NOV 25 - 27, 2011


FEB 17 - 20, 2012


Divisions For Both Tournaments: Mite - Squirt: B/A – Pee Wee & Bantam: B/A/AA


Midget 16U: A/AA/AAA – Midget 18U: A/AA


Kleisinger Proves You Can Go Home Again The Air Force sophomore from Edwards is aiming to build on last season’s success


By Matt Mackinder C


asey Kleisinger grew up playing hockey in Colorado, but, like many teenagers, had to


leave the state to play junior hockey. The Edwards native is now back home after be-


ing gone three years and is starting his sophomore year at the United States Air Force Academy, a Division I school in the Atlantic Hockey Associa- tion (AHA). Kleisinger admits he rarely thought about


joining the military, but when the opportunity presented itself to play for the Falcons, it all made perfect sense. “It was definitely a lot different than what


I was used to playing juniors,” said Kleisinger, who played the 2007-08 season for the Dubuque (Iowa) Thunderbirds of the North American 3 Hockey League (then known as the Central States Hockey League) and the following two years for the Bismarck (N.D.) Bobcats of the North American Hockey League (NAHL). “I was excited to make the jump to D-I, but


balancing school, the military and hockey wasn’t what I expected at first,” he said. “Once I adjusted, though, I knew I made the right choice coming here.” Last year, Kleisinger, a 22-year-old forward, tal-


lied five goals among 13 points and was the third- leading freshman scorer on the squad. “We had a strong freshman class and we all


saw a good amount of ice time,” Kleisinger said. “My role was to be a defensive forward, a guy who


plays the penalty kill and blocks shots and I think I played my role well. “This year, I want to move up


the chain a bit, but if I’m back in the same role, I’m okay with that. I’ll do whatever I need to do to make this team better.” In his final season in Bis-


marck, Kleisinger was part of the Bobcats’ Robertson Cup champi- onship team, which represents the NAHL’s playoff champion and USA Hockey’s Tier II Junior A national champion. Air Force also won the Atlantic Hockey cham- pionship last spring and has won four of the last five AHA titles. Needless to say, Kleisinger has


tasted success and wants more. Getting to this point in his career wasn’t easy, he said, but has made him reflect on the sacrifices he and his family have made over the years. “I haven’t really taken the


hardest are the best for the team. I’ve always tried to be the hardest-working player and listened to what my dad told me.” Kleisinger’s father, Terry,


is a volunteer assistant coach at Colorado College, a school that also recruited Casey. When it came down to picking his college, the younger Kleisinger looked at all options and sce- narios. “I’ll be honest when I say that


easiest road, but I think it’s made me better knowing that I was never given or handed anything,” said the 5-foot-10, 170-pound Kleisinger. “All my coaches I had growing up - especially in juniors - were very big on fundamentals. “My dad always told me that a player may not be the best on a team, but the ones that work the


After a solid freshman campaign, Casey Kleisinger is hoping to take on an ex-


panded role with the Falcons this year. Photo/Den Mar Services


Air Force wasn’t at the top of my list,” said Kleisinger. “Then, the more I looked into it, I saw all of the benefits: a free job after I graduate and the prestige the academy holds. I was actually offered a spot by CC, but, with my dad there, I didn’t want any type of conflicts where other players might think I made the team just because of my dad.” The Falcons will once again


have a bull’s-eye on their backs, but Kleisinger said he’s fine with that and wants to help mentor the freshmen as they learn the


ropes this year. “I was there once and know what they’re going


through,” Kleisinger said. “The more you learn how to balance everything, the happier you’ll be and that should amount to success on the ice, too.”


RubberHockey.com 9


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