When Drew Woods takes the ice right before a game, he believes that the success of his team begins with sticking together as a unit and defending each other on and off the ice. The senior center for the Eastern Vikings knows that playing together is what makes a team successful. “I think the best characteristics of our team this season is our resiliency and the will to win. Even when we play the best teams in the league, we always keep the game close and we never give up.” That determination to play well as a team is noticeable by his coach. “Drew might not be the most talented on the team, but he makes up for that in leadership and work ethic. His hard work makes him a valuable asset to this team”, mentioned Coach Jeff Locke.

“My motivation during the game usually comes from the other players. When I get angry or frustrated during the game, I usually go ten times harder and skills come out of me that I don't normally use. This extra effort helps me perform higher than normal and that helps my teammates excel as well.” Those feelings are why Drew selected Alexander Ovechkin as his favorite NHL player because of his efforts for working extremely hard and always making the game interesting. Coach Locke had this to say about Drew’s accomplishments both on and off the ice, “He is one of my most improved players over the last 4 years. He is a steady 2nd or 3rd line center and a great penalty killer. His off ice work to build strength has shown over the years. He is an honor student and he always seems to be jubilant about winning best delegate at Rutgers Model UN.”

“When I graduate from college, I would like to become an anesthesiologist. Anesthesiology has always been something that interests me and so for me to be able to pursue that as a career would be a great accomplishment for me. In five years I hope that I will have graduated from a good university, and that I will be continuing my education into medical school.” Coach Locke knows that Drew will be very successful at whatever he decides to do with his career, and that includes owning his own business. “He does not wait for others to tell him what to do; he always shows initiative. He speaks his mind always and tries to work things out in a very mature manner. I can also see him coaching”, concluded Locke.

“My family has always supported my decision to play hockey since I started playing at five years old. My mom would always wake up at 6 a.m. to drive me to the morning games and practices and she would always help me whenever I needed it”, said Drew when asked about the support he receives from his family about his decision to play hockey. “My uncle is also very supportive of my decision to play hockey because he plays in a men’s league so it is fun for him to watch me play.” Drew admires his mother because she always there for him and she is a strong person. She serves as a role model for him and shows him always what is right and wrong.

Drew would like to see his friends in the stands for that big game because he gets a rush of adrenaline and plays better than normal when he hears them cheering him on. As for that team he looks forward to playing against with his friends in attendance would be Cherry Hill East. “East and Eastern have always been rivals in every sport, and hockey is not any different. I give extra effort whenever we play East just because whenever we beat them, it gives me an extra feeling of accomplishment.” His best hockey moment was against Cherry Hill East last year during the semi-finals. “We fought extremely hard all game and the game ended up coming down to overtime. We ended up winning late into overtime and we all rushed the ice and silenced the East crowd.” Now for the worst moment was after advancing past East and making it to the championship game, they lost to Timber Creek. “Our morale was high and we were extremely excited to play, but once the game started we were shocked and we got blown out.”

Life as a hockey player takes commitment. “From six years old until 12 years old I attended various hockey camps, mainly in Canada, in which they stressed the fundamentals of hockey and helped me develop into the player that I am today. I also pick up a lot of my skating techniques from watching the professionals and seeing how they get all the speed that they have.” Drew does find some time to relax and during those times you might find him watching Superbad, Step Brothers, Pineapple Express, Remember the Titans, Miracle or Accepted. His favorite foods are pizza, waffles, chocolate pudding, chicken, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, and potato latkes. He also likes listening to Lil Wayne, Akon, NeYo, AC/DC, Guns N Roses, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith and Kiss.