sports

Mero recognized for contribution to season
Northeast-10 awards him men’s ice hockey Player of the Year for leading the league with 37 points

By Lauren Proctor
Staff Writer

Ryan Mero was named the Northeast-10 Men’s Ice Hockey Player of the Year. The junior forward finished the 2007-08 season with a conference best 37 points: 20 goals and 17 assists.

“It was definitely an honor,” Mero said. “It topped off a great season.”

Fan support, a good coaching staff and a close-knit team were key to the hockey team’s success, Mero said.

“We’re very fortunate to have Ryan at St. Michael’s,” said head coach Chris Davidson. "He was our biggest offensive punch (this season).”

“Every time he did get the puck, you were on the edge of your seat, almost like you were expecting something great to happen,” assistant coach Brian Bova said.

“He expects a lot of himself, and he carries that quiet intensity,” Bova said. “He’s a very humble, driven person.”

Mero’s smooth skating ability, his speed, and his quick-release shot are some of his best assets, Bova said.

Mero is a strong player on offense and defense, senior captain Erik Caron said.

“One thing that works to my advantage is that I’m not a very big kid, so I don’t think goalies expect me to shoot the way I do,” Mero said.

In a game this season against Hamilton College, Mero fired a slapshot from the left side of the top of the circle to score, Davidson said.

“I don’t think the goalie moved till after the puck was in the net,” Davidson said.

What sets Mero apart is the way he watches plays evolve and anticipates other players’ moves, Davidson said.

“Ryan’s a step ahead of the other players in NE-10,” he said.

Mero was part of the coaches leadership group, Bova said. The group consisted of the four captains and two other players: Mero and Bryan Dodge, Bova said. Players in the leadership group who aren’t captains carry as much weight in the coaches’ eyes as the captains, he said.

“When (Ryan) speaks, people are going to listen. They respect him as a person and as an athlete,” Bova said.

Mero started playing hockey when he was 4 years old because his father and brother played, he said. He played for travel leagues until 10th grade, when he was recruited by Avon Old Farms prep school to play there, he said. Mero played baseball and hockey during high school, but chose hockey when he was recruited by Davidson, who was assistant coach and scout at the time. Mero chose hockey because of the team camaraderie and because the sport is so much different from others, he said.

Off the ice, Ryan is down-to-earth and personable, junior forward Chris Healey said. He’s a fun guy to have on the team, he said.

“He’s got that winning attitude,” Caron said. “He’s got that passion.”

Mero listens to techno in the locker room before games, Caron said. The music has grown on the other members of the team, he said.

In the off-season, Mero likes to play golf, go to Burlington and go to the beach. He is a business major but isn’t sure what his future after St. Michael’s holds.

“I’ll have to think about it after next season,” Mero said.

Until then, Mero hangs out with his friends as much as possible.

“Four years go by fast,” Mero said.

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