January 4, 2010

Making the Right Choice

Click here to read Matthew Ondesko's story on the Metro WNY website.

He was the one the got away. But, for Army sophomore defenseman Marcel Alvarez his second choice seems to be turning out to be the right one.

A few years ago, Alvarez was all ready to sign with Canisius College – only to have the Golden Griffins stop looking at him because he suffered an injury during his junior hockey season.

But, the injury didn’t deter the Army Black Knights as coach Brian Riley offered the young man an opportunity of a lifetime.

“I was dead set on coming to Canisius,” explained Alvarez by phone from West Point. “I was being recruited by them, but kind off fell of their radar when I got hurt. Then Army brought me in for a visit and I like really liked it.”

Alvarez did get a little measure of payback recently when Army swept Canisius in a two game series at Tate Rink.

“Anytime I get to play against them it’s fun,” he said. “It’s a little motivation.”

But, West Point is where he wants to be and in his two years at the academy Alvarez has blossomed into the defenseman that Riley envisioned he would become.

He quarterbacks the power play as a sophomore and because of that he has seen his point total already reach what he did last year.

“I am a little lucky (this year),” stated Alvarez. “Last year, I wanted to pass the puck a little more. This year I am trying to fine the lanes and just shoot the puck.”

His progress has been key as the Army Black Knights have found their way after a tough opening month of the season.

A month that saw them play some nationally ranked teams. And while the record doesn’t look all that impressive, the team knows they can compete with anyone on a night-to-night basis.

“We work hard,” said Alvarez. “You see that we can play with these teams.”

His improvement from his freshman to sophomore year is also impressive due to the fact that he isn’t your normal college student.

To be a student at West Point is hard enough, but then to play a sport on top of it is twice as difficult.

“Day in and day out the demands….class isn’t optional here,” explained Alvarez. “You get up at 6:30 a.m. and by the time practice hits at 3:30 p.m. you feel like you lost your legs. The guys don’t get much rest. It’s twice as tough.”

What also makes it tough is what is going in the world these days. With troops scattered all over some would say being a solider is not the smartest move a young man or woman could make.

For Alvarez the chance to get a top-notch education and play Division I hockey made his decision an easy one.

“I though about it (the stuff that is going on in the world today,” stated Alvarez. “But, West Point is a great opportunity and a great challenge.”

Marcel Alvarez doesn’t really know what he wants to do after his tour is done and he enters civilian life.

The one thing he does know is that Army gave him the opportunity to succeed at the highest level.

And he is making the most of his opportunity.