Interview with SHS Hockey Senior Captain Ryan Schroeder

The Springboro Panthers Varsity Hockey team rang in the New Year with a Senior Night win on January 2 against the Sycamore Aviators. Danny Murrow, AJ DeRosa, Tristan Schroeder, and Chris Scherer all found the back of the net, scoring six goals for the Panthers. 

As of January 3, the Panthers have played 17 games (5-12). The Panthers Brotherhood is made up of 15 players: five seniors, three juniors, four sophomores, and three freshmen. The team is led on the bench by Head Coach Tony DeRosa and Assistant Coaches Kyle Miklas and Brady Smith. On the ice, the team is led by Captain Ryan Schroeder and Alternate Captains Danny Murrow and Tyler Conte. I interviewed Ryan Schroeder to get the inside scoop and perspective from this year’s Captain.

Meet #6 Captain Ryan Schroeder...

Hockey story:

Ryan started playing hockey in second grade when a friend of his dad’s who was a huge hockey fan asked him if he had ever considered having Ryan play. Ryan’s parents were from California and they didn’t know much about hockey, but that didn’t scare them or Ryan away from trying something new. Over the past 10 years, he played on eight different teams, including a U14 team that won the State Championship in Virginia. He’s played for the Panthers since his freshman season.

Other sports:

Ryan played soccer when he was younger, but knew it wasn’t meant to be after scoring on his own team! "It was quits after that," joked Ryan. He also played basketball, but had to give that up when he started hockey. After playing hockey for a few years, he even tried baseball, but nothing could compare to being on the ice. Ryan also played football for many years, including for the Panthers his freshman and sophomore years. 

Favorite NHL team:

Columbus Blue Jackets

Player that Ryan looks up to the most:

Ryan looks up to all professional hockey players because “all the professional players found a way to make a career out of the greatest sport,” and they’re generally good people. However, if he had to pick one, Ryan looks up to Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers the most because of his strong work ethic. 

Gameday routines: 

Ryan always puts on the left side of his gear first. He also considers it essential to make sure his hair is wet so it looks good under his helmet! Anyone who has seen Ryan on the ice knows this strategy works.

Favorite part about playing for the Panthers:

After playing for several different teams, Ryan noted that playing for the Springboro High School team was very different from playing for other teams, but in a good way. He likes being able to have the full high school experience while still being able to play a full season of hockey. Ryan also likes playing rival schools because you don’t necessarily have that same competitive relationship when you’re playing in travel leagues. He also talked about going to school with his team, already knowing people when he first moved here, and the tradition of dressing up at school for a Friday night game. In Ryan’s words, “it’s definitely more of a family feel.” 

Most memorable game with the Panthers: 

Ryan’s most memorable game as a Panther was his freshman year against Dublin Jerome in the state tournament. The Panthers took Jerome, one of the best teams in the district, to four overtimes. He noted how cool it was to have the Panthers Lacrosse team come to Columbus to cheer for them. The teams playing in the game after were also cheering for the Panthers in the big game. Ryan said, “it was heartbreaking, but definitely the most memorable one I played in.”

What Senior Night means to Ryan: 

Ryan talked about how he always gave his all on Senior Night to make sure the game could be memorable for the seniors. He said that now, as a senior, he still feels that sense of responsibility because he wants to remember his Senior Night. Outside of the traditions, Ryan noted that the whole team always comes together on Senior Night because it’s more personal and emotional: “I’ve definitely seen every Springboro team I’ve been on come together more after this game.” 

Biggest challenges of this season:

Ryan joked, “I think there might be a shorter list of challenges we didn’t have to face this season.” The biggest challenges of this season have been losing and gaining players and the COVID pandemic. He noted that the new rules regarding COVID were challenging, but that the team, coaches, and athletic department are doing a good job following through with them. Despite these challenges, Ryan is “thankful that we’ve had the majority of our season.” 

Ryan’s advice for young hockey players:

Ryan advised that young players should enjoy the moment: “don’t peak at the highs and embrace the lows.” He said it’s important to enjoy being on the ice with your team. “I love the sport of hockey and I feel like it has brought so much to my life that is far greater than the sport.” Ryan likes helping at Try Hockey for Free events because it’s special to help kids learn to love the sport he grew to be so fond of, and he wants to give to them what hockey has given to him. Whether or not hockey is for you, Ryan’s advice is to “love what you do, work hard, and have fun doing it.”