Abram Hershey of Gordonville, a 2025 graduate of Pequea Valley High School, is a member of the Saint Joseph's University Club Ice Hockey Team that captured the 2026 Atlantic Coast Collegiate Hockey League (ACCHL) Premier Division championship. The team defeated the University of Virginia 4-3 in overtime on Feb. 15 to win the Admiral's Cup.

Abram is a freshman, studying cardiovascular technology. "I will be working in the operating room as a surgical technologist," he noted.

This is Abram's first year of playing for the Philadelphia-based team, even though he attends the Lancaster campus, which was created when Saint Joseph's University merged with the Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences (PA College).

"There are about 26 guys on the team, and he would be the only and first one who is on the team and attends the Lancaster campus," explained Aidan's mother, Josi Hershey.

Abram started playing hockey at age 4, when he took skating lessons along with his brothers at Lancaster Ice Rink. Later, he became a member of the Lancaster Firebirds, the club team. In his sophomore year of high school, he tore his MCL, which required knee surgery.

Later, while still in high school, he started attending practice with the St. Joe's team at its practice facility in Haverford. "He was playing travel hockey, and meanwhile, he would go and practice with the the college team to get a feel of what it would be like. The coach invited him to come and practice with the team," noted Josi.

After high school, Abram wanted to play hockey at the college level but was told at first that he could not play for St. Joe's unless he attended the Philadelphia campus. However, the coach agreed to let him try out for the team last August. However, he broke his ankle in March of last year, which required surgery. Three weeks before tryouts and after physical therapy, the doctors cleared him to play.

"(The MCL injury) set him back significantly. He bounced back and was ready to go to college and broke his ankle," noted Josi. "(He thought) maybe it's time to call it quits, but he pushed through that. He didn't think he would make it. It has been such a journey. He prayed a lot and felt God gave him the courage and vision to look forward."

Throughout the past season, Abram, who plays right wing, traveled from Lancaster County to attend practice in Haverford on Mondays and Wednesdays at 10:50 p.m. "I found the practice schedule hard, especially on the drive home trying to stay awake," he shared. "But (it was) rewarding to hang out with the guys and see our hard work pay off in the games."

As a freshman, Abram did not play in the championship game, but he did play in the playoffs leading up the title. He played in about half of the 26 games throughout the season.

Abram said he is looking forward to more playing time next season and has enjoyed the camaraderie among his teammates. "The thing I enjoy most is the relationships you build with your teammates," he stated. "You spend a lot of time with them, and you get to build really strong lifelong relationships with them."