Athletics
Hockey @ SC

Hockey Spartans Making the Grade During Unique Season

By Matt Thompson, Varsity Boys Hockey Coach
In many ways, the beginning of 2021 has started exactly as 2020 ended. Unfortunately, the flip of a calendar was not powerful enough to end the pandemic that has its grip on us. We continue to operate our lives, both inside and outside Stanstead College, with restrictions in place. Both adults and youth have had their lives altered, but we push on and look for better days while ensuring that we still take advantage of every moment to be active and learn.
 
Despite the challenges that the pandemic has caused within the hockey world, the last month in its own unique way has been incredibly positive within the Stanstead hockey family, with a number of Spartans making NCAA announcements and one other climbing up the NHL Draft rankings.

The NCAA currently has 62 programs that play at the Division 1 level, with St. Thomas in Minnesota joining the ranks next hockey season. In comparison, there are about 350 D1 basketball schools and 130 D1 football schools. With hockey being such a global game, the spots for these 62 schools are extremely competitive year in and year out, and the scholarship money even more competitive, with most teams limited to the equivalent 
of 18 full scholarships and some schools working with even less. One must work hard to attain one of these “jobs” as a student-athlete.

In late December, Sean Chisholm (Class of 2020), a power forward with a wonderful shot, set the ball in motion by committing to Dartmouth University. Sean currently plays for the Brooks Bandits in the AJHL and was enjoying a lot of success early in the season before restrictions put a pause to the Alberta league. Sean spent his Grade 12 season at Stanstead last year before heading to Alberta.


Next up was Liam Steele (2022), a current Grade 11 student at Stanstead, who joined the program in September and has shown great ability and a desire to work both on the rink and inside the classroom. A smooth skating, right-hand defenceman with great size, Liam committed to Cornell University in early January.

In hockey games, we often feel the momentum pull us in one direction or another. Whether this is actually happening or just a feeling I guess can be argued, but there is no question that it felt like momentum was picking up. The phone was ringing and on the other end were coaches looking for references on more of our alumni who were off playing junior hockey or practicing junior hockey based on the local restrictions.

When all was said and done, January saw three more former Spartans make NCAA D1 commitments. Thomas Scarfone (2019), a standout goalie during his two years here, has continued his excellent play in the BCHL, playing for the Surrey Eagles. Thomas will be heading to Rochester Institute of Technology to continue his hockey career and of course earn a degree.



Finally, two former Spartan teammates and current Victoria Grizzlies, Andrew Amousse and Isack Bandu (2019), rounded out the group with their commitments. Andrew, a three-year Spartan who plays the game with pace, toughness and a scoring ability, will head to American International College, and Isack another smooth-skating, offensive-minded D man, is on his way to Northern Michigan University.


Not to be outdone, a former teammate of all of the above (with the exception of Liam, of course) is Cole Huckins (Grade 10, 2019). Cole, who is currently in his second year with the Acadie Bathurst Titan of the QMJHL, was recently upgraded to a “B” prospect for the upcoming NHL draft. In the early Q season, Cole was off to a wonderful start with a stat line of 7 goals, 12 assists for 19 points in just 15 games.

In all my writing over the years, I have always valued the team situations more than the individual moments. I have tried to focus on the experiences that our groups have been through rather than a play-by-play of goals, assists or saves. In this case, these names deserve to be out there for people to celebrate their accomplishments, but as a group it is a reminder of the health of the Stanstead hockey program. Many more alumni are working towards their hockey goals and our current group of student-athletes continues to find ways to put the work in here on campus despite our imperfect situation.  When the pandemic hit in March and forced us to change how we do things, a common message to the faculty was that strong businesses and programs will come out stronger on the other end. We as a hockey staff have been forced to work in new ways, to try new things and of course to simply continuing to do everything within our power to help promote the Stanstead student-athlete.

About 30 Stanstead varsity hockey alumni are currently playing in the NCAA, U Sports, Canadian major junior and of course professional hockey worldwide. Former Spartan Mark Jankowski, who was a first-round pick during his Grade 12 year at Stanstead, actually scored the first goal of the entire NHL season as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Well done Spartans, continue to represent well in all that you do. Stay safe and best wishes.

Coach Thompson
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