International Student Continues to Thrive at Saint Viator

Saint Viator hockey plays in the first round of the state playoffs on Saturday, as part of the Amateur Hockey Association Illinois State Championship series. The No. 6 seeded Lions will take on the No. 28 seed, St. Rita High School, at 5:20 p.m. at the Mount Prospect Ice Arena.

However, the Lions will have more going for them than skating on their home ice. Vitalii Strutynskyi, one of the team’s top forwards, will be there to help protect their home turf.

Vitalii was one of five student athletes to sign letters of intent last week to play in college. In his case, Vitalii committed to playing hockey at Purdue Northwest University in Hammond, IN, and majoring in cyber security.

“I wanted to play hockey, and they had the academics I was looking for,” Vitalii said. “I’ve dreamed of playing at the next level, in college and even beyond, and this will help me get there.”

Vitalii arrived at Saint Viator last year, after he and his family fled the city of Kalush in western Ukraine. While he originally struggled with the language barrier, joining the hockey team has helped him adjust. 

“The language barrier was obviously hard to overcome but even more so was being a stranger to a team and school of new people,” Head Coach Tim Benz said. “I believe our Viatorian values eased this process for him as we are extremely welcoming and accepting, not only as a hockey program but as a school and community.”

Coach Benz adds that Vitalli has grown immensely this year, saying he is more comfortable with his teammates, his coaches and the actual game.

“The style of play here is different from the European style,” Coach Benz says. “We play a much more physical game here. 

“The ice surface is a bit smaller in North America so there is not as much space,” he adds. “Therefore, you don’t have as much time to make a play and your opponents are on you quicker. After adjusting to the style of play this year he has been much more impactful.”

Speaking of impactful, Vitalii has also benefited from the support of the Rev. Mark R. Francis, CSV, International Program. While Saint Viator has had an international program since 2005, it was named for Fr. Francis in 2012, the last year he served as Superior General of the Viatorians. 

Consequently, the program reflects his years of international study and service. It is intended to focus on student needs and enable them to develop cultural understanding and performance skills necessary to succeed in academic and social situations.

“Vitalii is one of our top players,” Coach Benz says. “He is definitely one of the hardest working players on the ice and he is one of our top penalty killers as well.”