Connor Wright practiced and waited, practiced and waited, practiced and waited – it became his routine.
For a season and a half after he joined his hometown UAA hockey team as a walk-on in 2013, Wright did not play in a game. He had shown coach Matt Thomas enough upside to keep him around as a depth forward – "Work ethic, speed, ability to shoot the puck,'' Thomas recalled – but his doggedness had not yet translated into a game sweater hung in his stall.
Even so, Wright did not waver.
"I just kept showing up, and he didn't tell me not to,'' Wright said.
Finally, a year ago, Wright earned his first game, midway through his sophomore season, and his college debut came on home ice at Sullivan Arena in front of family and friends.
All that patience and persistence reaped reward.
Wright, who played seven games last season and was voted co-Most Improved Player by teammates, has played eight already this season, and he hasn't been just a warm body inserted in an injury-riddled lineup. He's scored three goals, with his first college goal marking the game-winning strike in a 3-2 win in October at Alabama-Huntsville, which comes calling this weekend for a Western Collegiate Hockey Association series at Sullivan.
"You've got a lot of respect for a guy who can put the work in and not get an opportunity, and keep working so hard and then take full advantage of his opportunity,'' said UAA senior center and leading scorer Blake Tatchell. "It inspires you, motivates you, and shows you hard work pays off.''
Wright has played seven straight games now, and Thomas said he thought the line of Wright at right wing, sophomore Austin Azurdia at center and freshman Alex Jackstadt at left wing was the team's best line the last four games.
"They just compete,'' Thomas said. "They're fast and work hard, and they're dependable.''
Wright has come a long way from the offseason of 2013, when he aged out of junior hockey after three seasons in the North American Hockey League that were solid but did not attract a Division I scholarship offer.
"I wanted to play Division I hockey, it was always my goal,'' Wright said. "It's really expensive to play Division III, no scholarships, so it was cheaper to walk on here.''
Wright, whose sister Bailey plays at Bemidji State, said he talked to both UAF and UAA before walking on with the Seawolves. Thomas said he promised Wright nothing except a chance.
"I was honest and up front – 'I didn't recruit you, have never seen you play' – so there are no guarantees,'' Thomas said.
Wright naturally was thrilled when he first cracked the lineup last season. It has been 21 months since he played in a game.
"It was just fun to play again, to play a game,'' Wright said. "It had been so long. But I knew the system, I knew I could fit in.''
He's actually done more than fit in. Wright's three goals in just eight games is exactly what the Seawolves have needed with this scoring-by-committee, rebuilding season.
"It's a dream come true,'' Wright said.
Seawolves notes
Senior captain Austin Sevalarud (upper-body injury) and freshman forward Nicolas Erb-Ekholm (upper-body) will remain out of the lineup this weekend, Thomas said.
He said freshman forward Jeremiah Luedtke (upper-body) is day-to-day and freshman winger Mason Mitchell, who missed the last four games for personal reasons, will be a game-day decision.
UAA took three of four points in a series at Alabama-Huntsville to open UAA's WCHA schedule in October, tying 3-3 and winning 3-2.
Reach Doyle Woody at dwoody@alaskadispatch.com, check out his blog at adn.com/hockeyblog and follow him on Twitter at @JaromirBlagr
Alabama-Huntsville
5-16-3, 3-12-3 WCHA
at
UAA
9-12-3, 6-10-2 WCHA
Friday and Saturday, Sullivan Arena, 7:07 p.m. AST
TV: Live, GCI Channel 1 and 999 (HD)