Former Waywayseecappo Wolverines Forward, Gregg Lee has committed to play NCAA Division III Hockey for the Fredonia State Blue Devils in the State University of New York Athletic Conference.
With the commitment, Lee becomes the fifth and final graduating player from the Wolverines 2018-19 class to further his hockey career at the university or college level.
“The whole college process has been a lot of stress but now that it’s over, it feels great,” Lee said of his commitment to the Fredonia State Blue Devils.
While there were a few factors that went into Lee’s final decision, when it came down to it, Fredonia was a clear choice. Fredonia, New York sits 45 minutes southwest of Buffalo on the edge of Lake Erie, close to where Lee has some family ties.
“I just liked how welcoming the program is, the coach made me feel like I was a part of the program before I committed. It’s nice that I have some family in Ontario near the Buffalo area. It’s nice to be close to some family that I don’t get to see too often.”
“I’m going to major in Business,” Lee said of his academics. “I might double major in something else since I’ve got some classes out of the way. I completed four college courses last season.”
In one season with the Wolverines, Lee broke through as a leader on the ice, scoring 14 goals and 14 assists in 55 games while adding a goal and an assist in four playoff games. His commitment to school off the ice also earned Gregg the teams award for Scholastic Player of the Year.
“I’m proud of all of us,” Lee said of all five graduating players moving on. “We put in a lot of work and it paid off. I’m proud of each and every one of them and I’m excited about the future.”
“The group of guys we had was special, we all got along well. I’m just overall happy with the experience I got and the friendships I made. It was a great group of guys to spend my 20-year-old season with.”
Something Lee certainly won’t soon forget was the shock of moving almost 2000 miles from Aliso Viejo, California to living in Rossburn, Manitoba.
“It was a great experience for someone who came from southern California to see the culture and what it’s like to live in small-town Manitoba.”
“It is totally shocking at first, getting used to the winter and the cold. It’s hard to comprehend before you go and live somewhere like that and overall it wasn’t as hard of a transition as I thought it would be. When you’re going to the rink and hanging out with guys you love, playing the sport you love it doesn’t matter where you are.”
“I couldn’t have gone through this whole process without the support of my coaches, family members, and teammates,” Lee concluded.