Garrett Hallford had one last year of hockey eligibility left and he chose to use it.
Already one of Trine’s best players in program history, the fifth-year senior knew coming back for one final season was a no-brainer.
“We’ve built a great culture here and being a part of it has been great,” Hallford said. “Not winning (the NCHA) last year made me really want to come back, to have one more chance to try to achieve that goal And I love the guys and playing for coach (Alex) Todd. It made the decision pretty easy.”
Hallford has 42 goals and 55 assists in his career with the Thunder, who set a program record with 19 wins a season ago and are hoping to build off that success this year.
It’s been an up and down year so far, and while Trine is 4-5-1 officially from a record standpoint, they do have a big win over reigning national champion Adrian and tied nationally ranked Utica this past weekend. Three of its losses have been by just a goal.
“Our record doesn’t give us justice,” Hallford said. “We feel confident we can beat anyone. We just have to bring our best game every night. When we do that, we are a tough team to beat.”
Hallford has three goals and three assists through the first 10 games of this season. And sure, he would love to his stats up a little more, but in the end, the team matters more.
“I feel like I’m playing well,” Hallford said. “I don’t have the points you might expect for a fifth-year guy, but at the end of the day, the most important thing is winning. That’s all that matters. It’s about working on the little details to help lead us to success in the big picture.”
But even if the goals and assists aren’t always there for Hallford, his leadership is.
“I teach the younger guys what i can and show them the ropes of college hockey,” Hallford said. “You have to come in and give it your all every night.”
Last season Trine took a big jump forward and put itself on the college hockey radar a little more. Hallford said the goal now is to stay there.
“We put ourselves on the map and are getting some of the praise and recognition we deserve,” Hallford said. “We hold ourselves to a higher standard and we know we have to keep working hard to have success.”
He loves the way the team battles for each other, as well as the bond that has been forged on and off the ice.
Being a part of a program that has come a long way in a short period of time means everything to Hallford and he is thankful for the opportunity he has been given here.
“It’s been unbelievable. I wouldn’t trade it for the world,” Hallford said. “It’s great being part of a program that went from starting out to being recognized as one of the better teams in D3. It’s awesome to be a part of it.”
