Skating off the ice
When the Aggies head to Florida for the ACHA National Tournament, it will be the last time two Aggies will take the ice in a Utah State uniform. The two seniors marked their careers not with flashy plays but by being a solid part of the Utah State hockey core.
Aggie defenseman Jeremy Martin played for Utah Valley University before transferring to USU when that team dissolved in 2009. Cache Valley native David Reeve is the only Cache Valley local on the Utah State team.
Martin was described by USU head coach Jon Eccles as a “silent leader.” The Vancouver, British Columbia, native started playing hockey as a kid and rode the levels up through college.
He played college hockey for Utah Valley and is the last of the four players who came to Utah State to graduate from UVU when the team fell apart. Martin said he doesn’t regret making the move to USU.
“I am definitely happy to be up here,” Martin said. “I don’t know what would have happened if I stayed down there. My life would have been a lot different.”
Eccles said Martin’s graduation is bittersweet.
“They were a group of players who you hate to play against but then when they came and played with us we loved it,” Eccles said. “They brought so much to the team with their intensity and skill.”
Each year since the transfer the Aggies have graduated UVU players. The first to go was Micheal Douglas, then last year USU lost David Wyman and Seth Armitage. Now Martin’s time is up.
“It was a fun time and it’s been kind of hard,” Eccles said. “It’s been sad to see them go.”
Eccles said Martin’s intensity and work ethic on the ice will be missed.
“He has so much passion and works so hard out there,” Eccles said. “Even when he’s sick or injured he wants to get out and play. He hates it when he can’t.”
Martin said he has been able to play with so much passion because of the quality of his teammates.
“Every year I have been here we have gotten better and better,” Martin said. “It’s made it more exciting in terms of not losing the passion.”
Martin said his favorite thing about playing at USU has been the Aggie fans.
“They make it exciting to play here,” Martin said. “That is the thing I will miss the most.”
After making it to nationals with the team last year, Reeve said he is excited to make one final trip to the tournament.
“It just kind of finishes it off with a cap — a bang,” Reeve said.
The forward grew up playing roller hockey but switched to ice hockey and played for Sky View High School. Reeve has picked up his play in the second half of this season notching two goals and two assists against Brigham Young University.
“To see the change in his ability has been phenomenal,” Eccles said. “He works so hard and pushes the other players. He has had a great second half getting some goals.”
Reeve said he has many good memories from his time at USU.
“The best memory has to be regionals,” Reeve said, “when we won last year at home and we had all the fans in the back hall.”
He will graduate in May with a degree in marketing.
“I want to get a sports marketing master’s degree in the long run,” Reeve said.
Eccles said the improvement Reeve has made over his career has been exciting to watch.
“David has been so fun to have just to watch him get better and better each year,” Eccles said. “It’s been fun to watch him mature as a person and a player.”
– meredith.kinney@aggiemail.usu.edu