Walking into the stadium the ice has just been cleaned and smoothed out, as soon as the game begins trash talking begins from all the players. The Medina hockey team jokes around and laughs before getting ready for the game. Once the game starts the team approaches their opponent with a relaxed attitude.

Revere High School Junior Nolan Printy has been playing hockey since he was seven years old. He plays defense on Medina’s hockey team and explained why he chose to play at Medina.

“I chose Medina for two reasons, first being historically successful. The year before I decided to join, Medina finished 3rd in the nation of all club hockey teams. Second my friend Robbie decided to play for Medina also,” Printy said.

Printy’s teammate Robbie Taylor also plays for Medina; they have been playing together since they were seven years old and he explained what Nolan bring to the team.

“Nolan brings a big man’s presence to our defense and his personality always lightens the atmosphere in the locker room,” Taylor said.

Printy’s father Dart Printy described how proud he and his family are of Printy’s athletic career.

“We are very proud of the way Nolan has handled himself throughout his career and his life. He has played on teams that didn’t win a game, and teams that didn’t lose a game, with good coaches and with bad coaches, fun parents and crazy parents. Teams where he was clearly the best player and teams where he clearly was not. He has fun, is respected and liked by his teammates, and does anything the coaches ask him to do. What parent wouldn’t be proud of any child that lives that way,” his father said.

Printy’s father describes Printy’s best quality as an athlete.

“His best quality as an athlete has to be either his work ethic or his attitude. He works just as hard for last place team as he does for a first-place team. He possesses a rare combination of competitiveness, sportsmanship, and selflessness.

Pritny’s father describes Printy’s attitude toward the sport he plays.

“As a freshman on the Medina hockey team, he split time on varsity with an upper classman and played on a team that won the league regular season, won the state championship, and finished 5th at Nationals. The next year, as a sophomore, he played on the JV team. And he never complained. He missed the last 6 weeks of the season when he suffered his first injury, a separated shoulder. When we asked him if he wants to play this year, even if it meant playing JV, and he just said he couldn’t imagine not playing. And this year he was a starter for a team that won the league. Finished 4th in the states and lost the National Champion by 1 goal in Nationals,” said his father.

Teammates laugh and joke around after their major victory. They sing along to ‘Sweet Caroline’ in triumph, as their voices and the song mix and echo through the locker room.