By Ryan O’connor
You’ll have to excuse Liam House-Myers if he seems more graceful in
skates than shoes.
Growing up in Alaska, he has laced ’em up and hit the ice nearly every
day since he was 6.
When the ice melted on his home rink, it revealed a paved surface – perfect
for roller hockey amongst friends.
So when House-Myers bid farewell to the year-round three-on-three pickup games
and moved to New Hampshire five years ago, some might say he had an edge on
the competition.
You’d never know it by his modest attitude, said Goffstown High School’s
ice hockey coach, Peter Bedford.
“When he came in as a freshman, we knew that he was a special player
and knew full well he would become what you are seeing today,” said Bedford
of his standout forward, who has contributed 10 goals and six assists in 10
contests this season.
“When we named him captain his sophomore year, he may have been a little
uncomfortable,” added the coach. “But what you’re seeing
this year is he’s accepting not only the responsibility of being a leader,
but he’s accepting the pressure of going out there knowing he’s
the best player on the ice each night.”
It was a hard sell to a player who would rather help a teammate score than
seek personal glory, said Bedford.
“What I’ve tried to get him to understand is that it’s OK
to take the puck to the net himself and not always feel like he has to dish
it off,” he said. “He’s finally gone and figured out that
balance of when to go to the net and when to find his teammates.”
It’s no coincidence, Bedford added, the Grizzlies have won seven games
in a row since House-Myers matured into his leadership role.
This was never more evident than Jan. 5 at perennial D-II power Bow, where
the junior scored three goals in the second period, earning a natural hat trick,
before notching a fourth tally and an assist in the third period.
“To be honest, that was a watershed moment for him personally,” said
Bedford. “You could see it coming, but until a player actually steps
up and does it, it’s always just the potential thing.”
For House-Myers’ performance that night and his continued high level
of play, he has been named the Indian Head Athletics Athlete of the Month for
January.
But he’s not about to take all the credit.
“What’s really been great is that everybody is stepping up around
me and buying into the system,” said House-Myers. “There’s
been a lot of opportunities to go around for everyone, but people have been
feeding (the puck) to me, so I’ve been shooting a little more.”
That’s certainly to Bedford’s liking.
“The plan is easy. We need to get the puck to Liam, and Liam needs to
take it to the net,” he said.
House-Myers’ ice vision, puck-handling skills and stellar shot make him
as polished an offensive player as you’ll find in the state, said Bedford.
And his skating ability, allowing him to recover quickly, make him a great
defender as well.
Just as important, said the coach, House-Myers has become much more than a
hockey player at GHS.
Not only does he excel on the soccer and lacrosse fields, but in the classroom
too.
“He’s obviously having success on the ice surface, but he’s
really everything that’s good about sports in high school. In my mind,
he encapsulates it all,” said Bedford. “I mean, he’s not
just a good student, he’s a very good student, and I’m very, very
fortunate and honored to see him develop into the young man he is today.”
Luckily for Bedford, House-Myers is a junior, meaning another season and a
half under his tutelage.
“He’s absolutely a coach’s dream,” said Bedford. “He’s
the guy you always want to have, the guy that you can put out there in a close
game, and you know he’s going to make good decisions and give you a chance
to win.”
(Editor’s note: The Athlete of the Month receives a $50 gift certificate
courtesy of Indian Head Athletics.)