hockey

"I grew up in small town in northeastern Pennsylvania called Walnutport where there was a nearby canal that would freeze over. My mom took me down there one day when I was 5 years old to go ice skating, and ended up having to drag me, kicking and screaming, all the way home because I didn’t want to get off the ice. Little did she know I would fall in love with the game of ice hockey. I started playing organized hockey when I was 8 for the Lehigh Valley Comets in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Lucky for me, our family moved to Allentown when I was 11, so I was much closer to my team’s rink. Years passed, and I slowly improved, mostly in the summers when I would attend hockey camp to hone my skills. I really broke out of my shell when I was 16 and spent a summer at Berkshire Hockey Camp in Northampton, Massachusetts. I came back to Allentown that fall with a new sense of confidence and wanted to try out for a more prestigious team. I found a try out for the Philadelphia Jr. Flyers, a select team that chose the best 16 and 17 year old players in eastern Pennsylvania. I made the team and spent most of my junior year of high school traveling and playing teams throughout New England and the Midwest.

"I ended up going to Gettysburg College to play college hockey. We had a good team there and my senior year I was voted captain. That turned out to be a great season as we went on to win the league title in a thrilling game against Georgetown University where I scored the winning goal in a shoot out, earning me league MVP honors. Since college I’ve become more of a spectator to hockey. Occasionally, I’ll play pick-up hockey at Chelsea Piers in New York City or in tournaments with friends from high school and college. Recently, I’ve been coaching young players age 6-10 at Chelsea Piers once a week. I don’t think I’ll ever let the game go completely. There’s nothing like the cold air filling your lungs, hearing the wind whistle through your helmet when you get a good head of steam going, making a great move you didn’t think you could make, and of course the rush from scoring a goal.

"Hockey and opera? No, you don’t see that everyday, but as I get older I find that I need both to balance my life. Hockey has definitely made a difference in my singing career. It’s taught me determination, confidence, courage, and creativity. I hope I can play my whole life."

—Eric Fennell

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