Sophomore Anthony Doninelli, 7 year veteran of the Oakland Bears hockey team, has been knocked off the ice for the remainder of the season due to a concussion.
He first became interested in the sport when he attended a professional game with his grandfather. “I was at a hockey game at the San Jose Shark rink and after the game my grandfather asked if I wanted to play hockey. I said yes,” Dononelli said. “Then, I had to go through so much training, but before that I had to learn to skate.”
The sport is well known for its brutal physical demands, but it is also sophisticated, with a wide range of strategies. Learning formations and plays in intellectually demanding, and this is where Doninelli thrives. Though he was a late-comer to the game, he has been a quick learner.
“I play all positions except goalie. I just go to where my coach tells me to go,” Dononelli said. “I am one of the few on the team that knows every play. Most people started when they were like 5 years old, but I started when I was 9 or 10 so I don’t know much. But, I was playing long enough to play most of the plays and help the team.”
Unfortunately, Doninelli will have to wait for next season before returning to his team. His concussion occurred when his head made violent contact with the ice after colliding with another player. “I was skating and a teammate hit me. That was one of the worst concussions I have got from hockey,” he said.
The concussion has forced Doninelli to sit out for 2 months.
According to Doninelli, his team has been struggling without him on the ice. “[Before] my concussion we were in 2nd or 3rd [place in the league]. Now, we are almost last place in our division,” he said.
Oakland Bears coach, Mike Tulini said that Doninelli’s absence has been a mixed bag for his squad. “Doninelli was a great player, and I know he would have helped us in playoffs. His absence affected the team at first, but it also helped the team because it showed them that they have to work together, and try harder,” he said.
Doninelli’s mother, Andrea Delgado-Olson, noted that while she is supportive of her son’s commitment to the sport, the potential injuries can be quite disruptive in addition to dangerous. “My son has been upset that he is out for the rest of the season. He still goes to the games to supports his team. As a mother, it scared me to see that he was not only out of hockey for so long, but he missed school [for] 2 months, and I couldn’t really do anything to help him,” she said.
Doninelli will be back on the ice this May and is excited to once again start practicing. Even though the season is over, he is ready to start training for next year.
Tulini said that Doninelli will be practicing this summer, both with his teammates and his brother. “At the beginning of September, we will be training. I work at the rink, so I see some of the team often playing. Sometimes in the summer, Doninelli is out there with his [younger] brother. You can see [that he is] trying to show him some moves and different ways to block and pass the puck,” Tulini said.