Sean Driscoll, senior defenseman, has been playing hockey since he was four and has always had a huge impact on the ice. His physical play, hard shots, tremendous leadership and his will to play the game are only part of the reasons why he was named the captain of this year’s Homestead Hockey team.

Driscoll is a four-year varsity player at Homestead. He was named the team captain this season and is always improving his skills. He has increased his ice time every single year at Homestead and adds to the success on both the offense and the defense. 

After the hockey season in May of his sophomore year, Driscoll was drafted in the 14th round to the Des Moines Buccaneers in the United States Hockey League (USHL). The USHL is the top junior hockey league in the country and all hockey players hope to be playing in this league after their high school career.

“I wasn’t expecting to get drafted at all but I was sitting in my Contemporary Issues class and [Coach Tony] Navarre pulled me out and told me I was drafted by the Des Moines Buccaneers. I was very excited,” Driscoll said.

Players in the USHL play the most competitive games of hockey for players aged 16-20. Most players usually play two years in the junior league and then aspire to continue at a Division 1 college after their time in the USHL.

“After this season, I’m planning on moving on to Des Moines and playing in the USHL and hope for opportunities to play Division 1 college hockey after a couple years,” Driscoll said.

Driscoll was drafted at a younger age than most players so it took him a while to recognize all the opportunities he had. “Obviously, by getting drafted at a young age, I was almost not ready for it but it opened up opportunities I could never have imagined. But, I had to keep myself grounded, humbled, and know that I still have a long way to go before I am where I want to be,” Driscoll said.

“It will be awesome to see where he ends up going next year and what he will do. I know wherever he is, he will do great and his future team should expect lots of work from him,” PJ Quale, sophomore forward, said.

“Sean is a good person and gifted athlete. With hard work and focus, he will do well and he has earned that opportunity,” Coach Navarre said.

“He has worked very hard and dedicated a lot of time to hockey so he deserves great things and opportunities that he will be getting after high school,” Ryan Cho, senior defenseman, said.

Currently, Driscoll thinks that this year’s team has been doing pretty well. Once the team figures out what they can do, there will be no stopping them. “This season has been somewhat interesting with all the ups and downs. We have a lot of new guys and I think we’re still figuring out our identity as a team,” he said.

Being named the captain of a team is always a tremendous honor. Driscoll takes it as another great opportunity he has in his life and wants to make the most of his senior season.

“Being captain of this team is an honor. I spent the last three years of high school idolizing and trying to be like our team’s previous captains such as Thomas Fazio, Ryan Mezera, and Adam Hobbs. Now that I’m the captain, I want to be that guy for the younger players on the team,” Driscoll said.

“Not only is he a great leader on the ice, but just as good off the ice. He is always motivating the guy next to him to keep going and keep working hard. Also, he’s very well liked and is friends with all the guys and I think that’s a huge part in being a successful captain,” Quale said.

“Sean needs to be the player that everyone looks at for how to handle himself on and off the ice,” Coach Navarre said.

“Everyone respects him and follows him because he is a great guy and an amazing hockey player,” Cho said.

Driscoll has always been a role-model to the younger players. “He influences us younger guys to keep improving and to always have our heads up. His attitude and his work ethic adds a positive effect every time we take the ice or have our off-ice workouts. That is something that I believe every team needs in a captain and we are lucky enough to have that,” Quale said.

“He is a strong player who understands the game. He has things to work on, but also works hard to improve his weaknesses,” Coach Navarre said.

“He has a huge influence on all the younger players. He makes sure that they know how to play varsity hockey and makes sure that they are always working hard. I know when the younger guys get to be our age, they will become as good of leaders as Sean is,” Cho said.

“Sean is a special athlete because of his ability, his desire to improve himself every day, and his selfless attitude toward his teammates,” Mr. Ernie Millard, head baseball coach,  said.

Driscoll was also named a captain of this year’s Homestead baseball team for similar reasons. “I selected him as a team captain for the upcoming season because of his love of the game, his desire to compete, and a tremendous improvement in his ability to accept constructive criticism. He is a great kid,” Coach Millard said.

Cho has also played baseball with Driscoll since fifth grade and sees the same leader in him on the diamond. “You can tell he really loves playing baseball and having fun on the field. He does what he can to win, just like in hockey,” Cho said.

Driscoll leads the hockey team this season with six points through the first six games of the year. He has three goals and three assists and looks to keep building up the points to lead his team into the playoffs in February.

Before ending his high school career, Driscoll said his “biggest goal of this season would be winning the State Tournament. Getting there and competing for the chance to have our team come out on top. That’s what I want out of this season.”

Gallery • 8 Photos

Carly Kleiman

Driscoll, number 4, comes off the ice in between periods in the victory over Brookfield last season.