February 24, 2011
Change of scenery
Upheaval at Ohio State has Akwesasne native Ian Boots thriving at Oswego
by Russ Cohen/Correspondent
Ian Boots (photo: Jim Feeney)
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The one thing that all hockey players have in common, no matter what their skill level might be, is the fact that they just want to play the game they love.
Ian Boots, a forward from Akwesasne, N.Y., currently plays for Division 3 Oswego State, but just a few months ago he was on a Division 1 Ohio State team -- and then everything changed for him and he had to make some tough decisions about his hockey future. This happens to a lot of players, and those decisions definitely affect the rest of their playing careers.
In March, the university let the contract of 15-year coach John Markell expire. The Buckeyes had struggled on an off the ice in recent years, with average attendance less than half of what it had been five years earlier.
“Well, they recruited me there and my coach didn’t get his contract renewed. There were a lot of changes that happened in the organization. I knew a few guys here and to transfer to another Division 1 means I had to stay out a year,” Booth said, emphasizing that he didn’t want to miss any time and just wanted to play hockey without any interruption.
“It’s a good program here,” he added. “I really had no clue what to expect. It’s a tough situation. I still had to earn a spot. Even though I was going from D1 to D3, I didn’t want to be ‘that guy.’ I’ve been having fun. I have no complaints. They welcomed me with open arms.” Odds are, with his talent, he was going to be one of Oswego’s best players given the level he was playing at. He had gained some acclaim as a rookie at OSU but he didn’t take any of that for granted when he took on the new challenge.
“Ian is an extremely skilled forward that has great vision on the ice,” said Oswego State coach Ed Gosek. “Although soft spoken and humble off the ice, his work ethic and intensity on the ice have been instrumental in our success this season. Ian's transition from a high profile D1 program to Oswego has been seamless. (He) has earned the respect and admiration of his teammates through his team-first attitude.”
The team is having a great season – unanimously ranked No. 1 in Division 3 with a 17-2 record in late January -- and the 5-foot-10 Boots has had a lot to do with that. He’s clearly one of the team’s better players if not their best. He leads the team in scoring with 10-15-25 totals through 19 games. He’s on pace to get double-digit goals, already has a few game-winners and seems to play a pretty complete game.
“I do a bit of everything,” he said, opening up about his strengths after a bit of prying. “A few nights I led the team in hits. I play with an edge. I am confident and I see the ice well.”
There is definitely a competition difference between the divisions, but what’s not talked about is the passion of the fans. Ohio State is a big-time university that is known for its football team, and its hockey program – though it’s reached Frozen Fours -- isn’t nearly as successful, and the fans aren’t of the same ilk as some of the more passionate fans in the Northeast. Like at Oswego.
“In Ohio,” said Boots, “if we were doing well we had fans and if we weren’t doing well then not. We would average four to five thousand in a building built for 17,000.
“I feel the atmosphere is better here. It’s the No. 1 sport in town and it’s been nice.”
Boots is playing in his home state, but growing up in the Mohawk Nation of Akwesasne, there was a time when he physically lived in Ontario but could throw a stone into New York State.
“I used to live on a Native American reserve on the border that’s located in Canada and in the States,” he said. “I just say that I’m from New York.”
With one more year of eligibility left, Boots has already started to think ahead and, if there is a chance of him playing hockey at the professional level, he will certainly be up for that challenge. In life, timing is everything and so far his timing has been pretty good.
Tampa Bay winger Martin St. Louis is his favorite player who was a standout at the University of Vermont and a terrific all-around player, and it seems as though Boots has many of those traits. He’s a finance major, so playing college hockey clearly has its advantages. If he turns pro, that’s great, but if he doesn’t he should have an education to fall back on.
“If it happens, it happens. If anything pops up this year or the year after I would consider it,” he said. “I want to keep playing hockey. I want to finish my senior year and keep playing after that.”
Russ Cohen can be reached at feedback@nyhockeyjournal.com.
