By Mike Giannattasio
Journal Staff

Jon Stauffer may only be a freshman, but he has made an immediate impact as a member of the Suffolk University men’s hockey team. Stauffer recently became the 27th player in NCAA Division-III history to score at least three goals in one night, as well as the first New England player to do so since the 2000 season.

Stauffer’s remarkable game came in the team’s 8-4 victory over Salve Regina on Nov. 18, a game in which he recorded five points, including the first hat trick of his career. He also added two assists on the night.

Stauffer, a defenseman on the club, has tallied three goals and three assists in nine games for the Rams this season, who are currently 4-5 overall.

He has been getting recognition throughout the league for his outstanding play, too, as he was named the Eastern College Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week on Nov. 22.

Stauffer grew up in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Methacton High School in 2008. After graduating, Stauffer went on to play two years of hockey for Springfield in the Eastern Junior Hockey League.

He chose to attend Suffolk this year because he loved the city and thought it would be a good fit for him, especially on the hockey end of things. Stauffer said he got used to the transition, and now his concentration is on helping this year’s team win.

“The transition from junior to college was hard at first, but as time passes, I’m learning more and more,” said Stauffer. “I have enjoyed just being with the guys [on the team] everyday on and off the ice.

“My goals for myself are to do whatever it takes to help the team win, and my goals for the team are to do well and go far in the playoffs.”

Men’s hockey coach Chris Glionna said Stauffer has been a great addition to the club.

“Jon is a tremendous skater, and that allows him to play aggressively, since he can recover from a mistake by using his skating,” he explained.  “Most importantly, Jon is very coachable, and he is eager to get better.

“Jon comes from a great family and you can tell they raised him well.  On and off the ice he is a great kid.  He always represents Suffolk very well and is very coachable.”

Glionna added that he has big expectations for Stauffer throughout his collegiate career.

“My first goal is for Jon to graduate, as we are always stressing the importance of classroom performance on all our players,” added Gliona. “Secondly, I would like to see Jon develop into a top tier player in our league.”