Editors Note: Nick Boddy, goaltender for the Arizona club hockey team, recorded 56 saves in a 5-3 win against Weber State on Friday and made another 43 saves to complete the sweep in a 2-1 win on Saturday night. The Arizona Daily Wildcat’s Vincent Balistreri caught up with Boddy to discuss his performance against WSU, what Montana is really like and his thoughts on the Super Bowl.
Wildcat: You had 99 saves in the two-game sweep against Weber State. What was the difference in these games compared to other games?
Boddy: Well, the main thing is I had a lot family there. Bozeman (Montana) is six hours away from Salt Lake, so my parents came down and my sister and my nephew were there. It was fun having them watch me play. That was definitely a motivating factor, but once again, we’re just trying to end the season with a winning record.
W: So you put on a show for the family?
B: Yep pretty much (laughs).
W: The last five games you guys have been a totally different hockey team, so what’s the secret?
B: First half of the season we had a lot of individuals on the team, everybody bickering on the bench and what not, blaming others. But we seem to have united in the second half of the season and are focused on one common goal, which has helped us a lot.
W: Because you’re the goaltender I can ask you this: Who is the fastest skater on the team?
B: We have a lot of fast guys. We got (Brady) Lefferts, a freshman, he’s pretty quick. (Joe) Del Rossi, he’s fast. Robbie (Nowinski), he’s one of our most skilled players. Those are the three that come to mind.
W: So you can’t pick one and just say he’s the fastest? C’mon, man, go out on a limb.
B: (Laughs) I’ll probably have to say … Del Rossi.
W: Who has inspired you as a hockey player?
B: Most of (my) coaches from when I was younger, like goalie coaches and youth hockey coaches. As I moved up through the ranks I had a couple of really good coaches that told me to never stop trying to go as far as I can in hockey.
W: So you’re from Bozeman, Mont. What’s that like?
B: It’s a little different from here, it’s a lot colder and (has) a lot more mountains. I lived in Chicago until I was 14, then I moved there.
W: Am I wrong if I think of Montana as a bunch of cowboys and horses?
B: (Laughs) It’s not too hard to find those stereotypes in Montana.
W: What sport do you watch besides hockey?
B: I like golf here and there, but I definitely watch football.
W: So who did you have in the Super Bowl?
B: I was definitely rooting for the Cardinals, being in Arizona.
W: That definitely had to be disappointing when Santonio Holmes caught that pass?
B: Me and my roommate were convinced that he had one foot hooked onto the other and it never touched the ground. It probably was just a Cardinal fan thing.
W: Who’s the better goalie from the NHL, Martin Brodeur or Patrick Roy?
B: I have to go with Broduer because of his puck-handling skills.
W: So you guys play ASU next weekend; can you guarantee a sweep?
B: I would love to guarantee a sweep but we’re tied right now so we want to have a winning record against them.
