Competitive Spirit On Forester Men’s Hockey Team Extends To All Arenas

Competitive Spirit On Forester Men’s Hockey Team Extends To All Arenas

For four members of the Lake Forest College men’s hockey team, the anticipation of a successful senior season on the ice is accompanied by the excitement and satisfaction of having already accepted full-time positions with powerhouse firms in Chicago and New York City. George Argiropoulos, Ryan Kruss, Bron Loiselle, and Louis-Philippe De Courcy are testaments to having ACCESS to dedicated faculty and staff, terrific career preparation, and an engaged alumni network.

Argiropoulos, Kruss, Loiselle, and De Courcy have not only experienced success in the work place, but also on the ice and in the classroom. The men’s hockey team reached the quarterfinals of the NCHA playoffs during the 2016-17 season and the semifinals last year, all while accumulating 41 victories over the last three seasons. Each spring Lake Forest College President Steve Schutt and Director of Athletics Jackie Slaats host an “A-Team” dinner to recognize student-athletes who earn straight A’s in either of the previous two semesters. For the second straight year, men’s hockey led all 23 varsity programs with an impressive 16 attendees and a 3.67 average team GPA.

Beyond the Forester men’s hockey team's performance athletically and academically, these four attribute their career success to the great mentorship, targeted programming, and myriad of networking opportunities offered through the Forester Game Plan and the College’s Career Advancement Center. Launched in 2012, the Forester Game Plan is a unique partnership between the Athletic Department, the Career Advancement Center, and an expansive network of faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of the College. The focus, much like a preseason and/or pregame plan for any sports team, is on preparing student-athletes for success in the workforce or graduate school, and ultimately, in life.

Kruss, a finance major and sociology and anthropology minor, landed a full-time job at Goldman Sachs as a securities analyst after working at the company in an internship capacity during the summer heading into his senior year. Equally impressive is the fact that Kruss has excelled in the hockey arena, scoring a pair of power play goals last year and assisting on 17 scores as a defenseman over the last two seasons.

Kruss attributes the success he and his teammates have experienced to the competitive atmosphere that exists within the men’s hockey team. “There’s a culture established on the team that involves a competitive spirit when it comes to taking exams and completing projects. No one is afraid to excel and be 'academic' and if you don’t do well, you feel an obligation to improve.”

Loiselle, a finance major, solidified a full-time position as a corporate client banking analyst with JP Morgan in New York City. The team’s alternate captain, who has 56 career points on 25 goals and 31 assists commented, “The Forester Game Plan helped me become more comfortable with networking, pushed me to think about my career goals early, and aided me in building my resume.” 

Argiropoulos, a finance major and art minor, was offered a full-time position in Citigroup’s analyst department after finishing his summer-long internship with the firm. Argiropoulos is equally successful as a goaltender and part of a goalie tandem that backstopped the Foresters to a top 3 finish in both scoring defense and penalty kill in NCHA play. His competitive demeanor, impressive resume, and access to four Forester alumni who currently work at the firm gave him an edge over his competitors. 

“Back home (Toronto, Canada) I competed against an alum who now works at Citigroup. He was helpful in sharing information about the company before I started working and then during my internship as one of my greatest mentors. There are good vibes at Citigroup as everyone wants to see each other succeed.” 

Similar to Argiropoulos, De Courcy utilized several alumni to assist with his internship and job search, but he also noted the important role that faculty and staff have played in helping him understand the importance of career preparation.

De Courcy, a finance major, secured a full-time position as an investment banking analyst at Stout Investment Bank after finishing a summer internship with the company. The All-NCHA goaltender, who owns the highest career save percentage in program history at .929, recalled, “I met with an advisor in the Career Advancement Center to work on building my resume and was also in constant communication with two professors who have provided career guidance since my freshman year.”

The Athletic Department takes great pride in the spirit and energy surrounding career preparation and the supportive network of alumni, faculty, and staff who routinely help Forester student-athletes attain high levels of excellence in the classroom, competition, and post-graduate success. Director of Athletics Jackie Slaats commented, “The success these four young men have achieved as rising seniors is a testament to the positive and competitive culture that exists within our Forester hockey program. George, Ryan, Bron, and Louis represent the College’s proud “Tradition of Excellence” and exemplify the outcomes that occur from taking advantage of the opportunities offered at the College. It also exemplifies the leadership of our coaches and commitment of our Forester Family, which includes faculty, staff, alumni, and student-athletes. As an Athletic Director, it’s rewarding to see our student-athletes not only in the career preparation game, but winning it!”

To hear Argiropoulos, Kruss, Loiselle, and De Courcy speak more about their experiences, click here to watch the video.