Tyler Love Shares About Unlikely Journey to Wisconsin Eau-Claire

(Photos courtesy of UWEC Photography Team and UWEC Athletics)

Imagine playing for your hometown hockey team was taken away from you in a matter of minutes. Completely out of the blue; cold turkey, if you will. No warning or anticipation that this was even a remote possibility. There’s never the right words to tell someone how sorry this makes you feel for them. I couldn’t find the right ones when talking with former Robert Morris Colonial turned Wisconsin Eau-Claire Bluegold Tyler Love.

Maybe I even harped or talked about it too much an interview that should mostly be about what has transpired in his overall career and even post his days at Robert Morris. Not only did Love accomplish his dream of playing Division I hockey, but now, he’s playing for one of the best Division III programs in the country that have national championship hopes on their mind each season

The Bluegolds of the University of Wisconsin Eau-Claire (UWEC) are no joke in hockey. They may not be a household name in the region, but they certainly deserve recognition. This program has been home to countless professional hockey players over the years and continues to be a destination for Division I transfers and very high level Division III recruits to show the country, and even the world, their skills.

In Love’s two seasons with the program since leaving Robert Morris in 2021, he’s been a part of a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Association (WIAC) championship and a runner-up finish. In what will be his fifth year, Love is excited for the possibility of winning a second conference title and earning what is now an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Hockey Championships.

A native of Moon Township, hockey was something that he was not born into like many of the hockey players in the region seem to be. But, Love’s parents became huge hockey fans in the 1990’s watching Mario Lemieux and company win two Stanley Cup’s. From an early age, Love was drawn to the ice and never looked back. 

For much of his life, he’s been one of the smaller players on the ice. But despite being small in stature, he’s made up for it with heart and intelligence. In what is unquestionably a sport that requires nearly constant movement at high speed, Love embraced his talents and has become a successful defensemen despite maybe not being labeled a “bruiser” that is stereotypical of the position.

I’m sure it comes as little surprise as he’s had a long and successful career that dates back well over a decade. Love was on the ice and learning about the game even before elementary school. Some of his first days joining a travel hockey team came with the Pittsburgh Arctic Foxes. Eventually, he joined the Pens Elite organization in the early days and traveled the country to play against some of the best competition in the states.

As he got deeper into high school, Love began to realize that playing Division I hockey out of high school was something he wasn’t ready and mature enough for. He was drafted into the United States Hockey League (USHL), but ultimately, he joined the North American Hockey League’s Corpus Christi IceRays for two seasons to play junior league hockey. It was a great experience as not only is the league one of the top junior hockey leagues in the country, but it also helped him get an introduction to live on his own. He was even honored as a selection to represent the NAHL in the 2019 Sirius Junior Club World Cup held in Russia.

The IceRays fans show out and support their team with thousands of fans at each home game. It was some of the most fun he’s ever had on the ice and it helped him to eventually earn an opportunity to play Division I hockey in his hometown. With only around 60 Division I hockey programs in the country, earning a roster spot is incredibly competitive. With a few years to mature, Love earned an opportunity as a 19 year old to start his college hockey journey.

Today, this has become a norm for college hockey as more and more players are beginning their college hockey days in their 20’s and playing into their mid 20’s. At the age of 24, Tyler Love will wrap up his college hockey journey and set out on his professional career somewhere. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Love earned an extra year of eligibility which he has elected to use in the 2023-24 school year. This decision was bigger than hockey as it is allowing him to begin his Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) degree after finishing up his business administration baccalaureate degree in May of this year. Ultimately, he’s hopeful that his degrees in business will help him in his professional hockey future and even as he transitions to becoming a full time hockey coach after his days as a player conclude.

So far in his four years of college hockey, he’s played in 95 career games. He’s scored three goals and dished out eight assists in his career on the offensive end. He was also named a WIAC All-Sportsmanship selection this past season; an award that is chosen chosen for individuals that displayed exemplary sportsmanship throughout the season. But even more than personal accolades, the WIAC title is a favorite memory because it marked one of the first times in his hockey career that he played for a team that won the top prize that they coveted. Sure, there were some tournament wins in his younger years, but through high school and college, winning the WIAC in his first season at UWEC was special.

In a career that’s featured a lot of sacrifice and pivots, Love gets credit to his parents, Sue and John Love for supporting him in every step of the way through his hockey career. One thing that he is especially appreciative of was the fact that his mom took on a second job to support him as he chased his dreams in the game of hockey. In what is an expensive sport, the sacrifices she made have never gone unnoticed by him and his gratefulness for that is apparent.

Love also expressed appreciation for the Pens Elite coaches who were key in his development growing up and also for his junior hockey coach, Ryan Cruthers, for teaching him how to play hockey at a high level. In college, Coach Derek Schooley at Robert Morris and Matt Loen at UWEC have each been great to him at the different stages in his college career.

The ride for Tyler Love hasn’t been perfectly smooth. He did not anticipate his hometown hockey team to shut down for two seasons in the middle of his college career. He never foresaw himself playing college hockey in the state of Wisconsin. He also did not anticipate that he would be 23 years old and playing hockey in college. But instead of seeing all the negatives in these statements, he chooses to see the positive situations and life experiences that have come from his pivots in life.

He’s already began his coaching career with D1D Hockey in Pittsburgh to prepare for the day he can no longer play competitively. He’s on his way to earning his masters degree to help set him up for future college and professional coaching positions. He also continues to train and study for a professional career that he’s been excited about for many years. There’s a lot to be proud of and “love” about your life if you’re 2018 Moon Area High grad Tyler Love.