American International College

Joe Buchholz was a three-sport athlete at AIC, playing baseball and football, but is best remembered as one of the College’s early hockey standouts. He played on the first AIC hockey team and finished his career with 152 points (80 goals, 72 assists) in just 49 career games, with his 3.1 points per game standing as a record. Buchholz was AIC’s first All-American in men’s ice hockey and also was an All-New England and All-East selection. He later came back to coach the Yellow Jacket men’s ice hockey team from 1957-64. 

Buchholz went on to play for the New Haven Blades and also served as hockey coach at Springfield’s Cathedral High School from 1952-57 and again from 1987-90. In addition, he had coaching stints at Wilbraham and Monson Academy (Wilbraham, Mass.) and Loomis Chafee School (Windsor, Conn.). In 1973, Buchholz received the Coach Bill Rubner Award for dedication and service to AIC athletics, and he has also served as President of the AIC Alumni Varsity Club.