Seniors Brycon Johnson and Brennan Buerck have shared the leadership role on the Varsity Roller Hockey team for the past season. Some players would say that their favorite part about the game is the feeling on the court or field, but Buerck’s favorite part about roller hockey isn’t the game itself, but the friendships and life lessons he’s gained from it.
“I think they’ve had a lot of experience, they’ve been on the team for three to four years now and Brennan leads by example, works really hard, keeps his mouth shut to the ref and things like that,” Head Coach Cody Kettler said. “He’s not really a negative person, he’s always positive and he works really hard. I would say Brycon, most of the kids look up to him because he’s probably one of the best players in the state so I would say a lot of the kids look up to him as far as hockey goes.”
From what it seems, Buerck and Johnson make the perfect duo. Buerck has the calm attitude and respected voice in the locker room.
“He’s the voice in the locker-room and everyone listens to him,” Johnson said. “Everyone knows he knows what he’s talking about.”
While Buerck has the authoritative voice, Johnson has a bit of experience as well.
“He knows what to do and when to do it,” Buerck said about Johnson.
Johnson can’t be the leader he is without having Buerck there holding him up, and Buerck can’t be the leader he is without Johnson’s help as well. But this bond was put on hold when Johnson moved to South Dakota during his junior year. However, they got through it when Johnson returned to St. Charles.
“Before this year it was kind of hard hanging out with him and stuff ‘cause I was always gone for ice hockey but this year I’ve been in town more,” Johnson said. “So we’ve basically hung out every other day [this year].”
Leading any kind of sport is difficult especially when there are eight other teammates looking up to you, but if the roles were switched, Buerck says he would still look up to Johnson.
“He’s a great hockey player and I’d want to be like him,” Buerck said.
The friendship started back in sixth grade when Johnson and Buerck were on the same ice team. But Johnson and Buerck didn’t become close until their high school years.
“In high school, we got super close but we were friends ever since sixth grade and we played on the same ice game on the very first year,” Buerck said.
Being seniors, both Johnson and Buerck have to decide about college soon. Johnson is waiting for a roller hockey scholarship and Buerck will attend Missouri State. Both boys have decided to continue with roller hockey in college but the distance won’t put a strain on their friendship.
“We’re still going to talk,” Johnson said. “Whenever we both come back in town I’m sure we’ll pick right back up where we left off.”
