Mike Giannattasio
Journal Staff
Zach and Max Barron have both made their own impact on the men’s hockey team, but not many people get the chance to do so with a sibling on a college squad. With that said, these two are experiencing that, and doing it quite well.
Recently, two goals by senior forward Zach and one by his freshman brother Max helped lead the Rams to their second win of the season, a 3-2 non-conference matchup against Framingham State.
Zach and Max Barron are from St. Louis, Missouri, and they both have been playing hockey since they were able to walk. In addition, they have been dedicated to the sport their entire lives. Zach Barron transferred from UMass Boston last year, and Max Barron joined the team this year as a freshman.
The older of the two, Zach, said he is excited for the opportunity to play his last college hockey season with his brother.
“Getting to play with my brother again is [an experience of a life-time],” said Zach. “The odds of two brothers playing on the same hockey team are very rare and we are lucky. I had the chance to play with him in high school for a year too, but this is a lot different than that because high school hockey in St. Louis is not competitive at all.”
The younger sibling, Max, said he is also looking forward to lacing up his skates with his brother this season.
“I came to Suffolk because I’ve always wanted to play hockey with my brother and with Zach being a senior this year, this was the only opportunity that could happen,” Max said. “It’s been fun living and playing with Zach.
“It’s definitely different but I’m playing college hockey with my brother. It’s something a lot of people can’t say and I’m happy that I had this opportunity.”
Head Coach Chris Glionna is used to coaching siblings on the hockey team. Just last year, he coached the Drago brothers, Joe and Steve. Joe graduated last spring and Steve is now a sophomore on the team.
Glionna said both Zach and Max have tremendous qualities on and off the ice.
“I have enjoyed seeing how Zack and Max have pushed each other to be better,” said Glionna. “They are both very similar players. Zach plays very well and Max plays both of ends of the ice. Both have great personalities, and their teammates have great respect for them. They represent the school very well.”
Glionna added that he has high hopes for each of them this season.
“The ceiling for Max is very high,” he continued. “We expect him to be one of our best players when the season is all over.
“Right now my best memory of Zack will be his contributions in winning the Cod Fish Bowl last year [hosted by UMass-Boston]. However, I expect Zack will have many more great moments this winter.”
The Barron brothers have high expectations for themselves and the club this season too, as they both want to win the Great Northeast Athletic Conference title.
“I just want to win and as long as the team is winning, it doesn’t really matter what my personal goals are,” said Zach. “I just want to go out there every night and do everything I can to make sure that we win.”
Max Barron hopes the team accomplishes their goals this season as well.
“We have a good group of guys in the locker room,” said Max. “We’ve gotten better every game we played. We’re starting to turn the page and hopefully we keep the W’s coming.
“My goal was to just come in, have fun and let the rest play itself out, and hopefully it does. We have a competitive lineup that hates to lose. Our goal is to win our league and we plan on doing that.”
