For two years he has played on a team which has experienced a serious bout of growing pains. Yet through it all junior Ben Storey has remained a calming influence on the Harvard blueline.
His steadfast presence both on and off the ice has been a source of consistency for the Crimson, but this season with only four seniors on the roster, Storey has been forced to take that role one step farther--to that of a leader.
"With the team being so young here it makes it a little easier for the older guys to take on leadership roles," Storey said. "I have done it consciously, but I think that as I have gotten older it's been kind of a natural progression."
At times, however, that natural course of events has been speeded up by necessity. In his first season, Storey was among a young Crimson squad which battled all the way to the ECAC championship finals in Lake Placid.
The road was not an easy one, however, as it took a gruesome nine-game losing streak which ended regular season play before Harvard would rebound and make its Cinderella run. The story that year was injuries, and at one point during the infamous winless streak, more than a third of the Crimson's players were sidelined with physical ailments. The coaches, players and fans hoped for a much easier ride the following season, but once again adversity became the Crimson watchword.
This time, injuries remained the side-bar while the overwhelming youth took center stage. Harvard was the youngest team in Division 1 hockey last year and it was that burden which helped precipitate a frustrating 11-18-3 record.
"The juniors and seniors have really had to step up to the plate these last few years," said Harvard Coach Ronn Tomassoni. "When they came here we didn't have the talent base that could take the pressure off players like Ben. Unfortunately for this team to be successful, it's important that they do step into that role."
Throughout those first two seasons, Storey played in the shadows behind flashier upperclassmen like Peter McLaughlin '96 and Ashlin Halfnight '97.
His statistics were equally misleading--two goals and 17 assists through 58 games--as the true measure of Storey's impact could only be seen through his playing minutes. While he was hanging back, allowing his defensive partner to break into the offense, Storey was silently learning the art of the trade. An offensive defenseman by nature, Storey used his first few seasons in college to perfect play in his own zone.
"When I was younger, I was very offensive minded, but when I got here I had to learn very quickly to play the defensive position a little bit better," Storey said. "I think that in my first two years I took a little bit off the offense because I was learning so much about the defense."
Holding back by the blueline was never easy for Storey, but the discipline throughout the two-year learning process translated into a potent game on both sides of the ice. Eventually, equipped with a much-improved defensive game, Storey was able to move forward and display his natural strength.
Despite his towering 6-foot-2 frame, the Ottowa native has always thrived on breaking forward and weaving through the opponent's zone. Defenses should be most worried, however, when he decides to hang back and let loose with a shot from the blueline. It is there where Storey rises above the rest as he possesses one of the fastest, most accurate slap-shots in the league.
"He shoots the puck so well, but it's not just that he shoots hard," Tomassoni tried to explain. "He gets the shot off so quickly and that's what makes him so dangerous."
That weapon was realized at an early age and it was one of the reasons why the Canadian national team came calling on Storey when he was only 17 years old. Even though he was the youngest player by five years, Storey was tossed into two contests during his two-week stint with Team Canada.
The high level of hockey, the European style of play and the suddenness of it all certainly left an indelible mark on the youngster.
"It happened so quickly for me; it was kind of a clear almost," said Storey, whose father Robert was an Olympic bobsledder for Canada in 1968 and 1972. "It was definitely a great experience and it showed me what the next level was like. I was just so young and I don't think that I was ready to play with Team Canada at the time."
It wasn't soon after that when Storey experienced yet another epochal hockey moment. This time, however, he left his hockey uniform at home.
Traveling to St. Louis with his family in tow, Storey waited anxiously to hear his name announced in the NHL draft. Finally in the fourth round, the Colorado Avalanche picked the young defenseman.
"Getting drafted was a great honor, but I learned that it really doesn't mean all that much when it is over and done with unless you really want it," Storey said. "I definitely want it, but right now I'm working on my game overall trying to mold it into something that will be able to survive and prosper in the NHL."
Dreams of a professional career will have to wait for a few more years, however. The only team that Storey is concentrating on at the moment is his struggling Harvard squad and it needs him more than ever.
So far this season, he has met the challenge by not only producing the best numbers of his career, but he has also become the Ray Bourque of the Crimson. He logs not only his regular shift, but he is the mainstay on both special team units.
"There is no question that he has stepped up this year and it's not just on the power play either," Tomassoni said. "He is focused and mature overall and his confidence is so high right now."
Through 15 games, Storey leads all ECAC defensemen in both points and points per game and is tied for third for the team lead in scoring. Those statistics become even more important considering that Harvard has yet to find not only a prolific scorer, but even a top line that can consistently put points on the board.
"It's important for us that the `D' is putting the puck in the net right now," said sophomore forward Brett Chodorow. "We have some big guns back there like Storey and if they're a threat outside, then that just opens up more space down low for us."
His slapshot has definitely created more opportunities for the offense, but unlike his first two years, Storey is no longer shy about taking the puck up ice himself.
Whether he is making an end-to-end rush or else keeping the puck in the zone deep in the corners, there is little area where Storey does not invade in the course of a game.
"Both of us have a tendency to jump into the offense, but it's been going well because we have trust in each other as partners," said Storey's freshman defensive partner Graham Morrell. "When one sees the other going forward, the other seems to know to stay back."
His play speaks for itself, but the area in which Storey has developed most goes unseen by most outsiders. It only takes one conversation with the Crimson defenseman to reveal a quiet, reserved individual who prefers to prove his worth on the ice rather than through words.
With such a young team along side him this year, however, Storey realized that he can no longer afford such a silent luxury and has become one of the teams most vocal leaders.
"He's been a big factor for the whole team," Morrell explained. "He's one of our leaders on the ice and he does a good job carrying that into the lockerroom."
With over half the season gone and Harvard situated near the top of the ECAC, race, it appears that the new role fits Storey just fine.
Personal: A member of the Ottawa Junior Senators for two seasons in high School...Played two games for Team Canada in December of 1994...Captained football and played rugby, basketball and soccer at Ashbury College...Father, Robert, was an Olympic bobsledder for Canada in 1968 and 1972...Selected by the Colorado Avalanche in the 1994 NHL entry draft.
His play speaks for itself, but the area in which Storey has developed most goes unseen by most outsiders. It only takes one conversation with the Crimson defenseman to reveal a quiet, reserved individual who prefers to prove his worth on the ice rather than through words.
With such a young team along side him this year, however, Storey realized that he can no longer afford such a silent luxury and has become one of the teams most vocal leaders.
"He's been a big factor for the whole team," Morrell explained. "He's one of our leaders on the ice and he does a good job carrying that into the lockerroom."
With over half the season gone and Harvard situated near the top of the ECAC race, it appears that the new role fits Storey just fine. Personal: A member of the Ottawa Junior Senators for two seasons in high school...Played two games for Team Canada in December of 1994...Captained football and played rugby, basketball and soccer at Ashbury College...Father, Robert, was an Olympic bobsledder for Canada in 1968 and 1972...Selected by the Colorado Avalanche in the 1994 NHL entry draft.
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