When you ask an ice hockey player where he learned to play, the answer is rarely Nipomo, Calif.
The reason? There’s no place to play.
Many ice hockey hopefuls had to head to other cities like Bakersfield or Oxnard, both two hours away.
But senior Trevor Peterson — now a goaltender for the Oregon club ice hockey team — didn’t start on ice skates. He began on roller blades.
Nick Sciabarra did not expect this level of success when he joined the Oregon club hockey team earlier this fall.
The Oregon freshman never thought he’d be playing center instead of right wing, which he previously played. He never thought he’d be on the second line for his first year with the Ducks. And he certainly never thought that, during his rookie season, he’d be tied for first in assists as well as be the second-leading player in points and goals on the team, just two behind junior Alex Sulitzer in both categories.
When Justin Lacasse graduated in 2011, it seemed improbable that he ‘d ever be on the ice again as a Duck. He had moved to Washington for work and, while playing, never thought coaching was for him.
But things change.
When the 2012-2013 club hockey season ended for the Ducks, they faced a new opponent: debt. Oregon hockey had accumulated around $17,000 worth of cost during their season which needed to be paid — and soon.
The NHL and the NHL Players’ Association (NHLPA) did what hockey fans thought they wouldn’t be able to do—come to an agreement. After 510 regular-season games, including the Winter Classic and the NHL All-Star game, were cancelled due to labor disagreements, hope looked lost for the season. So, when hockey officially kicked off this Saturday with 15 games, fans rejoiced… for the most part.
For some people though, the lockout left a bitter taste in their mouth. They see the lockout as a battle between the rich and the richer, brought about solely by greed. They see the abbreviated season, 48 regular-season games per team, as an insult to fans and season ticket holders. They see this whole thing as something that had hurt and will continue hurt teams with smaller fan-bases as well as the sport of hockey in general.
All lockout-drama aside, Dan Effinger, defenseman for the Oregon Ducks hockey team, is excited to finally have the season back.
With the 5th annual Monster Mash Run/Walk taking place in Alton Baker Park this Sunday, October 21, expect to see crazy costumes running, literally running, around the trails near the Willamette River.
As senior Trevor Rogers was taxied onto the Montgomery Field runway, he took a deep breath.
“Montgomery Tower, Cirrus six-three-zero-sierra-foxtrot holding short two-eight right for an eastbound departure,” he said into the radio.
“Six-three-zero-sierra-foxtrot clear for eastbound departure two-eight right,” the tower crackled back.
Here’s how Mr. Fousek’s fourth period AP Government class spends the week before Thanksgiving break: by studying for Thursday’s unit test and catching up on their reading; by having the mock trail Justices convene in the hall and have the attorneys debate the outcome in another room; by hoping that, besides the test, there won’t be any hard work to be done; and (if you’re senior Amani Raymond or senior Taylor Petersen) by planning a secret pizza party.
For the roller hockey boys, it’s all about trust.
They trust that their teammates will be in the right place on the rink. They trust that, once they pass the puck, their teammates can, and will, make the shot. They trust that if a play turns sour, their team will be right there behind them to back them up.
However, for seniors Dylan Dixon, Kyle Clements and Willy Morrison, it’s more than just trust. It’s chemistry. It’s knowing one of them will be there to receive a pass, even without checking. It’s knowing that, when one of them takes it to the net, someone will drop back to play D. It’s knowing that someone has their back, no matter what. It’s the kind of chemistry that takes years to build.
Sophomore Lois Kim smacked against the rink floor.
During her first game of her first year of roller hockey, she was flattened by the largest player on the opposing team. “Decked,” she called it.