On Nov. 7 of 2014, Rutgers men’s ice hockey program played host to Arizona State University at ProSkate Ice Arena in Monmouth Junction.
Less than two weeks later, first-year Sun Devils athletic director Ray Anderson made a statement about the direction of his program by introducing a plan to elevate his club hockey team to Division I status over the next three seasons.
That was the final straw for Scarlet Knights assistant coach and scouting director Andriaan Klaassen and his staff, who, for the past six months, have dedicated their efforts to transforming Rutgers ice hockey into the first in-state NCAA Division I scholarship option for New Jersey’s burgeoning crop of high school talent.