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02/07/2018 11:00 PMWhile seeing plenty of success on the soccer pitch, Mete Yanbul has also developed a passion for the puck. In his final year of high school, Mete decided to join the Guilford boys’ ice hockey squad, and he’s making the most of his opportunity.
Mete grew up with soccer and played the sport at Guilford until completing his career last fall. When he was in 7th grade, Mete took a liking to hockey by watching the NHL on television, particularly his favorite team, the New York Rangers. While Mete would typically play club soccer during the winter, he opted to sign up for the high-school hockey team as a senior this year. Mete earned the nod as the Indians’ starting goalie and is putting together quite an impressive rookie run with his record of 9-3.
“It’s been surprising. I wouldn’t have expected that great of a start,” says Mete. “We have a great team, good coaches, and a good group of players. They are helping make my job easier, and I’m loving every second of it.”
The night before the Indians’ first game of the season, Mete found out that he was getting the start in net. Guilford defeated Trinity Catholic in its opener, and Mete received a big boost from picking up the win between the pipes.
“That was when it hit me, because I had the trust in my coaches, and that gave me confidence,” says Mete on learning that he’d start. “We won the game, and it was then that I knew we could go far.”
Mete says the endurance he’s developed from playing soccer has been a huge help throughout his transition to the rink. He adds that communicating with his teammates has also been key.
“Soccer is all about running and standing and, on the ice, you always have to be on your feet as a goaltender,” Mete says. “The leg workouts and running from soccer have helped me with my stamina on the ice. I wouldn’t be this fast without soccer. Since forwards do talking in soccer, I wasn’t uncomfortable talking with my defensemen on the ice.”
Even as a first-year keeper, Mete isn’t afraid of the spotlight and those pressure-packed moments . He demonstrated that by making 31 saves in a big victory versus West Haven.
“I love facing breakaways, because you can show your teammates that they can rely on you. When you make the stop, it’s the greatest feeling in the world and, if you don’t, you move on,” says Mete. “The West Haven game was probably the game I’m most proud of, because I grew up there before moving, so it was like going home. After that game, I felt I can keep this job.”
The Indians have already assured themselves a postseason bid and a chance to defend their Division II state crown this year. As the playoffs approach, Mete says that he wants to make sure Guilford doesn’t have any letdowns during the waning weeks of the regular season.
“Right now, we are just focused,” says Mete. “We have a couple more games before the playoffs, so we can’t lose focus or take our opponents lightly. And if we don’t do those things, we should be good to go.”