Omaha Lancers’ TJ Schweighardt to compete in third USHL season before playing for UMass Lowell
OMAHA, Neb. (BVM) — TJ Schweighardt currently competes in the highest level of U.S junior ice hockey as a defenseman for the Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey League. There are two regular season games of the 2020-21 season left — both against the Tri-City Storm — before he and the team make the push for the Clark Cup playoffs which begin on April 26.
But the 20-year-old has another dream team he’s looking to play for. He has never played collegiate hockey before and most recently gave his verbal commitment to play for the UMass Lowell River Hawks starting in the 2022-23 season.
“My dream was always to get a D1 scholarship to play hockey, so when that offer was on the table it was one of my happier moments,” Schweighardt said. “I’m excited for new beginnings and to finally get back into the groove of school and the college hockey grind. The atmosphere and fans and the way they run things at UMass is why I chose the program.”
Schweighardt said he’ll play for one more season in the Tier I U.S. Hockey League before he brings all of this experience on the ice to the River Hawks. At 6-foot-0, 182-pounds, Schweighardt is known for making the right plays; he knows when to contribute offensively while also making sure to take care of the defensive zone first. In 47 games for the Lancers, he made three goals and had 11 assists for 14 points.
The last time the Lancers won the Clark Cup was during the 2007-08 season. This will be Schweighardt’s first shot at the title since it wasn’t awarded last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“As of right now we did not clinch playoffs,” Schweighardt said, “It is coming down to the very last game [April 24], we are trying our very best and following our game plan to hopefully make playoffs.”
No matter how things play out this week and the following, Schweighardt said he’s ready to see what else he can accomplish out on the ice. He hopes to go pro one day after he competes for one more season in junior hockey and plays out his collegiate career.
“When I’m on the ice nothing else matters and that’s the greatest part,” Schweighardt said. “It clears my mind and gets me away from the real world almost like a stress reliever. I always just try to be the best I can be. If there’s a bump in the road, so be it, it is what it is and we move on and keep moving forward.”
Although he grew up in an athletic family surrounded by sports, which included golf and dirt bike riding, he said he’s happy to have excelled the most in hockey. One of his happiest memories was winning the 2019 state championship with Don Bosco Prep. He led the team to a 5-3 win over Delbarton in the Gordon Cup final when he netted a hat trick.
Schweighardt said he’s looking to make more memories like that while playing for UMass Lowell. As of right now, he’s undecided on what he wants to major in but noted that the culture and blue collar work ethic that UMass Lowell brings will help him in the long run following his career in sports.
