University of Massachusets Athletics
Q & A With Chris Davis
November 14, 2005 | Hockey
Nov. 14, 2005
Justin Lafleur of the UMass Media Relations Department sits down with freshman forward Chris Davis. Learn how the season has gone on and off the ice.
Q: What made you become a hockey player?
A: I grew up next to an outdoor rink about 5 minutes from my house. My dad was a huge hockey fan and when I was about 5 or 6 he brought me out on the outdoor rink and taught me how to skate. I started playing organized hockey when I was about 8.
Q: After a few months here, what do you like the most about UMass? Why?
A: I like how I can always find something to do around campus. There's either a sports game, a school event, or a place to meet new students every day.
Q: What other schools besides UMass did you look at? Why did you choose UMass?
A: When I narrowed my list of schools down it became a choice between UMass, Providence, Quinnipiac, Holy Cross, and UConn. I knew the coaches at UMass pretty well already before I committed here. After seeing a number of games at the Mullins Center, and seeing the atmosphere of the students and the support at the games, I knew I would have a lot of fun here and be able to be successful.
Q: How was your prep school experience? What did it do for you athletically?
Academically?
A: My prep school career was great, I played for a great hockey team that was one of the best in the country and that really set me up great for college hockey. Many of my teammates went on to play Division One. It is awesome to see them now and be able to play against them at a top level. Scholastically, I loved being in the small classrooms and being able to have a close relationship with my teachers; it helped me learn a lot about myself and the type of person I could become.
Q: How does it feel to have scored the team's first goal of the season?
A: It came at an important part of the game; I came off the bench and got a great pass that sent me on a breakaway. It was great to tie the game in that fashion and get the team's first goal of the year. It's too bad we ended up giving up a tough goal with a few minutes left in the game, because we had control of the play at that point and were playing very well.
Q: As a student athlete, how do you manage responsibilities of your team along with your schoolwork?
A: It's hard; with hockey, I am at the Mullins Center from 2 to 6, Monday through Thursday. My classes are from 9 to 1 every day and I have a mandatory study hall at night. The study hall is great as a freshman because it helps you manage your time because you HAVE to do work. The hard part will be next year to make myself sit down and get the work done. I have learned from the upperclassmen on the team how to manage homework with other school responsibilities; they have been great answering my questions.
Q: Did you play any other sports when you were younger? If so, what?
A: I played lacrosse in junior high school and part of my prep school career. The game is similar to hockey so it was easy for me to pick up. After my sophomore year, I decided to concentrate on my hockey full time and work on my conditioning and overall game.
Q: What is your dream career? Why?
A: I think every college hockey player wants to continue his career and give it a shot at the pro level. My dream would be to keep playing hockey as long as possible. It's such a fun game and it's been such an important part of my life.
Q: What is your most special accomplishment in the world of sports?
A: So far, it has been winning back-to-back New England championships at Avon Old Farms. I think we had a 52-3 record in two seasons, and I believe nine players went Division One on the team. It was a team that played together as a true team and it was special how we gelled over the four years. I don't think I will ever forget the memories that I had playing at Avon.
Q: What is your most special accomplishment outside the world of sports?
A: I always looked at it as a special accomplishment after every semester at Avon when I made the Dean's List or Honor Roll. It showed me how my hard work in my classes paid off, and it helped in the recruiting process for hockey.
Q: What do you do with your free time?
A: Well, I don't have much here at UMass between my scholastics and my hockey. Usually I am so tired from everything that it is always nice to take a quick powernap or to sit and talk with my teammates.
Q: What kind of music do you like? Why?
A: Haha. Well, the guys on the team get a kick out of how I listen to techno music before games. It gets the blood pumping before the game....but when I'm doing work or hanging out, I like to listen to bands like U2, Coldplay, and the Killers.
Q: What are your feelings on the six players on the team who have gotten drafted into the NHL? Are you next?
A: I think it's great that we have players on the team that are drafted already; it says a lot about the future of the team seeing that we have a number of juniors, sophomores and freshmen that have been drafted. I'm just looking to have a successful first season here and the rest will take care of itself.
Q: When others think of you, what one adjective do you hope comes to mind? Why?
A: Hard-working, because I believe that I have only gotten where I have in life because of my hard work and perseverance. Growing up, my father used to always say, "Work hard and good things happen".
Q: What advice would you give to a high school athlete hoping to compete collegiately at the Division I level?
A: Schoolwork comes first. If you don't have the grades, then your list of schools will be extremely narrow. If you take care of your schoolwork, the rest will work itself out.
