Jack Jaunich started playing hockey at a young age, his love of the game growing largely through his time on the pond in Minnesota.
“Playing on the ponds every day, and having access to rinks all over, that was kind of the thing that got me into hockey. I fell in love with the game. It started with the pond,” Jaunich said.
Jaunich has turned that love for the game into a successful career, including his time at Aurora where he is now the program’s all-time leading goal scorer.
He hit the mark of 35 goals in a 3-1 win over St. Norbert in a battle of nationally ranked teams on Jan. 6. But Jaunich won’t take all of the credit for the accomplishment.
“I think a lot of the credit goes to my teammates,” Jaunich said. “We are always pushing each other in practice. It’s been quite an experience here. I’ve learned a lot. And (the record) is one of the things that came out of it.”
Jaunich has been a consistent contributor throughout his career and seems to have gotten better with time while helping the Spartans surge into the national spotlight.
After tallying four goals and eight assists as a freshman, he struck for five goals and five assists in a shortened season because of the pandemic.
Jaunich had his best season to date a year ago, punching in 15 goals and dishing out 23 assists. He’s at 11 goals and 15 assists so far this season for an Aurora team that is 14-3-2 and has won five in a row. The Spartans are ranked seventh in the nation in the USCO NCAA Division III men’s poll.
One of the highlights of the season was a sweep of St. Norbert at the beginning of January.
“That was great,” Jaunich said. “It’s kind of a culmination of a lot of hard work. We’ve been building this program and have a special group this year.”
The Spartans have scored 81 goals on the year off 148 assists. They have allowed 50 goals. Ten players have tallied 11 or more points. Jaunich leads the way while Adam Keyes has come through with nine goals and 16 assists. He just became the first player to reach 100 career points at Aurora.
Gio Procopio (7 goals, 17 assists), Derrick Budz (8 goals, 11 assists), Hassan Akl (6 goals, 13 assists) and Mat Weber (10 goals, 5 assists) are among the key players as well for Aurora. Kolby Thornton and Tanner Marshall have both played big roles as goaltenders.
As a team, the Spartans are on the right track.
“We’re trending upward at the right time, but it’s not about how you start, it’s how you finish,” Jaunich said. “We know what the ultimate goal is and we want to keep our eyes on that.”
Jaunich is currently representing the United States in the World University Games in Lake Placid. It’s an opportunity he cherishes.
“It’s an unbelievable experience to represent your country in any manner, and it’s an honor,” Jaunich said. ”You get a chance to be a part of something special.”
As for his role with the Spartans, he believes he’s become more of a leader.
“I would say I’ve matured a lot over the past year. Having so many new guys in the room, it’s forced me to step into a bigger leadership role. You try to set a good example in practice and in games.”
While he still has plenty of hockey left to play, he took a little time to reflect on his opportunities with the Spartans.
“Being around the guys every day is the best part. It’s one of the things I’m going to miss,” Jaunich said. “It’s been a great experience so far.”
