Freshman Friday is a Q-and-A feature with new members of the men's hockey team. This is the fourth installment, featuring forward Brenden Locke.

Q: So you've had a couple of games under your belt. What are your thoughts so far?
A: It's a lot different game than junior, for sure. The pace is way higher. Everyone is way better, clearly. Overall, it's been a good experience to see what it's going to be like to jump to the next level.

Q: How's school going for you?
A: School has been great so far. August was a little hectic, getting used to everything and the culture at Cornell. Other than that, it's been fairly easy.

Q: What are you studying here?
A: Applied Economics and Management in CALS.

Q: A popular major around here, so I imagine you have classes with buddies already, right?
A: Yeah, Cam Donaldson and Matt Cairns have the same classes as me. So it's been easy to adapt, and we help each other out in there.

Q: So where are you hoping to go with that degree? I could have sworn I read somewhere that you were looking into engineering …
A: I was interested in engineering before. My dad was an engineer, so that was obviously in the plan. But I think business — and I'm planning to go into finance — I think that's more applicable to me and something that's going to help me in the future.

Q: So tell me about your hometown of Iroquois Falls, Ontario. I looked it up on a map …
A: Did you find it?

Q: I did, but it's pretty far up there …
A: So Iroquois Falls is a little town in the middle of nowhere in Northern Ontario. It has a population of about 4,000. It's just a really remote place.

Q: How far by car or bus would you say it is to, say, Toronto or Sault Ste. Marie?
A: From Toronto, it's about eight hours. From Sault Ste. Marie, maybe six or seven. It's quite a trek.

Q: So it's a small town, but you grew up in a pretty big family with three sisters. Do they all play hockey, too?
A: When they were younger, yes, all of them. But just my one sister, Stephanie, does now. She plays in a rec league. One of my other sisters played when she was younger, and the other sister played a little, but she more into figure skating.

Q: Did it get passed down from your parents. Would you say you're a hockey family?
A: My dad was a hockey player. He played in the OHL with the Kitchener Rangers and the Niagara Falls Flyers, I think they were at the time. He won a Memorial Cup with Kitchener. So, yeah, he's kind of the athletic one. My mom still played some sports, but my dad pretty much taught us all hockey and how to skate.

Q: So you're obviously up there in a pretty small area — at what point did you think hockey might be a next-level thing for you?
A: Realistically, everyone from up there thinks that the OHL is really the only path to go. So I got drafted by Barrie and when didn't make the team for a couple years, I started looking into colleges and got some interest from teams. I didn't really know that NCAA hockey was that big of a thing. So I kind of did my research and talked to some people about it and found out it's probably better than the OHL route. So I went from there and started playing in the NOJHL and got traded to the OJHL, where I played for Cobourg. From there, I started to get a lot of interest and talked to Cornell. Just went from there.

Q: Tell me more about that decision to move from the NOJHL to the OJHL. How did that all shake out?
A: Well, you're so isolated way up there that not too many scouts come up there to watch you. Plus, the mill closed down in Iroquois Falls, so my dad was looking for jobs. He wanted to go to a place where there was a junior team where I could play, and it just so happened that Cobourg had a Junior A team. I talked to the coach and general manager there, and they made a trade for me and my buddy, Brennan Roy. It was good to have him there for that transition.

Q: So how long was it after you moved to Cobourg before you started talking to Cornell?
A: It was probably within the first 2-3 weeks. The first 10-15 games of the season, there's the Governor's Showcase in Buffalo. I think that's when I first talked to them. Then they watched me a few other times and I came for a visit.

Q: Do you remember the visit well?
A: I do, actually. Being from a small town, it was pretty crazy. I thought 'wow, this campus is three times the size of my town.' That was pretty cool. Got to see all the different places. Obviously didn't get to see everything, but even watched a game here. Can't remember the score, but just the atmosphere here — the fans and the students, that was crazy. That was what really enticed me to come here.

Q: Did you have serious looks at other schools?
A: There were a couple other schools, but the weren't showing the same interest. I got a couple other offers, but none of them were the same caliber as Cornell.

Q: What is it about Cornell that ultimately drew you here?
A: The big thing for me is the atmosphere. Even though it wasn't a packed house (for an inter-session non-league game against Merrimack), it was the most fun atmosphere I'd even been in in an arena. That was the big thing. And then, obviously, the culture and the people who came through here like Joe Nieuwendyk and Ken Dryden. Those names really stood out to me.

Q: Just a few games into the season, so fans haven't had a chance to see a ton of you yet. Who would you say you model your game after?
A: My favorite player and the one I try to model my game after is probably Sidney Crosby or Jonathan Toews, because they're just complete players. They're good defensively; they're good offensively; they just contribute in any way they can. Probably Toews would be the one I would choose, because he's all business and just gets the job done. Finds way to score; finds ways to get assists; good on the penalty kill; good leader.

Q: Sounds like a good goal. How do you see yourself fitting into this particular team?
A: Well, as a freshman, you always come in optimistic and you want to be in the lineup. But I'll take whatever role. I've produced points before in juniors, but if I have to provide more of a depth role and play in more defensive situations and the penalty kill, I can do that. Really, it's anywhere they need me, I think I can produce. (Editor's note: Locke has proven he can produce — he scored the game-winner Nov. 4 at Princeton after this interview took place).

2017-18 Freshman Friday Archives:
Oct. 20 — Morgan Barron
Oct. 27 — Cody Haiskanen
Nov. 3 — Matthew Galajda