A-K Valley Senior Spotlight: Kiski Area’s Ethan George

By: Abby King
Monday, January 30, 2023 | 12:13 PM

In October, the Kiski hockey team dropped its first two games of the season to Fox Chapel and Greensburg Salem. But that wasn’t a sign of things to come. In fact, it was quite the opposite.

Kiski went on to win 11 of its next 12 games and is a contender in the realigned PIHL Class A division.

Contributing to that success for Kiski is senior winger Ethan George.

“It took a couple of games for us to shake everything off and buy into everything we worked for,” George said. “I like the new alignment in our class because it keeps everything familiar, and the standings are a lot more simple and we know what we need to do. I think we will stack up fairly well this year.”

Ethan is the son of Richie and Lisa George. He’s been playing hockey for seven years and started in the sport by playing roller hockey.

George took some time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions for a senior spotlight Q&A:

What did the team do in the offseason to prepare for the season?

We all practiced hard and often because we knew going in that we had a good team this year.

Have you always been a goal scorer, or is that something you’ve worked at?

I wasn’t always a goal scorer until the first year I played for the (Armstrong) Arrows. I just kept staying consistent, working on my shot every chance that I could.

What’s the most goals you’ve ever scored in a game?

The most goals I’ve ever scored in a game was four goals.

Do you consider Greensburg Salem a rival and why?

I do consider Greensburg Salem a rival. It’s because it’s always a huge game when we play them, and it’s fast and very competitive.

Kiski missed the playoffs last year but made the PIHL Class A semifinals in the previous two years. What lessons did the team learn from these experiences?

The lessons I took the most from those previous seasons is that it takes everyone working hard and being prepared no matter what for every game no matter the circumstances. And to not let up during a game.

Tell me a little about the position you play and the duties that come with that position.

I play winger, and some of my responsibilities include puck battles on the wall and covering the points to block or prevent any shots taken.

What advice do you have for anyone wanting to try hockey?

My advice is to always work hard, and there is always room to improve if you want to put forth the effort.

Tell me a little bit about travel hockey.

I play for the Steel City Renegades AA team. It is a very fast-paced and competitive team that is very close. I play winger there as well.

What is your favorite memory from hockey?

My favorite memory is winning Mid-Ams with the Arrows last year to go to Irvine, California.

Is there any hockey player you look up to?

My favorite players are Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs) and Brandan Tanev (Seattle Kraken).

Do you follow any superstitions?

My superstition is to never tap or touch our goalies no matter what. It’s kind of weird, but oh well.

What are your future plans?

My future plan is to do something within the medical field and to keep playing hockey.

What is one piece of advice you’d like to leave with your teammates?

Hard work always pays off.

Tags: Kiski Area