Questions and answers with Park of Cottage Grove's Chris Raisanen.
How did you get started playing hockey? I think I was 3 or 4 years old, and I absolutely hated skating. My parents told me to give skating another try, and I fell in love after that.
Most memorable high school hockey moment? This year, beating East Ridge and Woodbury. They [have] always been big rivals, since peewee hockey all the way through high school.
Park seems more confident this year. Why? In previous years we would try to feel the teams out. We were ... thinking we had no chance.
How has Park improved this season? I'd say a lot of it has to do with the work ethic and attitude. We realize we have a lot better team [than previous years]. We realize we can get further.
Season expectations: I wanted our team to be at least .500, and I wanted to get a couple of more wins in the conference. We didn't win any conference games last year. I feel like we have a lot better team, especially, because of its ability and work ethic.
Talk about your role as a defenseman. I am a "lead by example" kind of guy. My strongest part is awareness of teammates on the ice.
Future goals? I'd really like to play college hockey. It's always been a goal since I was a kid.
