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California dreamin' ... of the ice
Originally Posted Online: Nov. 03, 2009, 8:28 pm
Last Updated: Nov. 03, 2009, 11:04 pm
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Print this story | Email this storyLast Updated: Nov. 03, 2009, 11:04 pm
By Matt Veto, mveto@qconline.com
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It's not exactly the warmest greeting, but wherever Quad City Mallards rookie forward Brandon Marino has gone in his sports life, he's been asked the same set of questions. "What are you doing here, and why do you play hockey?" Marino said, recounting the all too familiar utterance. It's becoming rare to find a roster with more than three names bearing a hometown located in the United States. If that wasn't rare enough, Marino's hometown of Riverside has "California" immediately after it. Not really a lot of ice on the West Coast. "My dad always wanted to play hockey growing up, but his parents couldn't afford it," Marino said. "So, he'd always play roller hockey with his buddies. I got the chance when I was five years old and never looked back." If he did look back, he might have skated into a low-hanging net. Marino's hockey passion began in an unlikely place -- a tennis court. The hard and flat asphalt surface was perfect for rolling upon with rollerblades under the warm California sun. When he turned eight, Marino finally got to hit the ice. He found ice-skating necessitated a much longer stride than the dry blades, so he lived his hockey life in the cold from then on, dumping the wheels to concentrate on his true passion. So, to answer those questions -- Marino is here because he caught the eye of Mallards coach Frank Anzalone for the potential he displayed during a four-year career at Bemidji State University. During his senior season, he scored seven goals and assisted 12 others in a Cinderella season that led to the NCAA Frozen Four. Marino plays hockey because he has had the dream of playing in the NHL since he was a kid. So far, he's at least fulfilled his goal of playing professionally, and has shown he can spark his IHL squad. Marino scored a crucial game-tying goal -- his first professionally -- against Flint on Friday, albeit in a QC loss. Still, it's a start toward his goal of proving he can play here and maybe advance up the hockey ladder some day. However, as if trying to find ice in California wasn't hard enough, Marino's stature has left him with another set of challenges. At 5-feet-9-inches tall and 185 pounds, the slick-skating forward is almost always one of the smallest players on the ice. Playing low has been a learning process. "I just try to stay lower, use my lower center of gravity to my advantage, and try to move quickly," Marino said. "I might cut back, or shake a guy to make him move his feet up to my speed instead of standing still and trying to battle him. "You just have to use your head. If you're not the biggest guy or the strongest guy on the ice, you have to find something else for yourself -- get yourself open and find ice." No sweat. Finding ice, after all, is his specialty. Brandon Marino Age: 23 Hometown: Riverside, Calif. Position: Right wing In 2008-09: In his senior season, played 36 games, scored seven goals and tallied 12 assists helping Bemidji State University to an unlikely NCAA Frozen Four final. With the Mallards: Scored his first professional goal and added an assist against Flint on Friday. 
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