Tyler Braccini was once told by a coach that he’d never be that great of a college hockey player, not even at the Division III level.
“I was told some harsh things,” Braccini said. “One coach, I won’t name names, told me I’d never even be an average D-III hockey player. That’s been on my whiteboard since I was a freshman.”
Now a junior, Braccini is a standout for the Bethel Royals. In fact, he leads the MIAC in goals scored (16) while also dishing out 11 assists.
He’s far ahead of where he was a season ago when he scored 11 goals and tallied eight assists. That success comes down to the way Braccini has approached the game and the way he handles the pressure of being a player his team counts on.
“I think about it quite a bit. I think last year I had like two goals until about January 2nd, and my coach and I looked at how much pressure I was putting on myself to succeed, to score. I still put pressure on myself, but now I focus on the process, knowing I’m going to get chances and I’m not as hard on myself when I miss.”
The approach has worked well and the Royals are one of the best teams in the MIAC, sitting in second heading into the final weekend of play. They are 12-8-3 overall and 8-4-2 in the league.
“Everyone has bought in to the one body commitment,” Braccini said. “It relates to a passage in the Bible where every part of the body has a role, and we’ve truly bought into that. Everyone is playing hard for the guy next to them.”
Braccini is from Minnesota and grew up playing hockey. He didn’t like it as much at first but then saw Pittsburgh Penguins legend Sidney Crosby play in the Stanley Cup Finals and his love for the game changed big time.
“It sparked my love for the game and for Crosby and how he went about the game,” Braccini said. “I’ve watched a lot of videos on him and tried to implement things he does into my game. I even name my dog after him, with my family’s consent of course.”
Braccini wasn’t a highly recruited player while in juniors but Bethel gave him a chance. He’s thankful for it.
“I love how they spoke about loving you no matter what and that they implement faith into hockey rather than try to separate it,” Braccini said.
This season has been his best one yet with the Royals and he said he continues to trust the process.
“I’ve learned to stay level headed throughout a game,” Braccini said. “I know I’m going to get chances and I don’t get too high or too low. I’ve had great games and I’ve had bad games, but none of them truly define me. I still put pressure on myself, but it’s healthy. I wouldn’t work as hard if there wasn’t pressure. Pressure is privilege.”
He’s looking forward to helping Bethel contend for a MIAC title. And when he thinks back to being overlooked on the recruiting trail, he takes pride in knowing he’s come so far.
“It’s definitely rewarding and something I thank God for,” Braccini said. “I could have given up, but God put it on my heart that I was made for more and no one else’s words define me. It’s cool to see where I am, but there is still so much more I want to do.”
