Josh Boyko almost didn’t play college hockey. He was drafted into the OHL at the age of 16 and considered going that route. And then he got a phone call from South Kent School. That call put him on a path to becoming a standout goaltender for the Aurora Spartans.
“South Kent School reached out and asked me to come out, and looking back on that call now, I couldn’t be more grateful,” Boyko said. “I wouldn’t be here if wasn’t for that. It’s been an unbelievable experience.”
Boyko is in the midst of another solid season with the Spartans, who are ranked 14th in the nation in the DCU/USCHO.com NCAA Division III men’s poll.
Boyko has started all 25 games for Aurora, fashioning a 2.55 goals against average and racking up 674 saves. Now in his fifth and final season at Aurora, this campaign has been his best one yet. But he hasn’t done it alone.
“I’ve gotten a lot of support from my teammates and coaches. They’ve been immensely helpful,” Boyko said. “They always have my back.”
The time he has put into hockey at the college level has helped propel him to new heights this season as well.
“Having experience in the league has helped me big time,” Boyko said. “I’ve learned to slow the game down. I’ve had a chance to play in a lot of games, and reaching the 100-game mark this year was realy cool. Being the first to do that here is awesome.”
Boyko said the talent on the roster as a whole has been instrumental in putting Aurora in a position to spend most of the year nationally ranked while also getting to the semifinal round of the conference tournament for the first time.
“I knew we’d have a competitive team and all of the guys have worked really hard to have a great season,” Boyko said. “We’ve put together some great games and we’re hoping to make a push here.”
What has made this season extra special for Boyko is that his brother, Simon, is now on the roster. He transferred in from Vermont and has scored a team-best 18 goals. Jack Jaunich is second on the team in goals scored with 15.
“It’s been a dream come true,” Boyko said. “We’ve always trained together in the summer and it’s been awesome to see how well he’s done. We compete in practice every day. It’s been a fun year with him.”
And the two often get quite competitive in practice.
“We’ll finish a drill and if he’s taken three or four shots and hasn’t scored on me, I’ll let him know it that I have his number. And vice versa. If he’s done well against me, he’ll give me a hard time about it.”
Boyko and the Spartans are focused this weekend on continuing their quest for an NCHA title, facing sixth-ranked St. Norbert tonight on the road in a 7 p.m. semifinal showdown.
Both games in the regular season were close. The Spartans lost 2-1 and 4-3 in overtime.
“We know we have a legit team and it’s no longer a situation where we are supposed to lose. We believe we can win,” Boyko said. “We can’t wait to get out there and have a chance to try to make more history.”
No matter how things go, it’s been quite a ride for a player who has always embraced the opportunity to be a goaltender.
“I’ve been lucky and blessed to play a lot of college hockey,” Boyko said.
