Hockey is a team sport, based on wins and losses. The group wins as a team and loses as one, too. However, individual goals help separate the bad players from the good and the good from the great or exceptional. In the case of Christian Schurmann-Colicchio, he falls on the latter. Schurmann-Colicchio, a senior forward and four-year member of the Indiana University Club Hockey Team, has been a staple on the squad since he arrived as a freshman. His time at IU and with the hockey team though, did not come on the straight and narrow.
Born in New Jersey, he first learned how to skate at the age of two and would play street hockey when he was not on the ice. However, Christian and his family had to move to Atlanta, Georgia when he was just five due to his dads job. It was there that he joined his first ice hockey team. Unfortunately for him, the level of competition down there did not meet what he wanted. Schurmann-Colicchio chose to bounce around — from Boston, back to New Jersey and then finally Maine. During this time, Christian had offers to play hockey on scholarship at Division three schools, but chose a different route, a route he didn’t really know existed.
This journey has led him to the brink of history. He is just six goals from breaking Chris Benz’ all-time record. As great as this achievement would be for the senior, he tries not to keep it on his mind. “I don’t really think about it too much,” Schurmann-Colicchio said. “I’m confident in saying it’s going to come, but I don’t want to think about it.” His hard work is really what has brought him to this point–his dedication to wanting to be on the ice every day. If he has the option to go out to a party or be up the next day at 7 A.M. to skate, he chooses skating every time. Hockey has also helped him off the ice. “I’ve really learned how to prioritize things,” he said. “I’m still a good student, while doing well in hockey, while being a good friend and person.”
All of this has helped him become a leader on the team in the eyes of former teammate and now head coach Andrew Newman. “The more important he’s become to the team, the greater leadership role he’s taken on,” Newman said. “Definitely he does get some of these other kids to work harder, focus more and help kids out with small things in drills on the ice.”
Club hockey and becoming the all-time leading goal scorer is great, but Christian has goals that surpass Frank Southern Ice Arena. He wants to take all these years of hard work, sweat, dedication and love for the game to the next level, a level he tried out for this past summer.
Professional hockey, trips exploring Europe’s finest countries and cities, and even NHL front office positions may just be in Christian’s future, but for right now, his focus is on a much more achievable goal, goal number 71.
