Matt Kustra of Yorkton has just come off of his first year as a member of the Notre Dame hockey team and football preparations are about to get underway for the two-sport athlete.
After playing in the Yorkton minor hockey system, he transferred to Notre Dame (Saskatchewan) and played to a 'B' side championships recently where his Hounds topped Moose Jaw in 3 games in the South Saskatchewan Minor Hockey League 'B' side finals.
He also picked up a lot of experience that he may not have attained had he played hockey locally this season.
"It was good to learn how to be away from home," he said in the comfort of his own kitchen during a break in the action.
The goaltender for the Hounds turns into a wide receiver for the Hounds later this month when football warmups start.
He was much more content talking about hockey though and the experience.
"It's good preparation for future hockey added the former student of St. Michael's, whose goal is to make it as far as he can starting possibly with the Western Hockey League.
Apparently he is off to a good start.
"It was good to be away from home for long periods of time," he said of his first season at Notre Dame, noting that "they put all the Gr. 9s in the same dorm for a reason!"
His hockey schedule, which normally included playing roughly half the season here, saw him play only a few games in Yorkton.
"I was a little nervous," he said of his first game back in familiar territory.
When playoff time rolled around, there weren't any signs of nerves, especially none on the scoreboard; he recorded wins of 5-4 and 5-3 in the two-game series with the Midget Terriers.
Kustra skated on a Bantam team, meaning most of his teammates, including himself were 2-3 years younger than the opposition.
They train more intensely than the average minor hockey team too, he said.
Like in the pros, there's studying of game tape which lets players see themselves on video so they know exactly what the coach is talking about. They are also on the ice more often than when he played in Yorkton.
"In the second half of the season, we skated every day."
Players and coaches got to know each other quite well; head coaches were also classroom teachers.
"There's a lot more attention to detail there," he said referring to his new team. "We watched a lot of game tape and there's a curfew. Coaches are very strict. They don't take losses lightly."
In terms of team goals, Kustra said the team wanted to perform well in the bantam league. They also played in some of the top tournaments in the country in that age group.
Among them was the Kibiht Tournament in Kamloops (http://www.kibiht.com/).
Kustra said his first season with the Hounds was good. He is anxiously awaiting his second season. He thinks about the Bantam draft a lot too. He also thinks about the upcoming football season.
His best game this past season was a 4-4 tie with Swift Current which came right after the Christmas break, he said. Another that stands out is a 5-3 win over his hometown team in which he faced 45 shots.
