| Year: | 2017 |
| Team: | Men's Hockey |
While many goaltenders have protected the net for the Suffolk University hockey team over the years, no one has done it better than Jeff Rose.
“Jeff is the best goalie to ever play for Suffolk,” said Rams veteran head hockey coach Chris Glionna. “He was in a class by himself. Every time we went into a rink, the opposing coach would comment how much they feared Chris as a player.”
Rose finished as the program’s all-time leader in most statistical categories for net-minders. In his four years with the Rams, he started 91 games and stopped 91 percent of the shots he faced. He allowed 3.16 goals per game, while recording four shutouts.
As a junior, in 2009-10, Rose enjoyed his most prolific season. His .919 save percentage and 2.68 goals against average are the best in Suffolk program history, while his 11 victories in goal are the second most ever (he holds the record for most wins with 13, set during his freshman campaign).
In that season, Rose led the Rams to a record of 11-8-3 and was named the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Northeast Goaltender of the Year. He was also named ECAC Goalie of the Week during the final three consecutive weeks of that season and four times in total.
Furthermore, Rose was named Most Valuable Player of the Cod Fish Bowl Tournament, helping Suffolk to its first title in the event. In two games, he stopped 83 of the 87 shots he faced, including a 53-save effort in the championship, a 2-1 triumph over host UMass Boston.
“Suffolk gave me an opportunity to show what I could do and I will always be grateful to them,” said Rose, originally from Ontario, Canada. “It was a great choice for me and I liked all the coaches and hanging out with my teammates.
Rose signed his first pro contract with the Fayetteville (NC) FireAntz of the Southern Professional Hockey League in 2011. He played four years at the minor league level for teams in Florida, Louisiana, and Ohio, and was a Federal Hockey League All-Star for one season.
As a senior, Rose was the recipient of the Charles Law Outstanding Student Athlete Award, a tribute to his athletic and academic success. Today, he works in the food and beverage industry in Avon, Connecticut.