North American Hockey League
Tafoya running Wild in Wenatchee M
By Matt Mackinder
aking the jump from Midget hockey to the
North American Hockey League (NAHL) has been a smooth transition for Jerad
Tafoya. Playing in his first season for the Wenatchee
(Wash.) Wild, the Highland Ranch native admit- ted that adjusting to his first hockey venture away from home was difficult at times, but, now that he’s settled into his new surroundings, it literally feels like a second home. “It’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever
seen,” said the 18-year-old forward. “It was hard leaving my family and friends I’ve known my whole life, but I live with a great billet family in a nice part of town. I don’t feel like some houseguest; they make me feel like one of their own and part of the family.” Born in San Jose, Calif., Tafoya lived on the West
Coast until the age of 10 when his family moved to Colorado. He’s never lived in a so-called hockey hot- bed, but he’s made a name for himself anyways and is now on the cusp of fulfilling a childhood dream. “My goal has always been to play Division I
hockey,” Tafoya said. “When I was younger, I went to a lot of (University of) Denver games and knew I
wanted to get to the point where I could play col- lege hockey. “Coming to the NAHL, where the league
sends a ton of guys to D-I each year, I think I’ll be able to get the opportunity.” As recently as three or four years ago,
even playing junior hockey seemed like a pipe dream for Tafoya. “When I was growing up, I was never
on any of the top teams in Colorado,” said Tafoya. “I mean, I played for the Littleton Hawks’ Bantam B and Pee Wee B teams, so it just goes to show you that hard work can pay off; I hope it shows kids on those teams now that they can play juniors. “For me, it didn’t really hit until the end of
last season (with the Colorado Thunderbirds’ 18U AAA team) when I was talking to teams and hearing about juniors from friends of mine.” Tafoya signed a
tender - a contract, of sorts, a player signs committing to a par- ticular NAHL team - with the Wild last season and no regrets. “I’m very happy with my decision to come play
here,” he said. “We’re treated like professionals and we’re the stars of the town; everyone knows who we
NAHL.com
are. With that, we have added responsibilities, but that’s never been a problem for me.” Playing college puck is an aspi-
ration Tafoya, who cites Thun- derbirds coaches Scott Smith and Angelo Ricci and Littleton Hockey Association hockey operations director Brian TenEyck as influenc- es on his budding career, hopes
to see realized after this year, but, if he has to play another season of juniors, he’s fine with that, too. “I’m in no rush, to be honest,”
said Tafoya, who had four goals for nine points in 13 games for the Wild heading into Novem- ber. “I want to take my time and, once I make a decision, I want it to be a solid one and one I’ll stick with.” As for this season, he
has high expectations, both for himself and the team. “We have a lot of tal-
ent here and great coaching,” said Tafoya. “I’m looking forward to seeing what we can accom- plish when we really get into the heart of the season.”
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