On July 6, 2016, Stephen Mallaro was introduced as the first-ever head coach of King's new men's ice hockey program, which will debut in the 2017-18 season.
Mallaro comes to King's after spending the last two years as the assistant coach at NCAA Division III member Brockport State University, Brockport, NY. Mallaro, who coached the Golden Eagles special teams and defense, helped Brockport to a combined 24-23-6 mark and two straight years of qualifying for post-season tournament play in the nationally-respected State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC).
Now, at 29 years of age, Mallaro will have the rare challenge of building a collegiate ice hockey program from the ground up. Revolution Ice Centre in nearby Pittston will serve as King's primary venue for practice and games.
"It's a dream come true," Mallaro said of being named King's first head coach. "To be able to start your own program and put your stamp on something is very special. I know the coaching business is not an easy mountain to climb, but with the support of good people, good things will happen. King's College is a very unique place. The campus is a very tight-knit community where you feel at home and everyone knows one another. The athletic department is fully supportive of the new ice hockey program and everyone I had contact with is excited to bring hockey to King's.
As a collegiate player, Mallaro enjoyed a distinguished career as a four-year letterman and two-year starter at nationally-recognized Oswego State. Mallaro helped lead Oswego State University to back-to-back NCAA Division III National Tournament "Frozen Four" appearances in 2010 and 2011.
As a junior in 2009-10, he was a starting defenseman for the Lakers, who finished 26-3 overall and 15-1 in the SUNYAC, while winning the conference championship. Oswego earned an automatic berth into the NCAA Division III National Tournament and advanced to the Frozen Four where the Lakers fell to St. Norberts 4-3. Mallaro was the top-scoring defender for the Lakers that season, registering 17 points on seven goals and 10 assists.
As a senior team captain in 2010-11, Mallaro helped lead Oswego to a 23-5 record while again going 15-1 in the SUNYAC. After being upset in the SUNYAC Tournament semi-finals, Oswego received an NCAA national tournament at-large bid and once again advanced to the national semi-final round, dropping a 5-3 decision to Adrian College of Michigan. Mallaro again topped all Laker defensemen with 19 points on four goals and 15 assists.
Over the course of his four-year career at Oswego, Mallaro played in 68 games and totaled 38 points on 11 goals and 27 assists. He was a first-team All-SUNYAC selection in 2010, then was named second-team all-conference as a senior in 2011.
After graduating from Oswego, Mallaro enjoyed a brief professional playing career. He played in the ECHL with the Elmira Jackals, the Trenton Titans, and finished the 2011-12 season as a member of the Gwinnett Gladiators, helping the team to a first-place finish in the Southern Division of the ECHL and a second place finish in the Eastern Conference. He also had a 10-day stint with the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League (AHL).
Mallaro then began his coaching career as a two-year graduate assistant coach at Manhattanville College, earning his Master's degree in Sports Management in 2014, before joining the staff at Brockport State. At Manhattanville, he coached ECAC West "Co-Defensive Player of the Year" Anton Racklin, who went on to earn third-team Division III All-American honors in 2014.
As a first time head coach at a brand new program, Mallaro is well aware of the many responsibilities that will be necessitated by not only developing a program, but recruiting the right student-athletes who will become part of building a tradition at King's.
"I will be looking for student-athletes who will be the right fit for King's," Mallaro noted. "As a coach you never sacrifice character and we will know exactly what we are looking for. We want to recruit elite people who are highly-competitive and want to be a part of the King's College culture. Academically, we will look for good students who will excel in the classroom and be good role models representing King's. Coaching is all about the process of developing people and we want quality student-athletes that want to be a part of the journey. It is important to create an identity for the program and to familiarize the hockey world with the King's College brand.
Mallaro was practically born on the ice as he began skating at age three and first played competitive hockey at four years old. After continuing through the youth ranks he played three years of ice hockey at West Genesee High School in Syracuse, NY. before moving on to play at Northwood Prep in Lake Placid, N.Y. from 2004-06. He then spent a year playing junior hockey with the Nepean Raiders in Nepean, Ontario before moving on to his collegiate career at Oswego State in 2007-08. For Mallaro, each step along the way helped shape him for his first head coaching job.
When ice hockey officially begins play, King's will field one of only four NCAA Division III men's and women's programs in the entire state of Pennsylvania. King's will join Neumann University, located in Aston in the Philadelphia area, Lebanon Valley College in Annville, and Chatham University in Pittsburgh as NCAA Division III varsity ice hockey members. Chatham has had a women's program since 1996 but will be adding men's ice hockey in 2017-18.
According to the NCAA, during the 2015-16 season a total of 76 men's varsity programs competed in Division III while 58 women's varsity programs also took to the ice.
King's conference affiliation for both men and women's teams have yet to be finalized.
Q&A with King's head coach Stephen Mallaro:
1) What has hockey meant to you and done for you?
"I can't really put a value on what hockey means to me. It has been such a huge part of my entire life. However, because of hockey I have been fortunate enough to meet some pretty awesome people who have helped shape the type of coach I am today. I am not sure I will ever be able to re-pay them but I know that without hockey I would not be where I am today."
2) What type of coach can prospective players expect to see when you recruit them?
"Prospective players can expect a very honest, hardworking, and passionate coach. However, hockey is meant to be fun, and creating a fun atmosphere is important to the whole student-athlete experience. We want to create a culture of commitment with high standards and accountability. We need to be able to recruit, develop and teach character. Someone once told me that "coaching development is the most important thing we do," and I take that very seriously. There has to be a high standard from day-one. If we expect and demand more we will get it."
3) What do you hope to have as a roster size your first year?
"Roster size the first year will most likely be around 25-30 players."
4) What style of play do you look to implement both offensively and defensively?
"Offensively we will be a creative puck possession team and exciting to watch. We will play a fast paced game and anticipate play. Defensively we will be a blue-collar tough team. Our mentality will have a positive outlook at all times. With a positive attitude and the right mindset we will have immediate success."
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5) What do you see as your optimal roster beyond your first year?
 We expect to have 15 forwards, 8 defenseman and 3 goalies.
6) You played and coached in the highly-respected SUNYAC. How did those experiences prepare you for this opportunity?
"Playing in the SUNYAC was a great experience both as a student and an athlete," Mallaro continued. "I have tremendous respect for the coaches in the league and being able to come back and coach against my former team was a lot of fun. As a coach in the league it is very competitive, it is one of the most respected leagues in all of college hockey and on any given night either team could win. I have had a lot of mentors and great references from the SUNYAC that have helped guide me through my coaching career. I hope that one day I can return the favor."
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