by Justin Bishop '24 on November 10, 2023
Sports Co-Editor
Sports
This week’s edition of Athlete of the Week is defenseman Luke Krys ’23GS of the Providence College men’s hockey team. Hailing from Ridgefield, CT, Krys transferred into PC from Brown University this year for his fifth and final year of eligibility. Krys was the captain of the Brown Bears in his senior season and has played every possible game in his college career. He is a two time All-Ivy League Second Team player and a shot-blocking machine. Krys racked up 227 blocked shots in his 92 game career and led all of college hockey in blocked shots per game in the 2021-2022 season, averaging 3.23 per game. Krys is a hard-nosed defenseman that will battle in the corners, shoot the puck from the point, and put his body on the line for the team. He is somebody who you want on your side when going into a game.
Krys has totaled five points in the three games the Friars have played this season so far which is the most for any player this year on the team. His five points are all assists, and he has made an impact as a top defensive pairing with Providence co-Captain, Cam McDonald ’23GS.
Krys’ first assist came on the powerplay against the then No. 5, now No. 7 University of Michigan Wolverines, when forward Nick Poisson ’24 redirected Krys’ shot from the blue line to tie the game 1–1 in the first period. This was an important point for the team as it was their first goal of the year, and it tied the game against a formidable opponent. His second assist came later in the game when Bennett Schimek ’26 blasted a one-timer home from Krys early in the third period to put PC up 4–1. Krys would add a shot and a blocked shot to his stat line. Providence would end up winning the game 4–2 and upsetting the No. 5 team in the nation, a huge win that will be remembered later in the season. The following night, Krys did not have the same impact as he did in the previous game, but still tallied two blocked shots and a shot on net. The Friars would fall to No. 5 Michigan 5–4 in a very rough game that saw 14 penalties and 47 penalty minutes. The team split the series 1–1 and it was a very good showing for the Friars. Krys and the team certainly took that momentum into the next game.
Krys totaled three assists for three points, the most for the Friars in the game, and five shots on goal in the team’s 7–1 beat down against the Stonehill College Skyhawks in the home opener for PC on Saturday, Oct. 14. Krys assisted transfer from University of Massachusetts Amherst, Cal Kiefiuk’s ’23GS, in his first goal as a Friar, which came at the 13:36 mark of the first period to put PC up 1–0. Krys’ next assist occurred on a Tanner Adams ’27 snipe for his first career collegiate goal that put Providence up 2–0. The final assist of the night for Krys happened when he dished it to Jamie Engelbert ’23GS who put the Friars up 7–0.
Catch Luke Krys and the men’s hockey team back in action in Schneider Arena this Friday, Oct. 20 against No. 2 Denver University.