Ohio hockey goalie Ryan Baksh, an Ontario, Canada, native, has come a long way to be a Bobcat. He has been a consistent wall between the pipes both this season and last for the Bobcats, and success in both the team's regular season and postseason will rely heavily on Baksh's performance. The Post's Corey Ryan talked with the net minder about his journey to Ohio, the team's goals for the season and what he thinks about minorities in the National Hockey League.
The Post: I saw on mapquest.com, that Kitchener, Ontario, is 453 miles away and an eight-hour drive. The majority of students at Ohio are Ohioans. Why did you decide to come here?
Baksh I actually got recruited by (coach Dan Morris). I came down here and liked the campus and the atmosphere. That's why I decided to come and play hockey.
The Post: How far can your team go this season?
Baksh: I think we can definitely win everything. We win the regular season title and the national championship (American Colligate Hockey Association tournament). We have a good nucleus of guys who came back, and we're a little more experienced. We can pull it off this year.
The Post: You were a Mid-Western Junior B All-Star in 1998 and 1999, named Most Valuable Player on the Waterloo Siskins Junior B team in 2000 and you were on the first team ACHA all-tournament last year. What is your greatest accomplishment?
Baksh: The ACHA first team, being it's the highest level I have played at.
The Post: If you weren't a hockey player, which sport would you play?
Baksh: I would probably play basketball. I have always liked basketball.
The Post: Last January, the Black Athlete Sports Network's website published a story about you. In that article, you are quoted as saying that so far your personal goal is not professional hockey but medical school and then being called doctor. Do you still feel the same?
Baksh: That's my goal to be a doctor, but if professional hockey ever presented itself to me, I would have to consider it.
The Post: That same website article also pointed out that only three percent of NHL hockey players are black. How do you feel about that?
Baksh: Well, as of recently, the black hockey (participation) has been increasing. It's great that there is an improvement; hopefully the number will go up. It's getting more popular with black athletes in Canada.
The Post: A hockey goalie is a very unique position that carries a great deal of responsibility. What other position in sports would you say is most comparable to goalie?
Baksh: You could kind of compare it to being a quarterback. He's pretty much running the show; if the team doesn't do well, the quarterback is normally not playing well. If a goalie gets scored on, the blame goes on the goalie, just like if the team loses, the quarterback takes the blame.
17 Archives
