Offseason Interview - Jacob Carson

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Interview between Philadelphia Reapers Goaltender, and Calgary Wranglers Draftee Jacob Carson, and The Northern Sports Network’s Callie Ericsson on November 3rd, 2020

 

“Hey Jacob, it’s great to get the chance to speak to you. This past season was a breakout season for you, can you describe the transition you had from your rookie Season 73, to this past Season 74?”

 

“It’s my pleasure, it is always fun to talk about what is going on in my life. It really gives me the chance to let people know about how human us players really are. About your question, Season 74 was quite a ride for me. I had just been drafted to the Philadelphia Reapers, and then soon after the Calgary Wranglers. I hadn’t started many games with the Las Vegas Aces, for whom I was a backup goalie waiver pickup. I had a hard time getting settled into a good training routine, and my play wasn’t quite up to the level that I wanted for my rookie season.”

 

“Can you outline a bit of how your training routine has changed, and how it has helped you this past season?”

 

“Yeah for sure! I have really been trying to gain some confidence with the media, doing more press conferences and a few exclusive interviews with the media. This has really helped me gain some confidence to be a starting goaltender in this league. I have also been really focusing my on-ice energy towards my technical game. The best goaltenders in the league make the easy saves every time, and make the difficult saves by being in position and squaring up to the puck. I am really focusing on being in the right spot every time. I have also been working on filling out my physical form, which every young player has to work on entering the league.”

 

“How do you feel about your performance this past season with the Reapers?”

 

“I have to start by thanking my GM @DMaximus for the great opportunity to walk in and be a starter. He fed me games, and I certainly would not be where I am today without the opportunity to play a lot of games. There have been a lot of changes to the team, and we are definitely looking up now after the moves that have been made by management. My performance wasn’t as good as I had hoped, but I think this was the perfect opportunity to work out those kinks. I now have my first full season under my belt, and I have gotten used to the shooters in the league, and our defensive system. I was definitely underprepared technically heading into last season, but I plan to head into next season better.”

 

“Speaking of next season, what do you expect your individual performance to be?”

 

“I want to dominate this league, plain and simple. I want to get to be as good as I can be in the minors, and get myself ready for the VHL. I need to be rock-steady to allow my team the opportunity to compete night in and night out. I proved last season that I can get shutouts if I put my mind to it. I need to be in that mindset every night.” 

 

“How do you expect your team to finish next season?”

 

“Well, we have a great opportunity in the Draft to get some great new talent. We are keeping our core together from last year, who only missed the playoffs by a mere 3 points. We will be in the playoffs and we will be out to contend for a title. This is the season to put together a run, and however the season eventually ends, I know that management will have put together a squad that can win, and I am certainly excited to see how it actually goes.”

 

“You got the chance to compete at the World Juniors for Canada, how was that experience?”

 

“I’m going to be honest, I did not expect to be selected for Team Canada. I want to thank GM @MattyIce for the selection and for the couple of starts he could afford to give me. It was really an eye-opening experience to be able to play on the world stage amongst the best of the best. We didn’t exactly win a lot of games, but we all know that there is a lot of talent all around the world, so it can really be anyone’s game any given season. Hopefully we can put together a slightly more dominant squad for next season, because it would be a really cool experience to win a World Juniors title.”

 

“What are your VHL plans?”

 

“Obviously I am not entirely in control of how my career path goes, but I am glad to be a part of the Wranglers, since they have a very healthy competition in the goaltending department. We will see how exactly it all ends up. All I can do is make saves and win games and prove to the VHL GM’s that I am worth the starts after this season. I also have no problem staying around in the VHLM, I have had a great experience so far and I like where I am.”

 

“The recent updates to the Post Draft Live S74 Class Rankings by @rjfryman have placed you at 39th after being drafted 62nd overall. How do you feel about this ranking?”

 

“It is really hard to say, there are definitely some dominant players from my Draft Class, but I feel like I could definitely rank higher. I have been training really hard, and I was knocked down by my training hiccup at the beginning of my career. Keep a close eye on those rankings as time goes on and I think I can climb a lot higher. I am really hoping to climb above a few of my Goaltending competitors, as I am currently the 5th goaltender on the list. They are all great players, but I know that I have the will and the game to be the best amongst us.”

 

“What has been keeping you occupied during the offseason?”

 

“Well, I have been working on my undergraduate degree, which certainly takes a large chunk of my time. I have also been training hard with my Technical Coach every day. I finished watching the Office for the first time, and I am planning to watch the Mandalorian next, with the new season being released. Other than that, there isn’t really a whole lot of room to occupy.”

 

“Anything else you want to tell us about?”

“I think you definitely covered everything I can think of. Keep an eye on the Reapers this upcoming season, and keep an eye out for me, hopefully we can provide some entertaining hockey, and turn some heads. Stay safe out there everyone and see you in Season 75!”

 

1143 words

Claim for November 9-15, November 16-22

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Review: Wow, that’s a lot of words for an interview. Some great content in here, tons of topics. Maybe for next time, make the interviewer italic and your answer regular, so it’s easier to read.

9/10

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