It wasn't until age 12 that Charles Williams III started playing ice hockey. Nearly two decades later, he's the first Black goaltender in Jacksonville Icemen history.
Kids were so impressed by his netminding skills, they advised him to attend a tryout the next day for a travel team. Williams made the club and two decades later, he’s now in his third year with the Icemen, one of only five Black goaltenders among 28 teams to appear in a game this ECHL season.
But with Gahagen recently promoted to the AHL Hartford Wolf Pack, the Icemen are turning back to Williams’ experience in the ECHL playoffs. He didn’t get much help in the Icemen’s lethargic 4-1 loss Friday night to the Greenville Swamp Rabbits in Game 1 of a South Division semifinal at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena.
“Charles got put into a unique situation with three goalies, the other two being on NHL or AHL contracts,” said Icemen forward Derek Lodermeier, the team’s leading scorer with 26 goals. “I don’t think he could have handled the situation any better. A good group of us have played two or three years with him and we have every confidence that when he does play, he’s going to give us a good chance to win.
Circumstances have since changed. With Gahagen in Hartford, the Icemen are leaning on Williams a lot more to lead a deep playoff run.It’s not like Williams was obsessed with hockey, at least not the kind that required ice skates, from a young age. Williams played two years of Double-A hockey before being elevated to Triple-A prior to his senior year. That put him on an elite travel team, where he focused all his time and energy as the Buccaneers played in showcase events all over the country.
Manchester won the first three games in overtime, then shut out Reading 3-0 to close out the series. Luukko remembers it all too well. He doesn’t dwell on being the lone African-American with the Icemen, but Williams does take pride in seeing more Blacks taking up the game as he moved up the ranks. “Years ago, you could probably count [Black players] in the NHL on one hand,” said Williams. “Diversity and inclusion has come a long way. You see more and more with opportunities.”
Luukko decided with Gahagen in Hartford until either the Rangers or Wolf Pack are ousted from their playoffs, the Icemen might be better served with Williams’ experience in goal for now, though Lindbom will likely see action at some point. The Icemen coach put it this way, saying: “I’m not completely decided, but I’m leaning towards it.” That echoed Luukko’s stance on Wednesday when he remarked: “If Willie’s playing really well, I don’t see why I’d take him out.”Now at an age where he’s older than over 90 percent of ECHL players, Williams isn’t sure what his future looks like. He might continue as an Icemen goalie next season or start looking for a real job.
Player salaries run the gamut, around $2,000-$5,000 per month during the season, but having a wife and child is forcing Williams to take a hard look at his next move.
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