The more often you do things in life, the easier they supposedly get. Just ask sophomores Zach Evancho (Buffalo, N.Y.) of Army West Point and Charlie Manley (Orchard Park, N.Y.) of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute about how they fared as freshmen last year, and what they learned along the way in beginning their college hockey careers.
"Definitely time management," said Evancho, a forward who tallied 49 goals and 115 points over two seasons with the Buffalo Junior Sabres of the Ontario Junior Hockey League before joining Army. "I really learned it last year. There’s not a lot of time, and you have to prioritize."
That includes, obviously, taking part in daily practices at West Point’s Tate Rink.
"You develop your individual skills," said Evancho. "You do all you can in the limited amount of time you have."
Manley, a defenseman at RPI, agrees.
"I think it’s time management," he offered. "You come out of junior hockey, where you had a lot of free time, and you learn to hit the books when you have extra time.
"If you don’t slack off, everything should go smoother," added Manley. "If you do well outside the rink, chances are you’ll do better there, too."
