2019 | Ohio | BOYS

North Olmsted | Eagles | BOYS

This athlete was selected for exemplifying the all the values of The Hobey Baker Award; including, character, excellence, sportsmanship, and a love for the game.

Riley grew up playing for our city’s club hockey program and worked his way up to becoming a standout athlete at the high school level. After learning the landscape of junior hockey and having opportunity to leave after his junior year, he decided to stay and help lead his time his team throughout senior year.

One of our coaching staff philosophies in not naming captains unless the timing is 100% right for the individual as well as the team. We believe it is tough to lead at the high school level given the age and maturity level of players, and we also do not want our best players being given captaincy simply for that fact. Riley expressed interest in captaining our team before his senior season began, though, a ‘C’ was not sewn on his jersey until the latter part of the regular season. He showed respectable perseverance and and unwavering demeanor in the meantime, which we felt was an important life lesson and highlighted the honor even more.

Accumulating over 100 career goals and all-league/conference honors does not impress his coaches and teammates as much as his relentless work ethic and commitment to honoring the logo on the front of his jersey. Often playing more than two-thirds of the game, he pushes his body to its limit and never takes a night off.

Off the ice, Riley excels at academics, with a course load primarily receiving college credit. He is always asking myself and the other coaches how to get better, help the team, and expresses an interest in making our program better –even though he is moving on next season.

It’s student athletes like this that make my job feel extra worthwhile and help to solidify a strong high school hockey program. Riley is every bit deserving of this special award.