Benjamin Peterson '18 Recruiting Profile

My name is Ben Peterson and I am a high school graduate from Bishop Guertin and will be playing my final year of Junior hockey with the  Northern  Cyclones Premier team  out of Hudson, New Hampshire.  Hockey has been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember.  My parents, teachers, coaches and teammates have all influenced who I have become as a person. They have all helped build and shape my strong character, develop my love and respect for the game and understand the importance of excelling in academics in order to be successful.  I know how hard my parents work, which has allowed me to play a sport that I love and to have the privilege of getting better education.  My family are my biggest supporters and I am grateful for them.  In the classroom, my teachers constantly push me to do my very best.  I have also been lucky enough to have coaches that really care about my development as a player and their belief in my abilities to drive me to work hard every day.  All of these things combined have driven me to be focused, disciplined & self-assured with the ability to put my creativity, leadership, communication & listening skills to work whether on or off the ice, in the classroom or at home.  

However, things have not always been easy.   When I was 10 years old, I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.  This had a huge effect on my life at the time.  Neither my parents nor I knew anything about this disease and how it would impact our everyday lives.  I was scared, I didn't know if I would be able to continue to play hockey and if there would be physical limitations.  Diabetes initially affected my vision and I suffered significant weight loss.  With time though, I was back on the ice.  Throughout the last six years, diabetes has helped me become a better person and player realizing that when given challenges in life, you need perseverance, a huge heart and great supporters to get you through these tough times.  My goal is to attend college and earn a degree in business while playing hockey at the collegiate level.  I know that I have what it takes to succeed, reach my goals and be an asset to your program and on your team.