Niagara University ACHA Hockey: Dane Wakefield, From Injury to Record Holder

On a bus trip home from a duel with John Carroll of Cleveland late last season, Niagara University goaltender Dane Wakefield heard the news.

"He (NU's American Collegiate Hockey Association Coach Clay Miller) came up to me and said 'A couple more wins, and you'll have the school record—as a freshman,'" Wakefield said.

In his first year between the pipes for the Purple Eagles, the 19-year-old Monroe, NY native cemented his name in the team's record books by emerging victorious in 10 consecutive games. 

And not to mention, he attained the mark while battling chronic knee and leg pain.

"My knees have been iffy the last couple years," Wakefield said. "Finally, they just gave at the end of the first semester."

The NU ACHA club's previous record was eight games, held by Mike Battaglia (2007-08), and there were three other goalies who set the bar at seven games in years past.

And to think, the Burke Catholic High School (Goshen, NY) product wasn't even sure if he was going to see action last season, let alone establish a milestone for future goaltenders.

"I was just happy to play," Wakefield said. "At first, I didn't know what the competition was going to be like (for the starting job). I was pretty happy about how it ended."

Wakefield, who has played hockey since he was five-years-old, jockeyed for position with a teammate and was named the starter in late December.

But after a rocky 4-5-1 launch into the season, he questioned himself.

"At first I wasn’t confident," Wakefield said. "But I got my ground."

"I went from being disappointed, to feeling like I could be the No. 1 (goalie). I was playing some of the best hockey I ever played.”

"He turned it on and never looked back," Coach Miller said via email.

His resolve paid off, and Wakefield went on to post a 15-6-2 transcript in the 2009-10 campaign.

Stringing together 10 straight triumphs is impressive in any sport, and Wakefield pointed to his fellow teammates as cause for his great success.

"There were a few instances when my team came up big and scored timely goals," Wakefield said proudly.

"We were talking about it the other day. We were down against John Carroll, maybe by two goals. Our captain had a hat trick that game, that was the reason we ended up winning."