It was only natural, fitting really, that UW-Stevens Point’s Noah Finstrom decided to play hockey at a young age.
After all, his dad was a pro for more than a decade, playing in few different leagues.
“I was involved in lacrosse and a little bit of baseball, but hockey has always been my thing,” Finstrom said. “My dad played pro for 11 years. It was kind of ingrained in me from day one.”
Having a resource like that to turn to for advice about the sport has proven invaluable to Finstrom, who, now in his third season with the Pointers, earned honorable mention recognition this season.
“Oh yeah, every day he has something to say, good or bad, you take the advice and use it to your advantage,” Finstrom said. “He’s definitely been a huge part of my hockey career. I definitely could not have done this without him.”
The senior forward is having his best year year yet with the Pointers, the reigning WIAC champions and the sixth-ranked team in the USCHO.com poll.
He earned all-conference honors for the first time in his career, scoring 12 goals and dishing out 12 assists, tied for the third-most on the team. Finstrom has produced six multi-point nights, hitting the two-goal mark four times.
He also five power-play goals, tied for the team lead in that category.
Finstrom scored seven goals and dished out 10 assists his first year here and tallied six goals and four assists last season.
A lot has changed for him this season.
“One of the big things for me, compared to last year, is consistency,” Finstrom said. “I try to keep my feet moving and get to the dirty areas in front of the net. If you see my stats, almost all of my goal are within the crease. That’s a big emphasis for me. Getting my stick on the ice. I know it sounds simple, but it’s the the thing I’ve really worked on this year.”
Finstrom and the Pointers (21-5-2) are gearing up for an NCAA tournament opening round game against No. 3 Adrian (22-6-1) Saturday night.
It’s the second straight year the two teams are facing off in the tourney. Adrian won last year’s game 3-2 in overtime.
The Pointers come in on an eight-game unbeaten streak.
“It’s been awesome the way we are playing right now,” Finstrom said. “We’ve had a lot of close games and faced some adversity this year, but the last couple of weeks have been really good for our team. We’ve been working hard towards the tournament.”
Finstrom is one of several key players for the Pointers, who have no shortage of talent.
Fletcher Anderson is the co-player of the year in the WIAC for the second consecutive season while Mick Heneghan, Brett Humberstone, Dawson Sciarrino and Alex Proctor are also all-conference picks.
Anderson has tallied 13 goals and 17 assists while Heneghan has come through with five goals and 12 assists.
Humberstone as come through with five goals and nine assists and Sciarrino has racked up a team-best 19 assists to go along with four goals. Proctor has been solid in the net, winning 18 games and sporting a .924 save percentage. He’s had five games with 30 or more saves.
Finstrom can’t say enough about his teammates and the chance to play with them.
“It’s awesome to come to the rink an go to war with these guys every weekend. We’re all putting in hard work and it’s definitely paying off.”
He’s confident in the team going into the tourney as well.
“Adrian is good, one of the top teams, but we’re good, too,” Finstrom said. “It’s going to be a battle. We just have to keep sharp and bring the intensity.”
On a personal note, the chance to play college hockey has meant everything to Finstrom.
“I’d say it’s a privilege to be on the ice every day and there is nothing better than playing hockey,” Finstrom said. “I take every day for what it is. Being on the ice comes natural. It’s awesome.”
