By Tim Morris
Sean Rappleyea has been there before.
“It’s another jump, another step up,” the Saint Joseph High School of Metuchen graduate said.
That step up is from junior hockey in Canada to NCAA Division I college hockey in the United States. Rappleyea, who lives in South Amboy, recently made his verbal commitment to play for the University of Alabama-Huntsville (UAH).
“I think it’s a good fit for me,” said Rappleyea, who has played for the Ottawa Jr. Senators in the Central Canadian Hockey League (CCHL) the last two years. “It’s a good school academically.”
UAH is also an up-and-coming Division I program that will give the ex-Falcons star a chance to come in and contribute right away.
It’s similar to the situation Rappleyea faced two years ago right out of high school when he made the decision leave home and go to Canada to play junior hockey. Although he played at a high level in high school and with his travel team, the New Jersey Rockets, junior hockey was a whole new level.
Rappleyea recalled doing quite well in the tryouts for the Senators, but it was something different when it came time to play in the league itself.
“It was night and day,” he said. “I had to make some adjustments at first.”
Rappleyea admitted struggling at first with the size, speed and the skill of the players. But failure was never an option. He was determined to improve, earn more playing time and prove he could compete.
“I’m an offensive defenseman,” he said. “I like to run all over the ice.
“I had to be more defensive. I came full circle, killing penalties.”
Rappleyea also worked on his upper-body strength during that time.
While the difference may have been night and day at first, Rappleyea proved that he had the size, speed and skill to play at the next level. He was named the CCHL’s Top Defenseman for the 2015-16 season.
“It’s a great honor,” Rappleyea said.
His play last year opened the doors for college hockey, and he walked right into UAH and another jump to a higher level of hockey. Rappleyea remarked that the speed and physicality of the college game is what will be the biggest difference.
“It’s another adjustment for sure,” he said.
Rappleyea, who was also an outstanding pitcher for the Falcons, thought at first that baseball might be his ticket to Division I athletics. But when comparing the two sports, Rappleyea noted that in baseball, really all that interested him about it was pitching, but he liked everything about hockey. The choice became easy — hockey.
The two years he spent living with a family in Ottawa did more for Rappleyea than improve his hockey game. He learned a lot about himself in that time and what he wants to do with his life.
“I want to be a teacher,” he said.
“I can see myself coaching hockey.”
That may be more important than anything he does on the ice.