bernier56
March 17th, 2008, 3:48:53 PM
http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/bc/sports/m-hockey/auto_headshot/1382741.jpeg
Ice has always factored into the story. That is why, perhaps, that images of a young boy's passion are easily frozen for those in Nathan Gerbe's tale.
more stories like this
"I just remember how, when he was 5 and 6 and 7, he kept begging and begging to play," said Terrie Gerbe. "He would come off of the pond and follow me into the kitchen. 'I can do it,' he would say. 'I can do it.' "
In harmony with her husband, Joe, Terrie had agreed to start their two oldest sons, Joey and Jeff, in hockey when they were 3 and 5, but for various reasons chose to delay Nathan's entrance into the organized stuff until he was 8. "I felt so bad for him. All he wanted to do was play."
Seven years later and hundreds of miles removed from his boyhood home in Oxford, Mich., Gerbe remained unable to contain his true desires.
"Always, he would look at you and you know he was saying, 'Can I play? Can I play? Can I play?' " said Mike Hastings, the coach and general manager of the Omaha Lancers of the US Hockey League.
Well, could he? An answer comes from within the Boston Bruins' locker room, where rising star Phil Kessel talks glowingly of the time he spent alongside Gerbe while playing for the US national team.
"He's my favorite guy I've ever played with," said Kessel. "He skates unbelievable. He has great skills. He makes great passes. For me, he was the easiest guy to read off of."
Though they wear different uniforms - Kessel the Bruins' black 'n' gold, Gerbe the Boston College maroon 'n' gold - the former linemates play in the same city, which has afforded them the chance to maintain a close friendship and talk all the time.
Go ahead, suggest that it must be "small talk," and have a good laugh; Gerbe will sit it out. More strikingly, so will a long line of admirers that stretches from Chestnut Hill to Omaha. The fact he stands 5 feet 5 inches and weighs 165 pounds in a world that is becoming increasingly crowded with behemoths long ago became a footnote in the Gerbe story. Hastings offers an explanation:
"On that day when they gave out hearts, Nathan somehow got switched up," he said. "He got a heart that gave him a big man's mentality."
It helps explain why Terrie Gerbe has never harbored any fears. "You can't worry for them. You've got to play with what you've got."
It helps explain what unfolded the night Hastings looked down his bench and saw a pair of wide eyes staring back. Gerbe, a mere 15 years old, was the youngest kid on the team. "Heck, 75-80 percent of the league was two years older," said Hastings, who nonetheless signaled for the kid to get some rare ice time
Continued...http://www.boston.com/sports/colleges/mens_hockey/articles/2008/03/14/ruler_at_heights/
NATHAN DAVID GERBE; born July 24, 1987 ... shoots left ... participated in the Buffalo Sabres Development Camp in 2007 ... has extensive international experience ... traveled overseas with the U.S. National Team that placed third at the 2007 IIHF World Junior Championships in Leksand and Mora, Sweden; played in all seven games and finished tied for first on the team (with Erik Johnson) in assists with six ... was a member of the U.S. National Team that finished fourth at the 2006 IIHF World Junior Championships in Vancouver, British Columbia ... has twice participated in the U.S. National Junior Team Evaluation Camp; traveled to Lake Placid, N.Y. in August of 2005 and August of 2006 ... graduated from Huron (Mich.) High School in 2005 ... played the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons with the U.S. National Under-18 Team in Ann Arbor, Mich.
AS A JUNIOR (2007-08): Has played in 37 games ... earned Commissioners' Association National Division I Player of the Month honors for December after recording 16 points - nine goals and seven assists - in four games ... has twice earned Hockey East Player of the Month accolades (December and January) ... captured Dodge Holiday Classic Most Valuable Player honors ... has earned conference Player of the Week honors four times - on Dec. 3, Dec. 17, Jan. 14 and Feb. 11 ... has registered 52 points - 27 goals and 25 assists ... finished the season with 31 points - 14 goals and 17 assists - in 26 Hockey East contests ... registered a nine-game scoring streak (11/30 - 1/18) during which he recorded 27 points - 13 goals and 14 assists ... has enjoyed 15 multiple-point performances, including one five-point performance, three four-point efforts and four three-point nights ... has registered five multiple-goal games, including a career-high four goals against Harvard (12/12) ... scored three goals in the team's 6-2 home win over Boston University (11/30) ... recorded four points - three goals and one assist - in consecutive victories over Providence (3/14-15) in the Hockey East Tournament quarterfinal round; scored twice in the team's 5-1 home win over the Friars on Friday and tallied one goal - a penalty shot - and one assist in BC's 5-1 series-clinching victory the next night ... earned MVP honors at the Dodge Holiday Classic at Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis, Minn., after stellar efforts against Air Force (12/29) and RIT (12/30); registered four points - one goal and three assists - in BC's first-round victory over the Falcons, then totaled three points - one goal and two assists - in the team's 6-0 championship victory over RIT ... scored twice in the team's 4-3 win over Boston University (2/4) in the semifinals of the Beanpot Tournament in TD Banknorth Garden; tied the score at three goals apiece with a power-play goal early in the third period, then netted the game-winning score at 7:15 of the overtime session ... was involved in all four BC goals in a 4-1 win at Massachusetts (2/8); assisted on each of BC's first three scores and recorded an empty-net score to seal the victory over the Minutemen.
AS A SOPHOMORE (2006-07): Played in 41 games; missed the Eagles' game at Northeastern (1/5) while playing with Team USA at the 2007 World Junior Championships ... earned All-Hockey East second-team accolades and All-New England first-team recognition ... gained All-Tournament honors at the NCAA Tournament's Frozen Four in St. Louis, Mo. ... shared the James E. Tiernan Memorial Award with Brock Bradford as the program's Most Improved Players ... earned Hockey East Player of the Month honors in February ... registered 47 points - 25 goals and 22 assists ... ranked among the nation's leaders in several offensive categories - goals per game (0.61; 11th), shorthanded goals (five; tied-second), game-winning goals (six; tied-third) and power-play goals (nine; tied-16th) ... recorded 28 points - 16 goals and 12 assists - in 26 league games; led all Hockey East players in goals per game (0.62) ... finished the season ranked fourth on the team with a plus-18 rating; earned a plus-10 rating in conference contests ... tallied at least one point in 30 games, including a season-long 11-game point-scoring streak (2/13-3/25) ... enjoyed 12 multiple-point efforts, including two three-point games and one four-point performance ... scored two goals in each of four games ... registered 14 points - four goals and 10 assists - in eight post-season games ... tallied a game-high four points - two third-period goals and two assists - in the team's 6-4 victory over North Dakota (4/5) in the NCAA Tournament's semifinal round in St. Louis, Mo. ... earned Hockey East Player of the Week honors after two stellar efforts against Maine; notched two goals and one assist in a 5-2 home win over the Black Bears (2/15), then tallied one goal and two assists in a 6-5 home victory the following night ... scored two goals in a 3-0 win at Wisconsin (10/27); netted a 6 x 4 shorthanded goal in the first period then doubled the team's lead late in the final frame ... assisted on all three BC goals in 3-0 home win over Northeastern (3/8) in the first game of the quarterfinal series of the Hockey East Tournament.
AS A FRESHMAN (2005-06): Played in 39 games, including 26 Hockey East contests; missed two games while playing with Team USA in the 2006 World Junior Championship ... earned Hockey East Rookie of the Week honors on Nov. 15 ... registered 18 points - 11 goals and seven assists; recorded 12 points - seven goals and five assists - in league action ... enjoyed three multiple-point games, including two multiple-goal efforts ... scored two game-winning goals, two power-play goals, one shorthanded goal and one empty-net goal ... tallied his first collegiate points - one goal and one assist - in a season-opening victory at Bowling Green (10/15); assisted on Chris Collins' power-play goal early in the first period, then scored his first collegiate goal at 12:47 of the third period ... scored both goals in the team's 2-1 win at Vermont (11/13); netted BC's first goal in the second period, then tallied the decisive score at 14:50 of the third period ... notched two goals, including one shorthanded goal in the first period, in a 7-0 home win over Massachusetts (12/9) ... scored a highlight-reel goal - the gamewinner - against North Dakota (4/6) in the semifinal round of the NCAA Tournament in Milwaukee, Wis. ... assisted on Brock Bradford's game-winning goal late in the third period of a 3-2 home win over Providence (10/29) ... tallied an assist on Dan Bertram's decisive goal in the team's 3-0 home win over Merrimack (11/26).
BEFORE BC: Played the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons in the U.S. National Team Development Program ... registered 29 points - 13 goals and 16 assists - in 38 games with the U.S. National Under-18 Team in 2004-05 ... scored four power-play goals, three game-winning goals and one shorthanded goal ... played for head coach Ron Rolston ... played 25 regular-season games for the USHL's Omaha Lancers in 2002-03; was the youngest player in the league ... was a member of the U.S. National Under-18 Team that captured the gold medal at the 2005 IIHF Under-18 World Championship in Plzen, Czech Republic; registered four goals and four assists in six tournament games ... was also on the Under-18 Team than earned the silver medal at the 2004 IIHF Under-18 World Championship in Minsk, Belarus.
PERSONAL: Enrolled as a communications major in the College of Arts & Sciences ... is active among the Boston College community ... annually visits patients at the Franciscan Hospital for Children ... participant in BC hockey community service events at the YMCA in Brighton, Mass. ... assists in providing food service at local homeless shelters throughout the year ... is the 2007-08 recipient of the Driscoll Family Hockey Scholarship ... was selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the fifth round (145th overall) of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft .... Nathan is the youngest of Terrie and Joe Gerbe's six children.
GERBE'S CAREER STATISTICS
http://bceagles.cstv.com/sports/m-hockey/mtt/gerbe_nathan00.html
Ice has always factored into the story. That is why, perhaps, that images of a young boy's passion are easily frozen for those in Nathan Gerbe's tale.
more stories like this
"I just remember how, when he was 5 and 6 and 7, he kept begging and begging to play," said Terrie Gerbe. "He would come off of the pond and follow me into the kitchen. 'I can do it,' he would say. 'I can do it.' "
In harmony with her husband, Joe, Terrie had agreed to start their two oldest sons, Joey and Jeff, in hockey when they were 3 and 5, but for various reasons chose to delay Nathan's entrance into the organized stuff until he was 8. "I felt so bad for him. All he wanted to do was play."
Seven years later and hundreds of miles removed from his boyhood home in Oxford, Mich., Gerbe remained unable to contain his true desires.
"Always, he would look at you and you know he was saying, 'Can I play? Can I play? Can I play?' " said Mike Hastings, the coach and general manager of the Omaha Lancers of the US Hockey League.
Well, could he? An answer comes from within the Boston Bruins' locker room, where rising star Phil Kessel talks glowingly of the time he spent alongside Gerbe while playing for the US national team.
"He's my favorite guy I've ever played with," said Kessel. "He skates unbelievable. He has great skills. He makes great passes. For me, he was the easiest guy to read off of."
Though they wear different uniforms - Kessel the Bruins' black 'n' gold, Gerbe the Boston College maroon 'n' gold - the former linemates play in the same city, which has afforded them the chance to maintain a close friendship and talk all the time.
Go ahead, suggest that it must be "small talk," and have a good laugh; Gerbe will sit it out. More strikingly, so will a long line of admirers that stretches from Chestnut Hill to Omaha. The fact he stands 5 feet 5 inches and weighs 165 pounds in a world that is becoming increasingly crowded with behemoths long ago became a footnote in the Gerbe story. Hastings offers an explanation:
"On that day when they gave out hearts, Nathan somehow got switched up," he said. "He got a heart that gave him a big man's mentality."
It helps explain why Terrie Gerbe has never harbored any fears. "You can't worry for them. You've got to play with what you've got."
It helps explain what unfolded the night Hastings looked down his bench and saw a pair of wide eyes staring back. Gerbe, a mere 15 years old, was the youngest kid on the team. "Heck, 75-80 percent of the league was two years older," said Hastings, who nonetheless signaled for the kid to get some rare ice time
Continued...http://www.boston.com/sports/colleges/mens_hockey/articles/2008/03/14/ruler_at_heights/
NATHAN DAVID GERBE; born July 24, 1987 ... shoots left ... participated in the Buffalo Sabres Development Camp in 2007 ... has extensive international experience ... traveled overseas with the U.S. National Team that placed third at the 2007 IIHF World Junior Championships in Leksand and Mora, Sweden; played in all seven games and finished tied for first on the team (with Erik Johnson) in assists with six ... was a member of the U.S. National Team that finished fourth at the 2006 IIHF World Junior Championships in Vancouver, British Columbia ... has twice participated in the U.S. National Junior Team Evaluation Camp; traveled to Lake Placid, N.Y. in August of 2005 and August of 2006 ... graduated from Huron (Mich.) High School in 2005 ... played the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons with the U.S. National Under-18 Team in Ann Arbor, Mich.
AS A JUNIOR (2007-08): Has played in 37 games ... earned Commissioners' Association National Division I Player of the Month honors for December after recording 16 points - nine goals and seven assists - in four games ... has twice earned Hockey East Player of the Month accolades (December and January) ... captured Dodge Holiday Classic Most Valuable Player honors ... has earned conference Player of the Week honors four times - on Dec. 3, Dec. 17, Jan. 14 and Feb. 11 ... has registered 52 points - 27 goals and 25 assists ... finished the season with 31 points - 14 goals and 17 assists - in 26 Hockey East contests ... registered a nine-game scoring streak (11/30 - 1/18) during which he recorded 27 points - 13 goals and 14 assists ... has enjoyed 15 multiple-point performances, including one five-point performance, three four-point efforts and four three-point nights ... has registered five multiple-goal games, including a career-high four goals against Harvard (12/12) ... scored three goals in the team's 6-2 home win over Boston University (11/30) ... recorded four points - three goals and one assist - in consecutive victories over Providence (3/14-15) in the Hockey East Tournament quarterfinal round; scored twice in the team's 5-1 home win over the Friars on Friday and tallied one goal - a penalty shot - and one assist in BC's 5-1 series-clinching victory the next night ... earned MVP honors at the Dodge Holiday Classic at Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis, Minn., after stellar efforts against Air Force (12/29) and RIT (12/30); registered four points - one goal and three assists - in BC's first-round victory over the Falcons, then totaled three points - one goal and two assists - in the team's 6-0 championship victory over RIT ... scored twice in the team's 4-3 win over Boston University (2/4) in the semifinals of the Beanpot Tournament in TD Banknorth Garden; tied the score at three goals apiece with a power-play goal early in the third period, then netted the game-winning score at 7:15 of the overtime session ... was involved in all four BC goals in a 4-1 win at Massachusetts (2/8); assisted on each of BC's first three scores and recorded an empty-net score to seal the victory over the Minutemen.
AS A SOPHOMORE (2006-07): Played in 41 games; missed the Eagles' game at Northeastern (1/5) while playing with Team USA at the 2007 World Junior Championships ... earned All-Hockey East second-team accolades and All-New England first-team recognition ... gained All-Tournament honors at the NCAA Tournament's Frozen Four in St. Louis, Mo. ... shared the James E. Tiernan Memorial Award with Brock Bradford as the program's Most Improved Players ... earned Hockey East Player of the Month honors in February ... registered 47 points - 25 goals and 22 assists ... ranked among the nation's leaders in several offensive categories - goals per game (0.61; 11th), shorthanded goals (five; tied-second), game-winning goals (six; tied-third) and power-play goals (nine; tied-16th) ... recorded 28 points - 16 goals and 12 assists - in 26 league games; led all Hockey East players in goals per game (0.62) ... finished the season ranked fourth on the team with a plus-18 rating; earned a plus-10 rating in conference contests ... tallied at least one point in 30 games, including a season-long 11-game point-scoring streak (2/13-3/25) ... enjoyed 12 multiple-point efforts, including two three-point games and one four-point performance ... scored two goals in each of four games ... registered 14 points - four goals and 10 assists - in eight post-season games ... tallied a game-high four points - two third-period goals and two assists - in the team's 6-4 victory over North Dakota (4/5) in the NCAA Tournament's semifinal round in St. Louis, Mo. ... earned Hockey East Player of the Week honors after two stellar efforts against Maine; notched two goals and one assist in a 5-2 home win over the Black Bears (2/15), then tallied one goal and two assists in a 6-5 home victory the following night ... scored two goals in a 3-0 win at Wisconsin (10/27); netted a 6 x 4 shorthanded goal in the first period then doubled the team's lead late in the final frame ... assisted on all three BC goals in 3-0 home win over Northeastern (3/8) in the first game of the quarterfinal series of the Hockey East Tournament.
AS A FRESHMAN (2005-06): Played in 39 games, including 26 Hockey East contests; missed two games while playing with Team USA in the 2006 World Junior Championship ... earned Hockey East Rookie of the Week honors on Nov. 15 ... registered 18 points - 11 goals and seven assists; recorded 12 points - seven goals and five assists - in league action ... enjoyed three multiple-point games, including two multiple-goal efforts ... scored two game-winning goals, two power-play goals, one shorthanded goal and one empty-net goal ... tallied his first collegiate points - one goal and one assist - in a season-opening victory at Bowling Green (10/15); assisted on Chris Collins' power-play goal early in the first period, then scored his first collegiate goal at 12:47 of the third period ... scored both goals in the team's 2-1 win at Vermont (11/13); netted BC's first goal in the second period, then tallied the decisive score at 14:50 of the third period ... notched two goals, including one shorthanded goal in the first period, in a 7-0 home win over Massachusetts (12/9) ... scored a highlight-reel goal - the gamewinner - against North Dakota (4/6) in the semifinal round of the NCAA Tournament in Milwaukee, Wis. ... assisted on Brock Bradford's game-winning goal late in the third period of a 3-2 home win over Providence (10/29) ... tallied an assist on Dan Bertram's decisive goal in the team's 3-0 home win over Merrimack (11/26).
BEFORE BC: Played the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons in the U.S. National Team Development Program ... registered 29 points - 13 goals and 16 assists - in 38 games with the U.S. National Under-18 Team in 2004-05 ... scored four power-play goals, three game-winning goals and one shorthanded goal ... played for head coach Ron Rolston ... played 25 regular-season games for the USHL's Omaha Lancers in 2002-03; was the youngest player in the league ... was a member of the U.S. National Under-18 Team that captured the gold medal at the 2005 IIHF Under-18 World Championship in Plzen, Czech Republic; registered four goals and four assists in six tournament games ... was also on the Under-18 Team than earned the silver medal at the 2004 IIHF Under-18 World Championship in Minsk, Belarus.
PERSONAL: Enrolled as a communications major in the College of Arts & Sciences ... is active among the Boston College community ... annually visits patients at the Franciscan Hospital for Children ... participant in BC hockey community service events at the YMCA in Brighton, Mass. ... assists in providing food service at local homeless shelters throughout the year ... is the 2007-08 recipient of the Driscoll Family Hockey Scholarship ... was selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the fifth round (145th overall) of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft .... Nathan is the youngest of Terrie and Joe Gerbe's six children.
GERBE'S CAREER STATISTICS
http://bceagles.cstv.com/sports/m-hockey/mtt/gerbe_nathan00.html