Former Suffolk University Hockey player Jeff Rose (Collinsville, Conn./Valley (EJHL)) signed a professional contract with the Fayetteville FireAntz of the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) on August 16 for the upcoming 2011-12 season.
Rose finishes his four-year career as the all-time leader in most statistical categories in Suffolk program history for goalkeepers. In 91 starts Rose posts a 38-47-6 record, while stopping 91 percent of the shots he faced, allowing 3.16 goals per game, while recording four shutouts in that period.
Suffolk Head Hockey Coach Chris Glionna was elated when he heard the news. "This is a tremendous opportunity for Jeff. Over the past four seasons he has grown and matured into a premier player and his skills set should help him excel at the next level. Our program is proud of what Jeff was able to accomplish for us over the past four seasons and we are very excited for what the future holds for him as he continues his hockey career."
Rose's best year came as a junior as he was named Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Northeast Goaltender of the Year. During the 2009-10 campaign Rose put together one of the best statistical seasons ever by a Suffolk net minder. 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. Rose set the previous record with 13 wins in 2007-08 during his freshman campaign. Rose finished the year ranked second in the league in save percentage, fifth in goals against average and fourth in winning percentage (.568) with an overall record of 11-8-3. Rose was named ECAC Goalie of the Week consecutively during the final three weeks of that season and four in total. Rose was also named Cod Fish Bowl Tournament Most Valuable Player helping the Rams claim their first ever title in the local tournament. During the two-day tournament Rose stopped 83 of the 87 shots he faced, including a 52 save effort in the Championship Game, a 2-1 victory over host UMass.-Boston.
Rose finished this past 2010-11 season posting an .897 save percentage while yielding a 3.56 goals against average starting 23 of the Rams' 24 games between the pipes as he was named to the ECAC Northeast's Honorable Mention team.
Aside from his outstanding work on the ice Rose was also recognized off of it. The Suffolk University Athletics Department awarded Rose with the 2011 Alumni Charles Law Student-Athlete Award. This award is given to a student-athlete who has excelled in academics and athletics, in honor of the former Suffolk Director of Athletics, Charles Law. Rose's many efforts within the community included multiple Toys for Tots drives, as well as working with the Boston City Public Schools system in 2010 as part of a Special Olympics program. This past season, Rose oversaw a Breast Cancer Awareness drive along with his teammates. For it the Rams skaters raised funds for the disease and wore special pink game sweaters during three home contests that were self-funded to raise attention.
Fayetteville was one of the founding members of the SPHL when the league was formed for the 2004-05 season. The FireAntz will open the 2011-12 season on Friday, October 21 as they host the Louisiana IceGators to commence their 56-game regular season. The FireAntz play their home games at Crown Coliseum, a 9,500 seat capacity indoor arena. In seven seasons in the SPHL the FireAntz have led the league in attendance figures three times, averaging nearly 100,000 for the season. They will be coached by Sean Gillam, a former 3rd round draft pick by the Detroit Red Wings during the 2011-12 season.