Club hockey is growing increasingly popular at the college level, and more specifically in the northeastern regions of the United States. Bradford Area High School alumnus Evan Pecora, a 2014 graduate, made the hour and a half journey northwest to Penn State Behrend in Erie for the opportunity to continue playing the game he loved while studying finance.
While Behrend was the school Pecora chose, he admitted it was not the only school he was considering playing club hockey at.
“I was all set to go on a visit to the California University of Pennsylvania. However, a snow storm got in the way from my visit to the school. I was close to Erie while I was traveling to California, so we decided to go check out Behrend instead,” he said. “I was blown away by the campus, opportunities in hockey, and the business school. It was without question the right fit.”
What Pecora didn’t realize was by attending Behrend, he would be caught in a rivalry with the Behrend and Cal U club hockey teams over the next four years.
His career in hockey began as a youngster living in Bradford. He played football, baseball and golf growing up in addition to hockey.
“I still to this day feel that it’s important to play multiple sports in order to better yourself as an athlete,” Pecora explained. “When I tried hockey, I knew this was the sport for me. I just automatically felt drawn to the sport. I loved everything about it from the start.”
It was Evan’s father who helped each of his two sons fall in love with hockey.
“My dad growing up in Bradford did not have the same opportunities in hockey that I did. He played street hockey as a kid and then eventually in some men’s leagues,” Pecora said. “Fortunately for my brother and I, we got to play high school club hockey in New York in Olean and got to play for some of the best club hockey teams in the state before they made a restriction on players from Pennsylvania playing in the league. Without my father, I do not think I would have had the same passion and all the opportunities I did in hockey.”
Pecora said that being a part of a club hockey team was truly a grind. Between super early or super late ice times and late night games several hours away, the Lions managed to stay together despite carrying as low as twelve members of their team at points during his freshman season.
“The grind of club hockey was always something that in a strange way brought us together and helped us to bond as a team,” Pecora said. He also admitted that despite generous donations and accomodations from the Behrend athletic department, players had to pay to play club hockey at Behrend. It is a tough burden for many young men who play hockey for the Lions, but continuing to play at college is incredibly important to them.
While hockey was certainly his favorite sport, Pecora was also a golfer and did play some high school baseball as well. He is thankful to have played golf in high school because in the business world, golf is such an important game that many business people play together.
As a banker for Northwest Bank, it is a game he plays more regularly now with many clients and customers of the bank. After obtaining a degree in finance from Behrend in 2018 and working at Northwest as a part-time teller for four years, Pecora applied for a business banker position at Northwest in Bradford, which allowed him to return home to begin his career.
Returning home also allowed him to coach in the youth hockey league in Bradford and also for the Pitt-Bradford club hockey team, which is a growing program. He is also involved as a board member with the Tuna Valley Trail Association, Evergreen Elm and the Allegheny National Forest Visitors Bureau; some local non-profit organizations in the Bradford area.
The Tuna Valley Trail Association helps maintain some of the local walking and biking trails in Bradford for recreational use, while Evergreen Elm provides quality living arrangements and life programs for mentally challenged and intellectually disabled adults. Evergreen Elm is a cause that hits close to home as Pecora has some family members affected by both mental and physical disabilities.
“It is humbling to help these people live better lives. These people need support, companionship, and friendship,” he said. “I am so happy to be on the board for this organization because I feel like I am making a great impact in helping these people live better lives.”
Pecora credits his youth hockey coach Randy Stuart for instilling confidence in him by naming him captain as a junior in high school playing for a club team in Jamestown, N.Y. He also credited his parents Jay and Lisa Pecora as well as his brother Jack for all of their support, and also for helping show him the importance of working hard for the things he wants in life.
Jack and Evan were able to play hockey together for one year in high school as well as one year in college at Behrend. Jack is now enlisted in the United States Marines Corps with plans to become an officer in the future. His sister, Erin, is currently attending Roger Williams in Rhode Island for graduate school after completing her undergraduate degree in architecture at Bowling Green State University in Ohio.
Through his life, Pecora’s love for the sport of hockey has only grown along with his knowledge in business and his love for the Bradford community. He is happy to have returned home to Bradford to help make the community a better place and share his knowledge of hockey to the next generation.
