Hailing from Ontario, Canada, sophomore Nathan Marsters feels he is a lucky guy, getting the opportunity to fulfill his dreams of playing hockey. Marsters began playing hockey at the age of seven as a means of emulating Canadian hockey greats Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier.
Marsters describes his early years of hockey as fairly laid-back, full of fun and lacking any serious competition. In Ontario, he explains, playing hockey was the big pastime for young men, and it was considered very peculiar if an individual didn’t play hockey.
Marsters feels very fortunate that he has been given the opportunity to play hockey for RPI.
"They chose me, actually, (and) wanted me to come here to play for them," he said.
Marsters accepted RPI’s offer because he felt that it was the best fit for him—he would receive ice time as a freshmen and he knew RPI would be competitive throughout his four years of college.
For Marsters, the decision to attend RPI was not only a great one for hockey but also for his academic future. He says it is very difficult to keep to the hockey schedule along with classwork, but—unlike other schools—RPI hockey coaches make sure that all the players attend class, attend study periods, and are provided with tutors from the Learning Center when they have problems in a class.
"At RPI, constant help and tutors are assigned to us. [It] makes you happy to know that the university cares about us educationally," he said.
Hockey has had a huge impact on Marsters’ life. The game, he explains, gave him tons of experiences while he traveled across Canada, and now it has given him the opportunity to attend a school like RPI.
"Without hockey I’d probably be at home working for my dad or something," he said.
The knowledge of what the game has done for him impacts how he plays each time he steps onto the ice. Marsters hopes to play hockey for a professional team in the future, but he says the decision, of course, is not left up to him, but rather to the NHL teams who must decide whether or not he is worth their draft pick.
Outside of hockey, Marsters says he is an everyday guy who is having a great time at college. He enjoys spending his free time with his friends and playing video games. For downtime, Marsters says he enjoys taking long naps or calling home.
"I miss home, but I take some of my free time to call and see how things are going with my family," he said.
Marsters feels confident about the upcoming season. He believes the school has brought back a loaded roster filled with talent and has added key recruits during the off-season. Because of this, he can’t wait until they start skating again—he says everyone on the team is ready to tackle the challenge they know they will soon face.
