The freshman right wing has played in all 26 of
Q: What’s it like being a freshman and coming to play for such a legendary coach in Red Berenson?
A: Well for my first few meetings it was nerve-wracking, but I’m used to it now. Coach doesn’t really talk a whole lot and when he says something, he’ll stare at you for a few seconds afterward. He’s really a focused guy and obviously a legendary coach, and it’s incredible being able to play for him.
Q: Are the Spartans are your biggest rivals?
A: Yeah the biggest games of the year are always against State because of the rivalry and all the hype. This weekend is especially important because they swept us earlier in the season and these are games we have to win. Although we didn’t even play that bad earlier in the year, they came out on top in the score, and now playing in their barn and at then Joe, it’s a great opportunity for revenge. In the rivalry, each team is viewed on how they play the other team, if we can beat State, it adds so much to our season, but if we lose, it’s just the opposite.
Q: How about the guys on the team? Are you close outside the hockey arena too?
A: It’s mostly the freshman that I’ve come in with. There are 6 or 7 of us that did everything together when we first came in and we’re all pretty close.
Q: How do you deal with all the pressure associated with playing for
A: There are always high expectations coming into the season, and a lot of it for me at first was trying to live up to the hype, trying to adjust to everything, and trying not to worry about what other people think. As a team, we had some trouble at first, but we’re bonding and starting to come on stronger as a team.
Q: How would you evaluate your performance so far this year on the ice? How has your performance lived up to your expectations?
A: So far, it’s been a little short of my expectations, but I’m coming on more as the season goes on; I’m getting more comfortable with the college game and starting to play like it. I started out on the third and fourth lines and only had 1 point in the first 18 games; I wasn’t happy about that. Red really stresses playing well though whether you’re scoring goals or not, instead of playing sloppy and just trying to make the stat sheet. I just continued to try and play my best and I knew the results would follow. I made my way up to the first line with (Carl) Hagelin and (Matt) Rust and had a stretch with 6 points in 6 games.
Q: Many people consider this season to be a lost cause and are disappointed with the team’s performance so far. What is your response to the negative interpretations some fans are giving this team?
A: Well, people have opinions and we know we haven’t lived up to our preseason expectations yet, but we’re really not too far behind other teams. We’ve been playing very well lately, although we should have won that game against
Q: With that being said, what can the fans expect out of the team down the stretch?
A: Fans can expect us to see us play our best hockey and to make the NCAA tournament this year! We’re playing better than we’ve played all year, and we’ve shown that we can play with any team in the country.
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