Mike DiStefano brings 20 years of coaching experience to Mt. Carmel, where he is tasked with one order, one challenging task: Win the Kennedy Cup.

The Caravan have won the Kennedy Cup a record 20 times as the top team in the Chicago Catholic Hockey League, but the last time the school won the prized Kennedy Cup was in 2000.

“Mt. Carmel has a great tradition. I’m going to revive this program by recruiting hard this year,” DiStefano said. “I’m determined to bring this club back to their heyday, when Mt. Carmel was a destination. I’m going to do my best to restore Mt. Carmel’s great tradition.

“This job means a lot to me, It’s a great challenge, (but) I’ve had some great success at the club and high school level. Now I want to re-build Mt. Carmel into a powerhouse.

DiStefano, 63, who lives in Mokena, coached the Aurora University women’s D2 team last season and also was the hockey director and varsity coach for Sandburg High School.

He succeeds Tom Mayhan as the Caravan varsity head coach.

“We had many accomplishments at Sandburg,” DiStefano said. “When I was hired, we lost 14 seniors. I was able to recruit many club players who previously played for me. I believe Sandburg finished in 8th place the previous season. When we took over, we were able to change the culture. We finished in the final four of Illinois West two seasons in a row and both seasons played at the gold level. We won tournaments both seasons, defeated New Trier White in our very first tournament to win that championship. 

“We also beat Benet, New Trier Blue, Maine, Waubonsie Valley and others. We beat some top high school teams. Last year, we were on the verge of having three teams at Sandburg. Both our JV and varsity teams were in the final four. Last season we also won a tournament in Nashville.

“I’m very proud of what we accomplished at Sandburg.”

Now DiStefano is driven to revive the Caravan. His assistants are Liam Garvey and Chris Ruzas. Garvey is a former professional player who played in the American Hockey League. Chris was a very accomplished goalie who won the last state championship for Mt. Carmel in 1990, then went on to play in college.

“Both Liam and Chris have very solid hockey backgrounds. I’m lucky to work with them.”

DiStefano was recommended for the Caravan from longtime local coach Doug Bosse, who formerly led the Spartans Hockey Club and now coaches in the Chicago Fury organization. DiStefano interviewed with the Mt. Carmel athletic director, hockey moderator and school president. DiStefano then knew, “I was in the right place,” he said.

“I was intrigued about the Mt. Carmel job by their great history. Great players played there, (such as) my friend and former teammate Chris Chelios, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. In my opinion, Chris is the greatest American hockey player of all time. Craig Ferguson, another friend and former all-time leading scorer of the Catholic League,” also has deep roots with the Caravan.

Garvey will play a major role on the Caravan bench, leading all games and practice activities. “(We) have talent and heart,” DiStefano said. “I am excited for the kids in the program because I believe they have an opportunity to surprise some teams.”

This season’s Caravan boasts leadership, plus grit and toughness in the senior class which includes Conor McCelland, Blane Bertalmio, Zach Tengleson, Carrick Landos, Vinnie Ciocci, Danny Fidler and Alex Urban.

Mt. Carmel also carries some talented freshmen, DiStefano said. “They chose Mt. Carmel because they wanted to be different; they didn’t want to take the easy path. I look forward to working with these young men.”

Senior Carrick Londos will be the leader on offense, along with seniors Vinny Ciocci, Danny Fidler and juniors Ryan Jakob and Emmett Carr.

The defense is anchored by seniors Conor McClelland, Blaine Bertalmio and Zach Tengleson.

Senior Alex Urban and newcomer Hayden Kline will share goaltending chores.

“I don’t think many other teams have us on their radar. We need to earn our way back ... and we welcome that,” DiStefano said. “We need to stay focused and play our game. We will be a gritty, tough Southside hockey team.

“There is nothing better than a Mt. Carmel vs. St. Rita game at Southwest Ice Arena, packed with students, shaking the glass and going crazy. The last few years, all roads have traveled through Saint Ignatius. They have a great program. We also expect Brother Rice, Benet Academy and Providence Catholic to be very good.

“The Catholic League will be very competitive this year.”

Breakout Players: Keep an eye on talented players Ryan Jakob, TJ Kolke, Emmett Carr, Brayden Petro, Logan Gnatt and Rowan Garvey, among others. “I truly am thankful for (everyone) being part of our program and look forward to working with them.”

The Quote: “Mt. Carmel High School is a special place. Young men come to Mt. Carmel because they want to be special, they want to be different. These are the types of kids that attend the school, and I look forward to coaching these types of players,” DiStefano said.