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Article from Nov. 8, 2006 Volante (www.volanteonline.com)

With a new coach, a new rink and new faces, the USD club hockey team is ready to start another season.
The new head coach is David Benson. Benson has previous coaching experience at Fargo South High School in North Dakota. He looks to improve upon the Coyote's sub .500 record from last season.
The new rink is Alcoa Ice Arena in Yankton. The Coyotes used this facility for part of last season and played the first ever hockey game in the arena. In previous seasons, the team had to travel to either Sioux Falls or Sioux City in order to practice and play their "home" games.
The first several practices this season took place in Sioux Falls and Sioux Center due to permanent flooring being poured at Alcoa Ice Arena. The flooring has been completed and the team began practicing at the arena on Nov. 2.
Benson said that having the hockey rink in Yankton is vital for USD hockey.
"It means the future of hockey at USD," Benson said. "Without that rink, there eventually wouldn't be a team. Driving an hour and back to practice and games multiple times a week just isn't reasonable."
The Yankton rink's closer proximity to Vermillion benefits both the team and fans.
"Last year the team averaged 500 fans per game in Yankton, which is definitely higher than it was in Sioux City and Sioux Falls," Benson said. "We finally have a place to call home."
As for the team, new faces include nine freshmen as well as transfer student Chaz Berglin, who played for St. John's University in Minnesota and was a high school standout in Sioux City.
Last year, USD had only 12 players on their roster. In a game against University of Nebraska Lincoln they had to play with only nine players. This year the roster is up to 22 players, although several of them are currently injured.
The Coyotes have already played five games so far this season. The team has a 1-4 record. They played their first game after only three practices and lost to rival Dordt College 5-2. They then split a pair of games against Northern Iowa. On Nov. 3-4 the team was in Fremont, Neb., to take on UNL. They lost the first game 10-2 and the second game 7-2.
Although the team is off to a rough start, Benson thinks that things are headed in the right direction.
"We're coming along," Benson said. "We've been playing with 15 or less guys a night. We just need to get everybody healthy. When we get our full roster we will be better. But the guys that have been out there on the ice have been making leaps and bounds."
The team looks forward to getting back key players Cole Turner and John McCollister from injuries. In their absence, Berglin and goalies Kevin Mimms and Brett Bennett have been playing well, Benson said.
The Coyote hockey club has this weekend off. The team will play its first home games at Alcoa Ice Arena in Yankton on Nov. 17 and 18 against Northern Iowa. Both games will take place at 7 p.m.
Reach reporter Matt Dahlseid at Matt.Dahlseid@usd.edu.