This Sunday at 1:00pm, Vanderbilt will battle Tennessee in the fourth installment of the Commodores’ Interstate Face-Off Series. This year’s edition will be the third “I-40 Face-Off” and the first since 2012. Vanderbilt won the first two I-40 tilts 6-2 (2011) and 10-1 (2012).

At stake in the game will be not only state bragging rights but also the opportunity to hoist the Culpepper Jefferson Memorial Trophy. Dubbed the “Cullie” for short, the trophy is a hand-crafted artifact named after a simple man near forgotten in the lore of Davidson County’s illustrious history. His life story, and motto, hold special meaning to the matchup between the Commodores and Ice Vols.

Background on the Trophy’s Namesake

Culpepper Jefferson was a wiley old kook who, in the 1870s, launched Davidson County’s very first whiskey distillery. His professional pursuits, born out of an unhealthy obsession with replicating the successes of one Jack Daniel from nearby Lynchburg, Tennessee, were as haphazard as they were ambitious. His goal? Create the state’s most revered whiskey beverage.

Desperate for success and, more importantly, differentiation from the Old Number 7 bottle, he and his wife Annabelle employed two new-to-market innovations that to this day still resonate with master distillers and brewers the world over. The first was to use red cedar charcoal native to Tennessee in the whiskey-making process. Jefferson was adamant on the decision, saying that “Ole C.J.” Whiskey’s signature cedar flavor would forever eclipse Daniel’s sugar maple. “That sugar ain’t nothing but fer sissies,” he would bark at local watering holes to anyone who would listen.

The second was to freeze the charcoal before slow-filtering the water through it. Made possible by refrigeration technologies introduced in the 1860s, the thought was that the cold filtration process would unlock the flavor of the cedar. Ole C.J.’s vintage hue, a dark reddish umber, was said to be attributed specifically to this process. “Iced is better” became the whiskey’s brand slogan.

Unfortunately for Jefferson, in his haste to differentiate he forgot one important concern about the beverage: its taste. Ole C.J. quickly became the laughing stock of the state as one newspaper called it “the most ungodly, detestable, putrid swill you will find on either side of the Mississippi.” It turned out that the cedar he was using, while terrific for building homes and furniture, was terrible for whiskey-making (a lesson that, as mentioned, still resonates with distillers and brewers to this day). Jefferson would have realized this had he not unknowingly inhibited his senses of taste and smell following a dispute over the result of a card game in his early 20s.

With inventory shelves stacked ten feet high and a mile long and no hope of selling his Ole C.J. product, Jefferson set out to divest his assets to salvage some semblance of a profit. It was at this dark moment that good fortune smiled down on the would-be liquor tycoon. A German immigrant by the name of Adolph Coors came calling, interested in purchasing Jefferson’s cold filtration patents and technologies. Despite his weak negotiating position, Jefferson secured a favorable deal and sold his intellectual property to Coors. Annabelle called the result “dadgum-rific!” Today, Coors not only employs elements of this hundred-plus year old technology in its beer-making processes, but it also carries over elements of the C.J. identity in its marketing (i.e., Coors is said to be “The Coldest Tasting Beer In The World”). All these years later, the world still realizes that “iced” truly is better.

The Trophy’s Construction

To construct the I-40 Trophy, a host of local historians were enlisted to first propose an award concept worthy of the event. Upon researching the history of the greater Nashville area and uncovering the story of Jefferson, the team felt strongly that incorporating an homage to the Davidson county native’s life and accomplishments would fit nicely with this soon-to-be annual hockey clash. Said seventh-generation middle Tennessee historian Mortimer Penniweather, “Jefferson couldn’t hammer home the ‘Iced is Better’ slogan enough, something I know the Vandy and UT hockey clubs would agree with whole-heartedly.” He added, “Jefferson was an innovator, even in failure, and in this case where the Commodores and Ice Vols are working to drive interest in and support for a sport whose roots don’t exactly run deep in the South, the parallels between the efforts are clear.”

With concept in hand, a team of engineers from Princeton led by renowned craftsman Josh Girvin salvaged cedar planks from the demolition of the Jefferson’s 125-year-old estate and crafted the trophy that you see pictured above. Incredibly, the Interstate-40 highway sign was discovered in the family’s barn, no doubt requisitioned via the handiwork of mischievous prankster Winston Jefferson, Culpepper’s twice-great grandson. Said Girvin upon making the discovery, “I guess this connection between Culpepper and the I-40 Face-Off was meant to be.”

The Big Game Approaches

Game time is 1pm this Sunday, 3/30, at Bridgestone Arena with doors opening to the public at 12:30pm. Admission is free for all who wish to attend so feel free to bring a crew of fans with you (preferably those wearing black and gold!). ANCHOR DOWN!

On this most ominous of days on the Gregorian calendar, Friday the 13th, the Vanderbilt Commodores Ice Hockey Club will head 441 miles east to open up its season against the University of South Carolina Gamecocks (@CockHockey) and Clemson Tigers (@ClemsonHockey). With three games on the schedule, two versus USC and one versus Clemson, the weekend should prove to be a stout test for the Commodores right out of the gate for the 2013/14 season.

“We barely split with Clemson last year and South Carolina handled us thoroughly, largely on the play of their goalie,” said junior defenseman Greg Kirk who is still sidelined with a foot injury he suffered in April’s I-65 Face-Off. “We’re fired up to play those types of teams though, we want to play games that are competitive.”

Fortunately, the club seems to be maintaining a pretty carefree perspective about the challenge.

“I’m thinking we kick things off with an ‘Old School Goalie Mask Night,'” said goalie Andrew “The Iceman” Keen. “You know, with it being Friday the 13th and all, let’s have a little fun with it.” It’s of course a terrible idea made all the more ill conceived by the fact that Andrew will be the only goalie making the trip (sophomore Riley Macdonald has been sidelined with a concussion and sophomore Bo Korpman will be staying in Nashville to tend to his ROTC responsibilities) but his teammates nevertheless appreciate their goalie keeping things loose.

Young Guns Lead The Way

The upcoming campaign will be marked by a youth movement in the player ranks with 14 new skaters in the lineup.

On the front lines, freshman John Longman (Shaker Heights, Ohio) will look to vie for the title of CSO – “Chief Sniping Officer” – alongside fellow freshmen Ketul Patel (Kendall Park, New Jersey), Stephen Wei (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), Calen Leverant (Scottsdale, Arizona), and Tucker Rhodes (Needham, Massachusetts) plus sophomore transfer Matt Neurohr (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania).

Rhodes in particular gives new meaning to the expression “young guns” as he’s known to arrive at the rink wearing what one teammate Michael Hite describes as “1980’s Bruce Springsteen-inspired cutoff t-shirts,” a high compliment from the New Jersey native. Rhodes’s confidence should be a big asset for the club heading into the season.

Rookies tasked with securing the defensive zone will be freshmen Andrew Dellapina (Randolph, New Jersey), Nick Honkala (Englewood, Colorado), Ben Gallatin (Acton, Massachusetts), Zach Satin (Potomac, Massachusetts), and Eddie Meyercord (Princeton, New Jersey) along with sophomore transfer Bandar Alsaif (Great Falls, Virginia).

Veterans Providing The Foundation

The team will have a host of veterans returning for 2013/14 to help shepherd the flock of newbies. Senior Jack Delehey, the club’s president, will start the season on the disabled list following surgery to repair a torn meniscus but will look to deliver a spark upon return in October.

Anthony “The Dean” Bilotta, another senior, will split time at center and defense depending on the situation, opponent, and his mood on game day. Bilotta brings a physical style of play to games that the coaches love and count on.

“There are guys that love to hit, and then there’s Anthony,” described Coach Bernstein. “He really loves to hit […] and we’re certainly happy to green-light that passion. It’s a huge asset for the team especially when the boys are down and need a spark.”

The club will count on Junior Danny “Hoagie” Hogue, last year’s team MVP and leading scorer, and sophomore Jack “Fan Club” Gibbons to power the team on the scoreboard. They’ll also be counted on to light up Twitter with the wit and charm that fans of the program have grown to love and appreciate over the past year.

Follow The Team

You can follow all of the weekend’s scores and highlights from the comfort of your home, the basement of a fraternity party, or your floor seats at the Blake Shelton concert by staying tuned to Twitter (@VandyIceHockey) and Facebook. On behalf of the players, coaches, and parents, the club thanks all of its fans for their support heading into the new season. Can’t wait to get things kicked off … ANCHOR DOWN!

Along with the rest of campus, the Vanderbilt hockey club is preparing for the 2013/14 school year with great anticipation. The upcoming campaign will be the club’s 37th since its founding and the sixth since the start of the South Eastern Collegiate Hockey Conference (SECHC).

Heading into the season, the club looks to welcome a sizable rookie class from all across the eastern half of the country. The players who have gotten in touch with the team so far include:

• Bandar Alsaif – Great Falls, VA
• Marc Balistrere – Hopkinsville, KY
• Andrew Dellapina – Randolph, NJ
• Benjamin Gallatin – Dayton, OH
• Rob Harrigan – Amherst, NH
• Nick Honkala – Pittsburgh, PA
• John Longman – Shaker Heights, OH
• Riley Macdonald – Westport, CT
• Alak Mehta – Montville, NJ
• Eddie Meyercord – Princeton, NJ
• Matthew Neurohr – Wexford, PA
• Ketul Patel – Kendall Park, NJ
• Zach Satin – Potomac, MD
• Stephen Wei – Pittsburgh, PA

The club will welcome back a slew of veterans as well headlined by 2012/13 assistant captains Jack Delehey, the club’s president, and David “Sunshine” Crowe. Team MVP Daniel Hogue will be returning for his junior year as will second team All-SECHC defenseman Greg Kirk.

Kirk, who suffered a broken foot in April’s I-65 Face Off versus Alabama, is especially excited to hit the ice. “Honestly, I’ve spent the summer eating really poorly and shuffling from one couch to another. My body could use a little get-up-and-go.”

Rising sophomore Jack Gibbons is also pumped up for the season. “I have a career penalty minute crown to secure,” noted Gibbons, referring to the career statistics that were published earlier this summer. “I mean, if I weren’t hurt last year I’d own that record already with three more years to go. It’s in the bag.” Gibbons also looks forward to scoring a few goals in honor of his adoring public – a.k.a. the “Gibby Fan Club.”

The team will get the season started with a “Rookie Kickoff” on Saturday, August 24th, that will include a team meeting at the Student Recreation Center from 11-11:45am followed by a team lunch from noon to 2pm at Sportsman’s Grill in Hillsboro Village. We’ll be welcoming a special guest from the Nashville hockey community to join us so be sure to drop in if you’re a hockey player and interested in the club. Tryouts will then follow on Monday (8/26 at 8:20pm) and Wednesday (8/28 at 8:00pm), both at Centennial Sportsplex just off of campus.

Download the full 2013/14 kickoff schedule today >>

As always, stay tuned to www.vanderbilthockey.com along with Twitter and Facebook for the latest on the team throughout the season. We appreciate your support and look forward to a great 2013/14 campaign. ANCHOR DOWN!