Student Athlete of the Week: Senior Forward Louie McLinden

Even though Louie McLinden’s high school career started out slowly, it ended with some impressive stats.

McLinden started hockey in his freshman year. In his first year, McLinden played 12 regular season games; however, he did not appear on the ice in the playoffs when the Black Hawks won the Penguins Cup in 2012.

The 2012-2013 year was better for McLinden. In the regular season, McLinden appeared in two more games. The 2012-2013 season, though, McLinden scored three points with two assists and a lone goal. In the St. Margaret Cup in 2012, McLinden played both defenseman and forward for two games, but he did not score any points. This was the same story for McLinden in the 2013 Penguins Cup, as he only appeared in one game and did not score any goals.

The St. Margaret Cup in 2013 also produced disappointment for McLinden. In five games, McLinden did not score any goals.

McLinden’s junior year for the 2013-2014 school year was a breakout year for him. In the regular season, he was tied with five other players with the most games played in a season with 20. In addition, he had two goals and three assists. However, his success did not carry into the playoffs, as he was held without a point in three games in the 2014 Penguins Cup. Nonetheless, he helped the Black Hawks both defensively and offensively when the team won the National Championship.

However, McLinden’s best year was his senior year, as he finally showed why he is a star. He led the team with 14 goals, and was second on the team with 14 assists. In addition, he played 21 of the 22 games in the regular season. He also had seven power play goals and four game-winning goals.

Also in the 2014-2015 season, McLinden ranked 11th in Varsity Class AAA with 28 points in the season. This was also the year that he was selected as an All-Star, his first and only time as one. He also broke many records.

In the 2014-2015 season, McLinden had two different streaks of four games with points. He also had five points in a game at Penn Trafford and four points in a game at Central Catholic. In addition, he had two hat tricks, and two games with three assists. And, even though he earned 12 penalty minutes two separate occasions during the season, McLinden still had a great season.

In the 2015 Penguins Cup, McLinden finally got a point in the playoffs. Even though the forward only had an assist in a 3-1 upset loss to Butler, he helped give the Black Hawks a fighting chance.

McLinden has proven he is a star, and he looks to carry that emblem into whatever college hockey team he is a member of.