Posted with permission of the Ottawa Citizen.
Discipline helps two-sport star take balancing act to Division 3
Written by: Martin Cleary
Source: The Ottawa Citizen, March 29, 2004
Put a stick in the hands of Mickey Gilchrist and it's like giving him
a magic wand.
Whether he's grasping a hockey or lacrosse stick, Gilchrist, 19, excels
at both of Canada's official national sports.
"He's an offensive talent. There's no doubt about that," said
Eugene Zywicki, who was his coach with the Nepean Knights Jr. B lacrosse
team for the past four years. "He has a nose for the back of the
net. He's one of those guys who, when he shoots, has a good chance
of scoring."
"He's a phenomenal athlete, good at any sport he plays," said
Chris Byrne, who is his coach for the Nepean Raiders in the Central
Junior Hockey League. "He has a great shot, is very good one-on-one
with his side-to-side moves, has quickness and has a good wrist shot
and backhand shot."
Gilchrist led the Raiders to the 2004 CJHL regular-season pennant as
the team's top point scorer. With 32 goals and 43 assists, meaning
he was involved in almost one-third of the team's 229 goals, he finished
sixth in league scoring.
The assistant captain also led by example, taking only 14 penalty minutes
while playing all 55 regular-season games. His discipline and skill
earned him the league's Bob Sear Memorial Trophy for sportsmanship
and ability.
He was one point better in 2002-03 with 34 goals and 42 assists, placing
third among Raiders and 16th overall.
Take away the ice and Gilchrist feels just as comfortable sprinting
on the arena floor, where he has been the top point scorer for the
Nepean Knights of the Ontario Junior B Lacrosse League for the past
three seasons.
In his four seasons with the Knights, he has become the team's all-time
leading scorer with 202 goals and 230 assists for 432 points in 107
games.
Again, discipline has been a remarkable part of his game. While "he's
as tough as nails," and "gives no excuses," according
to Zywicki, the "low maintenance and high productivity" player
has taken only 48 career minutes in penalties.
Gilchrist was named the league's east conference rookie of the year
in 2001, when he scored 50 goals and 51 assists in 20 games. In 2002,
he was the east's most valuable player with 42 goals and 44 assists.
Last season, his repeat 86-point effort was divided into 43 goals
and 43 assists.
Middlebury College, an NCAA division 3 school in Middlebury, Vermont,
also liked his two-sport touch.
Gilchrist has accepted a financial aid package (Middlebury doesn't
offer athletic scholarships) to attend the liberal arts college in
September.
Middlebury is an ideal fit for Gilchrist because of its respected academic
and successful hockey and lacrosse programs.
Earlier this month, the Panthers won their sixth NCAA division 3 men's
hockey title since their first championship tournament appearance
in 1995. Sophomore defenceman Jeff Smith, a Raiders graduate, played
for the Panthers.
The lacrosse team is ranked No. 2 in the New England Small College
Athletic Conference, having won three NCAA division 3 crowns in seven
tournament trips in the past eight years.
Gilchrist also had interest from four NCAA division 1 schools, but
they only offered partial scholarships.
"It seemed like a perfect fit," said Gilchrist, who is undecided
about his course of study. "What I also like is, in division 3,
you can play two sports. In division 1, that's harder because the seasons
are longer.
"The hockey will be a good fit. I'm a small player (5-9, 180 pounds)
and the forwards are all small and fast."
Gilchrist is familiar with the longevity of a two-sport year.
When the Raiders were eliminated from the 2003 Fred Page Cup (Eastern
Canada junior A championship) in May, he missed the Knights' first
two provincial league lacrosse games. He immediately joined the Knights,
who reached their third consecutive Eastern Conference final last
August, which was three weeks before the Raiders training camp.
"I like the one (sport) for which stick I have in my hand," added
Gilchrist, who was drafted by the Toronto Beaches junior A lacrosse
team three years ago and has appeared in 10 games. "I don't know
which one I like better. By the end of a season, I'm looking forward
to the other sport."
Gilchrist has discovered the sports complement each other.
"I think lacrosse is a great off-season sport for hockey. If I
had to play summer hockey, I'd get worn down," he said.
Besides the fitness, both sports are fast paced, feature body checking
and require quick decision making.