This last year has been quite the eventful one for the Penn Hockey Team. Several players were dealing with injuries throughout the season and overall there was a high level of adversity that the players had to face. With that being said, nobody faced more last season than star player Joel Cocquyt.
Last year Cocquyt was unfortunately diagnosed with cancer which caused him to miss most of the season. This diagnosis started a battle for Cocquyt that no one should have to fight but luckily Cocquyt fought and won and made it through. Cocquyt recalls when he first recieved his diagnosis.
“My mind kind of went black for a little bit but I remember thinking why me,” Cocquyt said.
Instead of letting the news crush him, Cocquyt got up and fought back.
“The hardest part was being away from the things I love doing. Hanging with friends or even seeing them everyday in school and most importantly not being able to play hockey for most of the season,” Cocquyt said.
Now a cancer survivor, Cocquyt is gearing up and preparing for a great comeback season on the ice.
“It feels amazing to be playing again. I thought for a while that I was going to have no chance at playing my senior year and I had come to peace with that so finding out I will play pretty much the whole season was a great surprise,” Cocquyt said.
One of his closest friends on the team and star attacker Brooks Clark said it’s great to have Cocquyt back. He says he exemplifies the qualities of courage and determination.
“Joel is a very skilled player so he’ll help us to produce on offense this year. Last year we didn’t score as much as we had in the past and I think that was partially due to having him out. He should be able to bring back a little spark on the offensive end. He’s also just a good guy to be around. Should help to keep energy up in the locker room,” Clark said. “Attitude wise he really cares about the game and the team. He’ll give it his all and make sure nobody is slacking off out there”.
While life is full of challenges and barriers, Cocquyt is an example of why a person should never give up and keep on fighting. Cocquyt will make his return to the ice and the boys gear up to make a run at city and state this year.
