32 | JANUARY 6 • 2022

California from 2016-18,
helping Detroit win a bronze
medal in Miami.
Berke’s hockey career
began not too many years
after he was born.
After playing for several
years in the Novi Youth
Hockey Association, then in
the Compuware and Victory
Honda travel programs, he
began his junior hockey days
with a two-season stay with
the Atlanta Capitals in the
NA3HL, scoring 13 goals
and dishing out 16 assists
during the 2019-20 and
2020-21 seasons.
A coaching change in
Atlanta had Berke looking
for greener pastures, so the
6-foot-1, 180-pounder tried
out for the Tier II Hitmen
team in the NCDC (National
Collegiate Development
Conference).
He didn’t make the
team. His USPHL Premier
Division rights belonged
to the Bridgewater
(Massachusetts) Bandits, but
the Hitmen made a trade for
him, which is what Berke
wanted.
Berke has been practic-
ing with the Tier II Hitmen
team, which is loaded with
Division I college players.
If all goes well, he’ll play
for the Tier II Hitmen team
next season in his final year
of junior hockey eligibility,
which would be a huge step
toward realizing his dream
of being a Division I college
hockey player.
“Ryan is definitely a Tier
II prospect,” Manochio said.
“I’d be shocked if he didn’t
make our Tier II team next
season. Our Tier III team
mirrors what our Tier II
team does, so Ryan already
has that knowledge.”

Berke began this season
playing on a line with wing-
ers Jack Noel and Teppei
Ueno, who temporarily left
the Hitmen to join Team
Japan for the World Junior
Championship, which began
Dec. 26 in Estonia.
Nolan Patrick was signed
by the Hitmen and joined
the line with Berke and Noel.
The trio has been practically
unstoppable since Patrick
climbed on board.
“Those three guys clicked
immediately. Flawlessly,”
Manochio said. “Each guy
has energy, smiles a lot, loves
being at the rink and is into
the new-age creativity of
hockey players. They’re also
close off the ice.”
Berke agrees.
“Our line has amazing
chemistry,” he said.
The Hitmen were 11-13-2
before the holiday break. But
they got off to a slow start
with just 14 players on the
roster and Manochio being
named coach just before the
start of the season.
With 27 players on the
roster now and lots of talent-
ed players, the Hitmen are
looking for a strong finish to
the regular season and a long
playoff run.
“We expect to get 12, 13,
14 wins in our last 18 regu-
lar-season games,” Manochio
said.
Berke’s parents are Mark
and Alisa Berke. Mark
Berke was Ryan’s coach for
many years on youth hockey
teams.
Ryan’s sister Linsday, 17, is
an outstanding tennis player
at North Farmington.

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H

illel International,
the largest Jewish
campus organization
in the world, recognized out-
standing Hillel professionals
and campus Hillels who are
leading the way in creating
innovative programming and
strengthening campus com-
munities during this chal-
lenging time. Among those
Hillel recognized this year
was Robyn Hughey, associate
director of MSU Hillel and
the Hillel Campus Alliance
of Michigan (HCAM).
Hillel International named
Robyn Hughey a Richard M.
Joel Exemplar of Excellence,
which honors professionals
in various stages of their
careers whose remarkable
passion and outstanding
devotion to the Jewish
campus community enrich
the lives of Hillel students,
ensures that the organization
reflects a culture of excel-
lence and sets a standard
for all Hillel professionals to
emulate. Hughey was one of
eight professionals to receive
this award.
“Robyn Hughey represents
Hillel at its best: uplifting
and inspiring students, and
building a thriving Jewish
student community,” said
Hillel International President
and CEO Adam Lehman.
“Hillel’s mission is more
important now than ever,
which is why we’re elated to
honor leaders, like Robyn,
who go above and beyond in
bettering the lives of Jewish
students and their campus
communities.”

The awardees, chosen
because of how they symbol-
ize Hillel’s culture of excel-
lence, were honored before
a virtual audience of over
1,000 Hillel professionals
from around the world as
part of Hillel International’s
Global Assembly, an annual
event that brings leaders
together for professional
development and network-
ing.
“On behalf of MSU Hillel,
the Hillel Campus Alliance
of Michigan, and thousands
of Jewish students state-
wide, I am very proud of
Robyn’s success and recog-
nition with this award. She
works tirelessly to support
Jewish life on campus and
greatly impacts the work
we do every day,” said MSU
Hillel and HCAM Executive
Director Cindy Hughey.

Hillel International
Honors MSU’s
Robyn Hughey

Robyn
Hughey

continued from page 31
sports HIGHlights