The B.C. connection

By CUW Student Assistant Alyssa Jodarski

Falcons flock to Concordia Wisconsin from all across the globe. The men's hockey team is home to players not only from all over the United States but is home to fifteen Canadian hockey players. Out of these fifteen, eight are from British Columbia, with six of those originating in Victoria. The following players reside in Victoria, British Columbia: Nick Guerra, Cole Pickup, Nick Guiney, Michael Fradette, Dante Hahn, and Josh Adkins. Living only a few hours away from them in British Columbia are players Mac Ferner and Bo Didur.

For Mac Ferner, remembering his recruitment British Columbia to CUW brought a smile to his face. He mentioned, "It all started with the assistant coach at the time. He started and went out to BC to one of the showcases and just watched, or he'd watch our games online. He just adapted to it and brought us over here. We kind of helped out after that. We just try to stick with our roots and bring good players and good people into this community here."

Josh Adkins continued, "Our senior class right now was the first group of BC guys to come here. We told people we knew to come and it was like a snowball effect."

Coming to CUW, for Adkins and Ferner, was not a decision they took lightly. During the recruiting process, they kept in touch with each other. Adkins articulated, "Me and Dante (Hahn) actually were pretty good friends back home, so when we were deciding which school we wanted to go to we had a few options, and this one we both had an interest in. We almost decided to make our decision together. Also, a former teammate of mine, Eric Therrien, was on the team before I got here, and he was telling me some good things about it. It sounded like the right fit for me."

Ferner shared his own story: "For me, being from Vernon, which is about five hours from Victoria, I played with Dante in junior's, so we kept in touch that way. I was getting offered some other schools, but then Dante texted me one day, asking if I would want to come to Concordia. After that, I got ahold of a former assistant coach. Seeing the school online, I thought it would give me an opportunity to keep playing and get a degree, which is probably one of the most important things coming to this school."

Moving away from home and going to college is a big adjustment for anyone but moving to a whole new country is a huge adjustment. Having each other through that process, according to Adkins and Ferner, was a huge advantage.

Adkins, thinking back to the experience, stated, "It just makes the whole thing easier. You know what you're getting into. You hear it from the guys before you have to do it yourself. You're more prepared than you would be if you would come in not knowing anyone."

Ferner, remembering high school, revealed that, "We don't really have high school hockey in Canada. I played juniors in grades 11 and 12. That was a big factor because you have to miss a lot of school. You have to try to keep on top of things, so it got us ready for the college career side of it."

Ferner continued, however, "It was kind of a big jump because we were out of school for a couple of years after high school and it just kind of took a while to get adjusted to it, but once we did it was a good fit for us.

Adkins noted, "You play junior's until you're 20, so after high school, it's pretty much two years of just hockey. For me, I took a few college courses during that time, just to prepare myself."

With all of these men being from the same area, not only did they have each other through the recruiting process and the traveling process, but they have known each other, most of them for their entire lives. Adkins revealed, "One of the main reasons we all came here was because we all knew each other. We've all played together at some point for the most part. I played with Nick Guerra and Nick Guiney growing up. They're a year younger than us, and when they were trying to make their decision on what school to come to, I recommended Concordia."

These men not only have hockey and their hometown in common, but they also share similar areas of interest in schooling. For the most part, all of the players from British Columbia are majoring in business and marketing. Adkins went into a little detail on the advantages of being in class together, expressing, "You get to class and you see your friends, basically, your teammates. It makes it easier. You can do your homework together and share your notes."

Ferner said, "If someone is struggling with something and someone might understand it a little better, you can always ask that guy for help and it brings us a little closer together than just the hockey aspect of it. Just sharing knowledge with each other is a huge way to connect for us."

Ferner felt it important for anyone coming into CUW to know that it's a great school. He professed, "I think it's a really good fit overall. You have a good family here. They're basically bringing really good men, good players, you're in a great location, the schooling is really good. It's one of the top business programs in Wisconsin. The professors are really understanding about you playing sports and they'll help you out when you need it. Having small classrooms is a big thing too since we miss a little bit of school during the season. The professors understand and they're always there for one-on-one help."

Overall, the men on CUW's hockey team have had an exceptional experience with the school. Whether they originate in British Columbia, anywhere else in Canada, or the United States, they all have the love for hockey in common. Although, being a team mixed between Canada and the United States, there's always a little bit of fun, competitive banter. Adkins confessed, "The guys like to chirp a little bit and throw some jabs here and there, but it's all in good taste. We all have fun."