Horschler said he uses his experience to teach the team skills needed to reach a national championship game.

He believes he can help mold the team in order to give Kent State a winning reputation. Horschler is backing his statement up with seven goals, eight assists and leading the team in points this season.

“I try to take everybody under my wing, giving advice, helping anyone that I can in practice and working with them on any flaws,” he said.

Horschler set goals for both himself and the team this season and since it’s his last collegiate hockey season, he wants to leave his mark by winning a championship at Kent State.

“I’m trying to have my most successful year at Kent State,” he said. “As a captain, I hope to help bring the team together and bring a championship to Kent State.”

Growing up, Horschler developed his skills with his brother, who is the reason Horschler started playing hockey.

“I look up to my older brother because he played hockey and encouraged me to keep playing,” Horschler said. “I also look up to Alexander Ovechkin because the style of hockey he plays is the style I try to play.”

Horschler dreamt as a kid that he’d go pro, and plans to decide if he will follow that dream after this season.

Although Horschler may not be continuing his hockey career, there will always be a part of him that still wants to be on the ice. But he does understand hockey can’t always result in a positive experience.

“Losing is the worst part, be it losing the game, the puck, or a one-on-one battle,” he said.

But the positives of the game outweigh the negatives for Horschler.

“The best is setting up plays, scoring and going out there having fun doing the thing you love the most,” he said.

Horschler plans to use this weekend’s games as preparation for the rest of the season. He considers the rest of the season to be more difficult compared with the teams they have played against so far, and Robert Morris will test the Flashes skills this weekend.

Kent State (8-1) travels to Robert Morris to play on Friday at 7:15 p.m., then on Saturday at 7:15 p.m.

The Flashes return to the ice after two wins against Akron last weekend.

Contact reporter Joe Mueller at [email protected].