Everybody can tell a story of their parents forcing them into an activity when they were young in the hopes that they would fall in love with it. Ballet, baseball, gymnastics, art, piano, football, hockey, soccer – basically all sports and artsy activities. Yet most of these anecdotes end with a toddler in tears. Occasionally, however, your parents get it right and you do fall in love. That is the story for David McIntyre. He has been playing hockey since he was five because of his dad.

“I fell in love with it,” McIntyre said of the sport.

McIntyre plays on the Colgate men’s hockey team and has for all four years he’d been here. He plays center and this season posted 11 goals and 28 assists in 35 games. But every sport comes with some risk of injury.

“I’ve had a couple concussions. They come with the territory,” McIntyre said.

This year, McIntyre had knee surgery for a torn meniscus, but luckily the recovery time was not that long. He had to endure just a few months of physical therapy.

In addition to hockey, McIntyre also plays on an intramural softball team.

“We were the champs last year!” McIntyre said with much enthusiasm as he described his team, The Norbs. “I’m very excited for the season to start again.”

After taking a class with Professor Johnson on child development, McIntyre decided that he was really interested in education, and became an Educational Studies major.

“I like that it goes against the norm. You aren’t just lectured to, but have a chance to give your own insight,” McIntyre said.

The best things about Colgate for McIntyre have been “Spring Party Weekend!” and “making good friends that will last a lifetime and becoming good friends with the professors, too.” However, no place is perfect, and McIntyre is wishing ‘Gate had less cold weather and slippery pathways.

Looking back as a final-semester senior, McIntyre has advice for first-years.

“Enjoy every aspect of Colgate,” McIntyre said. “Don’t just get consumed with work. And enjoy the social scene and meeting new people!”

After Colgate, McIntyre is very excited about playing professional hockey, and maybe one day being a teacher or hockey coach. Soon after the college season came to a close, McIntyre signed an amateur try-out agreement with the Lowell Devils of the American Hockey League (AHL). The future looks good both on and off the ice for this senior.