Jayhawks have high expectations as they begin defense of conference crown
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The Jamestown Community College club hockey team began the 2026-27 season last weekend with high expectations after winning the conference championship in just their second year as a program in 2025-26. With that and the return of 12 players from last season, the Jayhawks are buzzing with puck drop just behind them.
"I'm extremely excited for this season," said associate captain Malik Powell. "Coming off a conference championship, we know what it takes to win, and I think everyone is ready to get back to work and prove ourselves again."
"I'm pumped for this season," said captain Coleson Barber. "Coming off of a championship last year, there's a lot of energy flowing through the locker room."
When you win a league crown in year No. 2 and return a dozen players, the expectations ramp up a notch.
"Our main goal is to win and become back-to-back conference champions," Powell said. "We have high expectations for ourselves, but our focus is really on getting better every day and putting ourselves in the best position to compete when it matters most."
"My goal for the year is to bring another banner to Jamestown," Barber said. "We achieve those goals by gaining team chemistry, dialing in systems and pure compete."
No matter how last season ended, the 2026-27 version of Jamestown CC hockey is in the rearview, and it’s time to focus on the future.
"A huge part of achieving those goals is helping the new guys get integrated into our system and getting them up to speed with the next level of competition and intensity that is expected here," Powell said. "If we continue stacking good days, holding each other accountable, and improving as a group, the results will take care of themselves."
One underrated aspect of the Jayhawks’ success is their home-ice advantage. They routinely see more than 1,000 fans sporting green and gold in downtown Jamestown. Playing in a hockey-rich community and in arguably the best barn in junior college hockey, Jamestown CC's student-athletes know they truly have something special at Northwest Arena.
"The home crowd is absolutely my favorite part of Jamestown games," Barber said. "They irritate the fire out of the other team, making them end up in the penalty box more often. It’s also awesome to see such a diverse community come together to support their local activities. We do our best to give back to the community as much as possible as well."
"We definitely have one of the best home rinks and the best fans in the area," said Powell. "The support we get from the Jamestown community is what makes playing here so special. Knowing the home crowd has your back, win, lose, or draw, is one of the best feelings in the world, and it makes you want to compete even harder for them every time you step on the ice."