A great environment to play hockey at the elite level is what Aaron Mercer was looking for when he headed to the United States to patrol the crease for the Boston Bandits.
Life as a Bandit has been great in the early going for the Pasadena native.
Mercer, a 16-year-old product of the Corner Brook minor hockey system, was a busy puckstopper for Athol Murray College of Notre Dame, for the past two seasons.
Mercer, who stands five-foot-11, is focused on earning a spot with a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division 1 team.
He believes he’s found the right environment to learn how to be a better goalie. He’s on the ice for four practices each week with weekends booked for games.
He’s getting lots of shots and his team is in the middle of the pack in the standings at the Christmas break with a 4-11 record. He has a record of three wins and 10 losses, but the team’s record could be a little better if they had fared better in a number of one-goal losses earlier in the season.
It’s a hectic grind trying to juggle athletics with academics, but Mercer has found his groove and is having a great time meeting new people and playing the game with a lot of guys who have the same passion.
“It’s been awesome so far. It’s been really great playing here,” Mercer said.
There a handful of NCAA Division 1 teams in the Boston area so he’s hoping the exposure will help him reach is goal.
Mercer left his family and friends behind to pursue his goal, but he was happy to be home for the holidays to get a break from the daily grind with the Bandits.
He was just happy to be home and catch up on all the news and enjoy some of the great cooking he has missed while being miles away from home.
It’s back to stopping pucks next week and that’s just fine with him because the crease has become a second home to him.
