Josh Hylkema (Batavia Hockey) – Winter Sports Spotlight

Posted By on Mar 20, 2016 | 0 comments


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Sunday, March 20, 2016 | BataviasBest.org

 

Josh was one of the top Alexander players on the Ice Devils over the last few seasons. He will have one year left to prove himself in 2017. Here is his profile:

 


 

 

Josh Hylkema – Alexander High School – Batavia Ice Devils

 

6’1″ – 255 lbs – Junior

 

Career Highlight #1 – Hitting a back door one timer to score the only goal against ND.
Career Highlight #2 – Traveling to the Thousand Islands this year to play and our team sending the game into overtime with .1 seconds left in the game.
Career Highlight #3 – Playing in the Ice Devils 800th game.

 

Favorite thing about High School Sports: “My favorite thing about High school sports is just being able to play with your friends and the values that are learned  through sports.”

Most memorable moment in High School Sports career: “Going to the sectional final my freshman year when I started at left tackle for Alexander Football.”

Plans after High School: “After high school I plan on majoring in History and then becoming a lawyer.”

 

 

AB: You really took a step forward this season, from my perspective. What went into your continued improvement as a player over the past few seasons?

JH: I have been pushed by my coaches non-stop to improve as a player. They are always getting on me to keep my feet moving, which is a big reason to why I was productive this season. I have just kept on working hard and it paid off.

AB: What’s the hardest skill to improve upon?

JH: For me it definitely has to be my speed. It’s not the easiest playing hockey and weighing 255 lbs. I have to constantly keep my feet moving to keep up with the other players. I feel this is the hardest because just when I think I’m moving my feet fast enough, I need to move them even faster.

AB: Speaking of your size, you are one of the more well-sized hockey players on the team. Do you feel that works to your advantage on the ice as well?

JH: In some ways yes but in others no. Being a big hockey player makes it hard to keep up, but I’ve adapted and improved my speed to not fall behind. Where my size really comes in is positioning. It is very difficult to knock me off the puck. I use my size to  keep players from the puck and also in front of the net creating screens and tips. For players it is hard to move me in front and I scored most of my goals in front of the net, cleaning up rebounds. Lastly being big allows you to bring a physical presence to the game which will wear players down and keep them on their heels.

AB: You had a relatively tough year this season as a team, but you played several teams tough despite the lopsided overall record. What allowed you guys to continue to battle each game?

JH: Pride and respect for your coaches, teammates and parents. When you have a coach that has been a part of the Ice Devils for over 25 years and another coach that has won a state championship as an Ice Devil, scores do not matter as much as your effort when you have the Ice Devils Jersey on.  Also, this season has taught us not to quit on your team or yourself when you’re down and things are not going your way, it is not the worst thing to have a tough season, you can learn a lot from it.

AB: Finally, how do you feel about the team’s chances going forward into next season?

JH: I am very excited about our chances going into next year, my senior year. We have a group of players that have really improved towards the end of the season and I know are dedicated to working hard in the off season. Can’t wait until the puck drops this season.

 

 

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Josh will play a major role in determining whether the Ice Devils sink or swim next season.

 

 

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Winter Sports Spotlight: Here are the athletes we have spotlighted thus far – more to come

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