Game Plan: Marketing Students Build Community Around MCLA Hockey

January 26, 2026

Matthew Ryynanen pictured with Black Bear youth hockey players. Photo credit to ​Dylan Schenck '27, Communications and Arts Management

When Amy Shapiro, MBA program coordinator and adjunct professor, walked into her Marketing class in fall 2024, she saw an opportunity. Eight hockey players sat among her students, and MCLA's hockey program needed a boost in attendance at home games. What started as a single semester project would evolve into a three-semester collaboration that brought together students, athletes, and the community in ways no one initially imagined.

"I have over 25 years of professional experience in community economic development," Shapiro explains. "I understand the importance of community collaboration, mentorship, and applied learning. This project ties it all together: students interested in learning and mentoring youth, a community interested in MCLA’s hockey program, and opportunities for community enrichment."

The goal was ambitious: develop a marketing plan that could continue long after the semester ended, one that would teach numerous students over several semesters how marketing concepts are applied in real-world settings.

Charlie Addesa ’27, Jack Bortle ’27, Spencer Craig ’27, Christopher Gallagher ’27, Easton Moore ’27, Quinn Murphy ’27, Sean Neu ’27, and Joshua Romanowski ’27 dove into the challenge that first fall. They conducted research, interviewed students, coaches, Assistant Dean of Athletics & Recreation Laura Mooney, and MCLA staff, then designed and implemented an event honoring local police and firefighters on opening weekend. It was a success that proved the concept.

left to right: Rocco Stolz '29, MCLA MBA program coordinator and adjunct professor Amy Shapiro, Luc Fricchione '27, and Cade Herrera '27. Photo credit to ​Dylan Schenck '27, Communications and Arts Management

The next semester, nine students continued the work: Nicolette Bardsley ’27, Wally Brown ’27, Brigh Cote ’25, Joshua Girard ’28, Gavin Glaubitz ’27, Luke Rhoss ’27, and Sean Schifferl ’27. They created events for both men's and women's teams and developed a marketing internship position to sustain the work.

That's where Dylan Schenck's ’27 story begins. By fall 2025, he was serving as the marketing intern, working with students Luc Fricchione ’27, Rocco Stolz ’29, and Sam Zis ’28 to execute a youth hockey event on November 15.

"This idea started last year and I was approached by a couple of my friends on the hockey team," Dylan recalls. "It was a huge undertaking, but overall it was really exciting to be able to work with my friends and make this idea come to life."

For Dylan, a communications major with a passion for photography, the project meant stepping far outside his comfort zone to plan events and create promotional materials. Using a digital marketing plan became his most valuable strategy. "I am an idea guy through and through; my brain is constantly buzzing with ideas, and being able to get them on paper and have them structured was a huge help to me," he explains. "Using a timeline really helped me, mainly because without it, I can get overwhelmed and fall behind with my ideas, making it impossible to catch up and be able to do what I want to do."

Taking classroom concepts into practice proved transformative. "Putting so much thought into my ideas and finally getting it into something successful and well done was a very proud moment for me," Dylan says. "The biggest thing I learned from this is having to trust myself. Having to believe in myself and know that I am capable of planning events and making posters and stuff like that was a huge step for me."

But it was the night of the youth hockey event that crystallized why the work mattered.

"The most rewarding part was seeing the little kids just have fun," Dylan says. "Having parents come up to me and say how happy and excited their kids were to participate in this event. It was so heartwarming to see the hard work that we put in actually have a positive impact on the community."

Joshua Girard '28 and Gavin Glaubitz '27 pictured with Black Bear youth hockey players. Photo credit to ​Dylan Schenck '27, Communications and Arts Management

That moment captured exactly what Shapiro had envisioned. Young hockey players got to interact with college athletes and students, seeing possibilities for their own futures. The joy on those children's faces, the gratitude from their parents, it all validated the investment of time and energy from three semesters of marketing students.

"All the hockey players were informed, invested, and supported the work that went into these events," Shapiro notes. "That investment made all the difference. And the marketing students created a how-to plan and timeline that will serve as a blueprint for future special hockey events, ensuring this work continues long after they've graduated."

For Shapiro, the project delivered on every level. Students gained firsthand experience in market research, collaboration, implementation, and evaluation. They saw how marketing incorporates operations, accounting, management, and community economic development. And they learned something broader: how business concepts and skills can positively impact the community around us.

What began as a single class project has become a model for applied learning at MCLA, one where students don't just study marketing principles but actively build something that lasts, strengthens community ties, and creates opportunities for everyone involved.

MCLA's Rocco Stolz '29 in goal. Photo credit to ​Dylan Schenck '27, Communications and Arts Management