Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Athletics

Since hockey has long been a significant part of my life, it is hard to find the perfect place to start a farewell letter to the game I will always love. What better place to start than the beginning? My first of many “thank yous” goes out to my late Uncle Norm for introducing hockey to my family. Without you this great journey would never have happened and, for that, I am eternally grateful.
    
My hometown of Antigo, Wisconsin was an amazing place to grow up playing hockey. Going back in time to “Mites” all the way through High School, I can still name off nearly everyone I played with. You all have a stamp on my heart. Through all the ups and downs, memories were made that I will never forget. Thank you all for being great teammates on and off the ice. Additionally, I would like to thank the entire McPhail and McCormick families for playing a huge role in my life in and out of hockey. The amount of time Bob McPhail, Caleb McPhail, and Scott McCormick spent coaching the youth teams I played on is infinite. Becky and Kris, I can’t thank you enough for being second mothers to me. I will always consider Ezra and Max my best childhood friends. The memories of four-hour knee hockey games, Kris’ smoothies, and outdoor rink games to “best of 7” are the ones I always dream of going back to. I extend my gratitude to everyone in Antigo from dads who drove the Zamboni to moms in the concession stand. You all mean the world to me and, because of you, I will never forget where I came from.
    
For the majority of my junior hockey career, I played in Saint Cloud, Minnesota, for the Granite City Lumberjacks. They say everything happens for a reason. Being five hours from home wasn’t easy for a small town farm kid, but Saint Cloud was the most fun I will ever have in a two-year span. The Lumberjacks are a top-notch organization because of the amount of amazing people involved. I first want to thank the Hall family for being phenomenal owners and doing anything possible for anyone who has ever been a “Jack”. Every well-run organization has someone behind the scenes that helps everything run so smoothly. For me, it was Chris “Tubby” Thomas. Thank you Tubby for being a best friend to all the players and the best skate sharpening a guy could ask for. A letter thanking all the guys I played with at Granite City would be a novel in itself. I consider all of you lifelong friends. Thank you for all the memories that I will tell stories about forever. I can’t say enough about the coaching staff in Granite City. Howie, as much as a pain in the butt you could be, I cannot help but laugh thinking about all the times we’ve had. Thank you so much for being everything you are. I can confidently say I would not be the hockey player I am today without the help of Coach Brad Willner. Thank you Coach for being all that you are and being a great teacher and even better friend. With the help of some personal success, and a lot of team success I was able to land at Saint Mary’s for the final chapter.
    
The four years at Saint Mary’s went by in the blink of an eye. The people I have met on campus and the friends I have made through hockey are simply because of the privileges Coach Moore and the University have given me. College is a chapter in life that is very intimidating to people and, for me, it was no different. I first want to thank the upperclassman who helped me along the way teaching me humility and what lifetime friendships are. To Andy Scheib, Nick Gualano, Andrew Ketterer, Brad Denney, Austin Balko, Scott Deur, and Tommy Robaczewski (just to name a few) thank you so much for taking me under your wings and making feel at home. Next, I would like to thank coaches Ryan Egan, J Reszka, Ben Kinne, and Bill Moore. You all have affected me in so many ways. I cannot thank you enough for the opportunities you provided for me. As anyone that has ever been involved in the hockey world knows, it is a family. Saint Mary’s is no different. College presents a lot of difficult times and without the brothers I had inside of the four walls of the locker room, I would have been lost. So, to all former and current teammates thank you for the memories, it has been one heck of a ride. To my fellow seniors, Jed, Bob, and Christian, thank you for being so helpful through this journey. It’s fair to say I consider you all more than teammates, I could not have asked for anyone better to travel on this journey with.  
    
Most importantly, I would like to thank my family. You are all my backbone, and nothing in my life would be possible without you. My beautiful girlfriend Britta, thank you for putting up with the time consuming schedule that hockey requires. Every trip you’ve made to Winona to see me play or just to have lunch mean the world to me. Matt, Kristen, and Nick thank you for being my best friends and supporting me in everything I have done throughout my entire career, I love you with all of my heart. There is one person who has been there from Mites to now. TJ Christensen brings “brother from another mother” to a whole new level. I can’t express enough gratitude to you for being the best friend anyone could ask for. Finally, Mom and Dad. I pray that someday I can be half the people you are. From 6AM drives to games to countless hotel stays I could never repay you. I hope through my actions on and off the ice I have made you as proud as you deserve. Thank you both the absolute most for everything you have done, I love you.
    ­
God bless everyone who as ever played a role in my career, and I thank you with all my heart.