Since his arrival in ’99, Rae Metz ’03 has helped the hockey team make consistent progress. He has been the team’s co-captain and MVP the last three seasons, a fact that he’ll downplay if you ask him about it. Individual accolades don’t mean much to Metz, he’s pushing for recognition for the team, not himself. In his rookie season at Fairfield he set the NCAA Division I record for points in one game. He gives all the credit to his teammates. “They made me look good,” he remarks coyly. The light-hearted Metz is friendly and jocular off the ice but when he laces up his skates he is the opposition’s worst nightmare. He has lead the Stags in scoring for the last three seasons and is ready to do whatever it takes to lead his team to higher ground in his final season at Fairfield. He sat down with the Mirror to discuss what drives him to be one of the premier players in MAAC hockey.

Q: Do you have an earliest hockey memory?

A: (Laughs) Yeah, my teammates and I were actually talking about this the other day. I think I was four or five years old when I scored my first goal. I had a really good kid on my team who wanted to set me up for a goal. Before the play he told me to just keep my stick on the ice and be ready for the puck. I was and I scored.

Q: After High School you played junior hockey in the North American Hockey League. You were on the Danville Wings, a team acclaimed for developing not only great hockey players but great young men. How did your experience in Danville help you become the player and person you are today?

A: Danville was a great time. I lived with a host family and two other players in a little town in Illinois. We traveled all over the states playing hockey, we were like celebrities. Everybody in town came to watch us, we played in front of 3000 people every night.

Q: You came to Fairfield with your Danville teammates Ryan Tormey and Dan Cotter. The three of you have been a force every season. How have you benefited from having those guys around you every game?

A: Those guys have helped me so much. They are the reason I am at Fairfield. The three of us came here together and have lived together since freshman year, they’re like brothers to me. Because we have played together for so long we are very comfortable on the ice and know each others nuances. I’ve been lucky to play with them, they’re great players with a lot of skill.

Q: What are the things you look to do every time out for the Stags?

A: I try to be the best player on the ice, it doesn’t matter if it’s a game or practice. I think by doing this I help the younger guys on the team strive to play better. I also try to have fun when I play too, that’s a big part of my game.

Q: You have been co-captain of the Stags for three consecutive years. How do you assume leadership on and off the ice?

A: I try to work hard all the time. I think that’s something that other players always look up to. I try to lead by example. I’m not one of those guys that’s going to yell in the locker room or get bent out of shape … that’s not my style.

Q: Do you have any pre-game superstitions or rituals?

A: After I tape my stick I don’t let it touch the ground. I figure if I treat with respect it will help me on the ice.

Q: How do you want to be remembered as a Hockey player after you graduate from Fairfield?

A: I want people to know I helped build a strong program. We had some rough years earlier in my career but we keep improving. I want to be able to look at Fairfield in the future, when they are in the NCAA Tournament or winning the MAAC, and know that I was a part of making that happen.

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