As the puck slides across the goal line, the roars of the crowd flood over the ice surface as the players cheer with their team.

This is a usual occurrence for most hockey teams, but unfortunately, not for the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns.

The Pronghorns had a rough start to their season so far. They started off with a 4-10 record and are looking for a way to turn the season around.

The team is now looking to leverage the memory of a former captain and mentor to help motivate the team into a successful second half of the season.

On April 8, last year, the Pronghorns were faced with some tragic news. The team’s ex-captain Brock Hirsche had passed away from testicular cancer.

The team said Hirsche was seen as a role model for the rookie players and was someone the team could look up to in tough times.

The athlete was in his third season with the Pronghorns and in his first season as captain when he was diagnosed with cancer in 2016.

Now, just a year and a half after the passing of Hirsche, the Pronghorns have made an effort to dedicate the month of November to their former captain. The team is participating in the Movember campaign by growing mustaches and is taking time in practice to remember the athlete.

“With Brocks passing, it put a little more meaning to [Movember]. The guys really embraced that and everyone that knew Brock looked up to him and he had a pretty good duster himself, so it makes it pretty special,” said Dalton Sward 2019-20 captain in regard to how the team is treating Movember this year.

Sward said he owes most of his leadership skills to Hirsche and believes they are similar in the ways he leads the Pronghorns team.

The current captain was not the only player who spoke to what Hirsche still means to the team.

“Its definitely someone we keep in our memory everyday. We have some stuff around the room to remind us of him,” said Torrin White fourth-year right winger. “It’s good to have Dalton and Spencer there who have played with him and been through everything with him,” said White.

With only 14 games left in the season the Pronghorns are sitting four points behind the University of British Columbia for the last playoff spot.

The Pronghorns will look to improve their record this weekend as they take to the ice against the University of Manitoba Bisons.

To find results, rosters and statistics for the Pronghorns hockey team, check out gohorns.ca.