By Ryan Carlson (@ryancarlson88):
There’s a reason hockey players are commonly referred to as warriors, in the NHL, but also throughout the lower levels of the game as well.
The training involved to play the high-paced skating sport can be strenuous as players learn fundamentals of skating, passing, shooting and the most eye-catching part of the game… the checks.
Playing college hockey requires just as much, if not more effort and energy than other levels, sometimes having three games in a row with no shortage of forceful contact.
“It’s a lot different than any other hockey, it takes a toll on your body,” said San Jose State senior defenseman William Hoffman. “For me I’ve been playing with a torn meniscus, a grade three separation in my AC joint, and hips are usually sore.”
For Hoffman and the Spartans, it hasn’t been the easiest campaign so far. On their last road trip, they faced three physical teams all ranked in the top six of the ACHA DII standings. SJSU was outshot and outmatched physically, resulting in a broken wrist for Freshman forward Kevin Scott and a pulled groin for Senior defenseman Jon Rivard.
The way a player takes a hit can make all the difference from getting “wrecked” to absorbing the hit enough to where you can keep playing.
“The art of taking a hit takes a long time to learn,” said forward junior captain Corey Semmelmayer. “You can use the glass to absorb most of the impact but make sure your knees are low because it is harder for the opposition to move you when your center of gravity is low.”
Hockey before college or minors is all about taking a hit and getting younger players prepared for hits — referred to as checks in hockey. Semmelmayer is one of the more physical guys on SJSU’s roster and isn’t afraid to stand up for teammates and dish out some checks.
“Not a lot to train for when it comes to checks.” Says Semmelmayer. “We just make sure that we are in shape as possible and we can control what we can control. Sometimes we don’t know how physical the other team is gonna be so we just gotta be ready for everything.”
An article by Bleacher Report rates the collisions of hockey to be of more impact than football. The story points out that humans can skate faster than they can run and most checks are straight into the boards or the glass.
There is no fighting in college hockey, so checking is the next best thing for even the most avid hockey fan. It lets the players display their emotion, but it has a larger impact on the game as a whole.
“Plays a gigantic role in every game, every season,” Semmelmayer said. “You are bound to get hit and it can tire you out real fast.”
Playing three or four games in a row has its effect on these college athletes, but they spend most of their time focusing on conditioning and making sure their bodies are prepared for heavy hits.