Woody McPine Interview

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With the VHLM regular season coming to a close, we managed to sit down with Minnesota Storm goalie Woody McPine for a quick interview. The young stud has a 59-10-1 record through 70 games, with 9 shutouts.

 

Q: Woody, you've had an incredible season so far. What do you attribute to your success?

W: Well, I put in a lot of hard work at the tree farm in the offseason that made me stronger and faster. But ultimately, it comes down to my incredible teammates. We wouldn't be here without all of us working together.

 

Q: Now, you've been pulled twice in the last five games, both against Saskatoon. Is that something you're concerned about with the playoffs coming up?

W: No I don't think so. Everyone has tough games and I'll bounce back in time if we play them in playoffs. Just have to make sure I'm mentally prepared.

 

Q: How do you mentally prepare yourself before each game?
W: I like to get in the zone by listening to music and just being off in my own little world for a bit before we hit the ice.

 

Q: How do you stay focused during the game?
W: Everyone knows who the dangerous players are on each team, and which players specialize on getting under your skin. You have to try and ignore what they say and do, and shrug it off when they put a puck past you. It's easier said than done (chuckles).

 

Q: Switching gears, you were once again selected to represent Team Canada at the World Junior Championships. How was the experience this year compared to last year?

W: It was a little different since I didn't play as much this year. But it was still an honour to wear the Maple Leaf and come away with a bronze.

 

Q: A huge honour for sure. Now back to the regular season. You got your 100^th career win this season, any thoughts on that?

W: Oh that was a huge thrill. We had a bit of a celebration afterwards with the team. I have the puck on my bookshelf at home.

 

Q: What kind of books do you read?
W: A little bit of everything really. But mostly biographies of musicians and athletes, or fantasy/sci-fi adventures.

 

Q: This is likely your final season before moving up to the big leagues with Prague. Excited?

W: Excited is an understatement (laughs). I never dreamed of this growing up, so I want to soak it all in and don't want to take anything for granted.

 

Q: Have any predictions for the upcoming playoffs?
W: It'll be tough, but if we can focus and play as a team, I think we can win it all. Last season we had home ice advantage in our first series against San Diego but still lost in 6 games. So we have a chip on our shoulders this year and want to prove any doubters out there.

 

Q: Well Woody, thanks for siting down with us and good luck the rest of the way.

W: Not a problem, thanks for having me.

 

Word Count: 518

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Looking forward to having you with us next season