Another Surrey Eagles alumnus is returning to the nest. We are extremely happy to announce that former defenceman and Michigan Tech graduate Riley Sweeney has been added to the staff as an assistant coach/strength and conditioning coach.
Sweeney, a member of the Eagles from 2009-2011, returns to the organization after spending four seasons with Michigan Tech University. He received his bachelor of science from the prestigious school for studying Sports & Fitness Management. In 113 career games with the Eagles, Sweeney recorded 14 goals and 47 assists.
“I’m very happy to be back with Surrey,” Sweeney said in an interview with SurreyEagles.ca. “It’s an opportunity that I am very fortunate to have received, and I’m really looking forward to the journey that will come.”
In addition to his role as assistant coach behind the bench, he will put the team through their physical training exercises off the ice. Injury recovery and prevention will be one of his major areas of focus.
“I want to keep the players as healthy as possible,” Sweeney explained. “It’s a long year, and we want to keep the players playing at their full potential every night. The facility is a lot nicer now than when I was here! It’s very professional. The players are very lucky to have a lot of tools and different things that they can take advantage of.”
In terms of being behind the bench and practicing with the team, Sweeney’s main focus will be with the defencemen. As a veteran of over 150 division I NCAA games at the position, the players will certainly learn from his experience.
One of the unique challenges of playing at South Surrey Arena is the fact that it is an Olympic-sized ice surface. As a former Eagle himself, Sweeney knows the importance of training to play in a way that translates well to the larger ice surface. The Eagles will be playing 28 home games, and he plans to use the extra space to the team’s advantage.
“I think skating is important for any player, but it’s even more important for defencemen on the bigger ice surface. Especially when it comes to gap control and staying within the dots. Mobility is a big thing for me. Being able to move side-to-side is very important.”
The addition of Sweeney isn’t the only change for the Eagles behind the bench this season, as another former Eagle Colin Hemingway was brought in as an assistant coach earlier this summer. Sweeney, Hemingway, and Head Coach/General Manager Blaine Neufeld will make up coaching staff for the 2016-17 season.
The season officially kicks off on September 9th, as the Coquitlam Express come to town! Season tickets are now on sale. You can get yours today by clicking here. Make sure you stay tuned to our Facebook and Twitter pages as the season gets closer for all of the latest info.
