Andrew Wells couldn’t have started his career at Ohio on a much better note.
In the Bobcats first two games last weekend against John Carroll, the forward scored two points with a goal in the first game and an assist in the series finale.
"I just come into the rink every night looking to contribute to the team in some way," Wells said. "Whether it's points, big hits or just blocking shots. Anything I can do to help the team win.”
Wells, whose father played in the Boston Bruins organization, spent two seasons with the Cleveland Barons before coming to Ohio. During his time with the Barons, Wells played in 60 games and totaled a modest 35 points, 11 of which were goals.
Wells' two coaches with the Barons were Chris Wilkes and Donnie Harkins, who is the father of current Bobcats forward Tyler Harkins. Wilkes is a former coach at John Carroll, too, and Wells credited him with helping him slow his game down. Wilkes made him focus more on playing smart and focusing less on attempting the big hits over completing a smart play.
Even though Wells is from Canton and his father played for the Bruins, his favorite team is the Pittsburgh Penguins. He grew up watching Sidney Crosby and also knew the Penguins head coach. As a result, Wells went to a lot of Penguins games and even got to go in the locker room at points in time.
Wells is familiar with current teammate Zach Frank, who’s from Wadsworth. Wells admitted that Frank was a big reason why he decided to come to a university.
"He really pushed me in this direction to consider it," Wells said. "I came to a game, saw what it was like. I love this place, and it is a great place to play."
Frank and Harkins are not the only two current Bobcats that Wells knew before coming to Athens. Wells knew a lot of the freshmen before this season as well. Having known a few guys on the team already has really helped him transition to Ohio.
"I knew a lot of the guys coming in, especially freshman," Wells said. "It made it very easy to get here and feel comfortable right away. The guys I didn't know were very welcoming."
