Okotoks On-Line
Published: Thursday, 12 May 2016 05:50
Written by Gino De Paoli
For Okotoks Oilers winger Matt McNair he truly was an example of starting from the bottom and working to the top in his junior hockey career culminating with an NCAA scholarship.
The Beiseker native has committed to Adrian University for the 2016-17 season, McNair in 171 AJHL games playing all but 17 of them with the Oilers notched 52 goals and 48 assists in that time including 34 in his senior season.
McNair says he's had Adrian on his radar for a while.
“Adrian was definitely one of my top three Div III schools, there was quite a few schools looking at me,” he says. “They were pushing more and more, they flew out to watch me a couple of times and I guess they liked what I had to offer to their program. They flew me down there and I checked out the school down there and it looked like a good fit for myself.”
McNair's 34 goals put him 4th on the club's single season goal scorers list just behind Corban Knight's 36 back in the 2008-09 season and says he wouldn't be where he is with his numerous line mates through his time in Okotoks.
“I remember my first year I was on the 4th line and then going into my second season I moved up and played most of the year with Tanner Ockey, he kind of showed me how to play and this last year I got lucky playing with Colin O'Neill and Trey deGraaf, I got to play with some good guys and it helped my career out.”