make simple plays and how I am strong on defense but can also produce in the offensive zone,” added Bachman, who helped the Premier team make the National semifinals in 2022 and the championship game here in 2023.
“What interests me the most about Arcadia on the hockey side would be that they are a new program [started in 2021], and I am able to help build a foundation by setting an example for the future Arcadia players. On the academic side, I love how great of an education I am going to get from Arcadia,” said Bachman, who will major in Accounting. “They offer different programs like studying abroad that many colleges don’t offer.”
Although Bachman was unable to get to see the campus in Glenside, Pa., he has enough former Rush teammates already at Arcadia – five to be exact – that he was able to call upon for the inside scoop on what Arcadia life is like.
“I haven’t visited the campus yet, but I reached out to my old teammates that are currently at Arcadia and asked them all about it. They say they loved it and it’s been a blast for them, so it just made the commitment even easier,” Bachman added.
Bachman is looking forward to bringing his two-way game to Arcadia. Bachman led all Rush forwards in shifts (837) and shorthanded time (127:02) during the 2022-23 season, and said that the team’s direct 1-on-1 work with him over the last three years is what made him an NCAA prospect. His offensive production at the Premier level also increased from nine points two years ago to 28 this year.
“The Rush development is great. From the video sessions to the individual meetings, they care so much about making their players better every day. From my start at the Rush, I wasn’t putting up many numbers on the score sheet, but I kept working with the coaches and it helped me become better offensively, and I thought I had a great year on the offensive side.”
Getting the chance to travel to several USPHL Showcase Series and Championship events the last few years also helped keep Bachman and his teammates in front of so many NCAA coaches.
“The USPHL does a good job of attracting college attention to the league,” he said. “The showcases are a big help with pushing more attraction to the players.”
Bachman is ready to do what it takes this spring and summer to put himself into a position to help Arcadia on the ice from Day 1.
“This summer, I am going to work on becoming better offensively and becoming smarter on the ice,” he said. “I believe that being a smart hockey player makes a big impact and can lead one to becoming a key factor to any team.”
The USPHL congratulates C.J. Bachman, his family, the Charlotte Rush and Arcadia University for his commitment.
