Year: Sophomore
Hometown: Anchorage, AK.
Last Team: University of St.Thomas
Personal:
I would be the first to admit that Saint John’s was not on my radar until just under a year ago, but to say I have fallen in love with the place would be an understatement. I grew up in Anchorage, AK and started playing hockey around the age of 9. Yes, it really was that late, and in fact, my dad made me skate for a year on the frozen ponds before trying out for the local house team. I continued to love the game more and more, and it wasn’t long until hockey was taking me across the country. Few can say they traveled all over the U.S. before attending college, and I am forever grateful for the experience and all the connections I made. I started at New Hampton Prep School for two years, then headed to Springfield, IL in the NAHL for my next two and a half. I finally was traded to Kenai River for my last half of my age-out season to play near my hometown. I decided on the University of St. Thomas in hopes of getting a chance to play Division 1 hockey. In all honesty, when I realized I was getting cut this past spring, I was faced with one of the most toughest decisions of my life: What to do next? I thought long and hard, but I saw how much I loved the atmosphere of a smaller school with a great education. I had heard about Saint john’s while at St. Thomas and had also heard of a couple other players coming here too. I came to realize the most important thing to me from a hockey standpoint had no longer to do with my personal accomplishments. Instead, the goal was to win a national championship, and that is exactly what I told Coach Doug when I asked him for an opportunity to play for the Johnnies.
Academically, I have always wanted to be some sort of engineer. Therefore, I am currently taking a course each semester at St. Cloud State, statics and dynamics this fall and thermodynamics next spring. Here at St. Johns, I am continuing with my physics classes along with some computer science courses. My dream job would include designing sports equipment such as hockey sticks or golf clubs.
For me, life after Saint John’s includes living a well-balanced life. Being able to fish and golf on the weekends is a main priority, and for that reason I do see myself returning to Alaska. However, I would love to get out and travel around the world in my first couple years out of school, especially if that meant playing a year or two professionally overseas while in pursuit of a master’s degree in the classroom.
