American International College

The 1968-69 Ice Hockey team was inducted into the AIC Athletics Hall of Fame in 2024 in recognition of becoming the program's first-ever team to win a conference title.

Though AIC had some truly special players in its first 20 seasons, the top of the heap had eluded previous iterations. 1968-69 proved to be different. Led by 2024 individual inductee Yves DeRome, the "Aces," as they were then known, outscored the competition all season long. Though seeded third in the tough ECAC East, they won the tournament in striking fashion, winning the title at Norwich University with an overpowering eight goals in the finale. 

They became part of a day that lives in AIC lore as well by winning - they were able to return to the Henry Butova Gymnasium at halftime of the men's basketball championship game, where they were introduced to great fanfare before the basketball quintet won its own title. It was the first such day in AIC history and a two-for-one in different sports that was not repeated until 2024 when women's rugby and women's volleyball won NIRA and NE10 crowns five hours apart.

The team had a tremendous number of outstanding individuals. Coached by Hall of Famer William Turner '48, in addition to DeRome, the team also featured three-time All-ECAC selection Gary Socha and a rookie named Dave Forbes who went on to become the first Yellow Jacket to reach the National Hockey League.