The Missouri State Ice Bears kick off the tenth exciting season at their Mediacom (formerly Jordan Valley) Ice Park home after the Ice Bears Div. 2 team earned a second place finish in the Mid-America Collegiate Hockey Association (MACHA) league "Gold" division. The Ice Bears Div. 3 team won their first MACHA Silver Division "Regular Season" and "League Tournament" championships. In addition, the Div. 2 Ice Bears now stand at 169 wins in team history and the team continues to set season home-attendance records.

Ice Bears new Head Coach Tony Dunseith will lead the Div. 2 team in the 2010/11 season and Ice Bears Assistant Coach Tim Tobin will be taking over Head Coaching duties with the Div. 3 team. Coach Dunseith served as an Assistant Coach with the Ice Bears from (04/05 and 05/06) and was also instrumental as Head Coach in starting up the Springfield High School level hockey program.

The former Head Coach of the Ice Bears, Mike Schroeder lead the Div. 2 team to an overall 41-33-2 record during his two seasons (09/10 and 08/09). The Ice Bears thank Coach Schroeder for his efforts in commuting from St. Louis to serve as Ice Bears Head Coach. Ice Bears former Head Coach Benjamin Alexander tallied a 119-76-9 record during his six seasons behind the bench.

The Ice Bears Div. 2 team skated to a 19-18 season record in 09/10, including a 12-4 MACHA league record. The Ice Bears set an MACHA league record in the 08/09 season when the team won their 32nd MACHA league game in a row on November 22, 2008 dating back to the start of the win streak in November, 2006.

In 08/09 the Ice Bears skated to a 22-15-2 season record, and a 16-2 MACHA league record. An Ice Bears goaltending team record was also set in the 08/09 season by goaltenders Mike Poepping and Nic Zamora putting together a 203:32 shutout streak in a four game span from November 7-15, 2008.

The Ice Bears Div. 2 team has an overall team record of 169 wins, 126 losses and 11 ties from their 01/02 first season through the 09/10 season.

The Div. 2 team won the MACHA “Gold” Division tournament championship in its fourth and fifth seasons of MACHA competition and won the league regular season championship in the 07/08 season. After founding as an ACHA Division 3 level team in 2001-02, the Ice Bears moved up to ACHA Division 2 in their third season.

In 2004, the program grew to the point where the Club added a Jr. Varsity team. In its fifth season last year, the team played to a season record of 21 wins, 7 losses in the 2008-09 season. The Jr. Varsity (Div. 3) team won their first MACHA Silver Division regular season and league championship tournament in the 09/10 season. The Div. 3 team moves from ACHA Div. 2 to ACHA Div. 3 in the 2010/11 season and will play 30 regular season games this season, competing for their fourth season in the MACHA “Silver” Division.

The continuous growth of the program is credited largely to strong and consistent Club leadership that provides the management and coaching experience and guidance needed to produce successful results. Although General Manager Stan Melton, Assistant General Manager Curt Bussen and Faculty Advisor Paul Durham have worked with the club since the first season, the efforts of former Head Coach Benjamin Alexander in his first six seasons are to be considered a foundation for many of the Ice Bears' successes.

Many other volunteer staff members are Club veterans, while new staff members, coaches and interns bring fresh talent every season. The coaches and off-ice staff work in concert with the Ice Bears Player Board, which plays a key role in the Club’s leadership each season.

As a Club sport, the Ice Bears couldn’t function without the support of sponsors and advertisers who contribute financial support and in-kind services critical to the Club’s operation. Those valuable contributors support is greatly appreciated throughout the year.

The fan base continues to grow with record numbers; all it takes is attending a game or two to get hooked on the high energy, enthusiasm and speed that the game experience brings. In 2009-10, the average game attendance continued at record levels with an average attendance of 884 per game for some 16,000 over the full home season. With arena capacity of 1,100 at Mediacom Ice Park, the Ice Bears hope to break the 1,000 per game mark during this season’s 18 home games.

Some of our biggest fans – who often double as advertisers, supporters and volunteers – are the players’ parents. Their dedication is remarkable; second only to that of the players themselves. The Div. 2 and Div. 3 teams will number more than 50 players this season. As members of a Club sport team, the players and their families make a major financial commitment to be on the team. Maintaining their balance on the ice may be second nature, but the players also commit to balancing academics, family, games, practices, travel and community service.

While many elements change with each new season, the Missouri State Hockey Club remains proudly committed to its mission of producing a level of achievement on and off the ice to create a top-quality collegiate hockey program for Missouri State University and the Springfield-area community.

(Updated 07-02-10)