Editor’s Note: The Wildcat caught up with Arizona Icecats goalies Luke Edwall and Nick Boddy, who led the Wildcats to a 2-0 record over Scranton last weekend. Boddy had 38 saves on 40 shots on Friday, while Edwall shut the door on Saturday allowing zero goals. The duo discussed their performance, goalie mask styles and fighting in hockey.
Wildcat: You guys had a combined 0.97 save percentage over the weekend. Does that stat have any meaning for you guys?
Luke Edwall: As far as this weekend goes, it shows we had a good weekend, but in the long scheme of things there’s a lot more to get done.
Nick Boddy: I think it’s pretty important because there were a lot of people calling us out on how we played first semester. So it was pretty big for us.
W: You guys lost some big defensemen last season. How do you think the defensive unit has coped with that this season?
LE: It was definitely a big loss in the beginning, but I think we’ve overcome that. The defense has become a lot stronger game by game.
NB: We had a slow start because we had a few new guys, but some of the guys from last year have really stepped it up, especially (Erik) Kowalek is probably our best defenseman. He’s played really well, and I think our defense is really coming together here towards the end of the season.
W: Icecats head coach Leo Golembiewski has called you two the best goaltending tandem in Icecats history. How do you guys feel about that?
LE: It’s a big honor; I just hope I can hold up my part for the rest of my time here. It’s beautiful.
NB: It’s nice to be hearing it; I think we both do well. Coach says he wants a starting goalie, but me and Luke do really well switching off, especially if one of us gets hot when the other’s not. I think it works out really well, and hopefully it goes well into the next few games too.
W: As goalies, you two probably have the most opportunity to express yourself. Nick, how come you play with a plain white mask, and Luke, what does your mask represent, if anything?
LE: There’s a cross on the side that definitely has a lot of meaning behind (it). Besides that, there’s basically bricks all over the whole thing with a cat busting through and scraping up the Arizona “”A.”” That’s basically the meaning behind it, beside my name and the graffiti artwork.
W: Luke, when did you paint that?
LE: Before last season, Jeff Grace, a senior last year, did that.
NB: I got a brand new helmet this year. My helmet from last year broke over the summer, and the thing with helmets is once you paint it, you can’t use it for a month, so I figured I’d wait till this summer and paint it this year.
W: Nick, any ideas for the design yet?
NB: I’ve got a couple. I don’t know what I’m gonna go with it yet, definitely something deserty and an Arizona “”A”” on there somewhere.
DW: Hockey is a really physical sport known for its fighting. Have either of you ever been in one?
LE: As far as the Icecats, not really. I haven’t dropped the gloves, but it’s happened in previous teams though; it has happened.
NB: I got in a couple fights in junior hockey, nothing in college hockey yet.
W: Did you win them?
LE: Oh, of course, man. I won ’em all.
NB: I think so, yeah. It was kind of unfair because I initiated the fight before he was ready, but I came out on top. Junior hockey is a lot different from college. You play the same team like 20 times in a season so you know which guys you hate pretty well.
– Interview by Savir Punia
