The Story of Quarantine for NCAA Mercyhurst Hockey Players

Making a vacation out of quarantine was the best way for some NCAA hockey players to cope with the isolation, but they didn’t expect to repeat the process twice more.

The Canadian players on the Mercyhurst hockey team dejectedly left their families in early August straight into a two-week isolation, but the conditions of cottage country made it bearable with the ability to sit in the sun. The hard part was supposed to be over with the hopeful excitement to start a new hockey season fresh with a positive attitude.

Blades began tearing up crisp ice as the team was ready to dominate with firm determination. Meanwhile, COVID-19 continued spiralling out of control in Erie, PA, creating a different set of plans for Devon Daniels and Geoff Kitt.

A COVID-19 outbreak circulating through the hockey team forced the Mercyhurst Lakers back into isolation, after already paying their dues when Daniels came from his hometown Thunder Bay, Ontario and Kitt from Dryden, ON. This time they were without the cottage luxury, but at North East Campus of Mercyhurst University. The thoughts of team bonding and dedicated practices were slowly drifting from the minds of Daniels and Kitt as the pandemic put a roadblock in their dreams.

Starting on Oct. 29th, the two players set into their daily routine of trying to make life pass quickly for the time being.

“We’d try to sleep in later so the days seemed shorter,” says Daniels

Daniels and Kitt would stay in bed as long as possible, before finally attempting to face the day. They switched back and forth from mindlessly participating in classes to playing Xbox until they couldn’t stare at their screens anymore. Pacing back and forth in the kitchen, searching for a purpose in what to do next, the players were struggling to keep their positivity. The players sat in the same place they had for days and days before, waiting for their designated time to go outside and feel the warmth of fresh air, even if it was only for 30 minutes.

“Being confined to when you could go outside by yourself was a struggle,” says Daniels.

The players were assigned time slots to go outside with no negotiation regarding class or other prior commitments. Threats of expulsion were made if they were to disobey and get sunlight at the wrong time. The team attempted to find humour in their situation by calling it “yard time.”

“We started to make a joke out of it because it seemed so prison-like,” says Kitt.

A knock on the door meant the meals for the day had been delivered. Daniels and Kitt would receive lunch, dinner, and breakfast for the next day. Receiving cold food for what felt like the millionth day in the row left them with little to take care of themselves. With the inability to fuel their bodies with good food, they turned to showers for some form of self-care but were left some days with cold water.

While the players got antsy, all eyes were watching to make sure they behaved. The spotlight followed them and began to tear the team apart. Threats of staying in quarantine for even longer had the team’s mental health at stake, and they began turning on each other as the players inescapably had to do what was best for their own well-being.

With the scope on them to behave, the players found themselves struggling to get used to the reality of COVID-19 restrictions. The team found comfort within each other, creating a bond within this divide as they stood together in the stress, says Kitt

On Nov. 12th, the players were released. When their skates hit the ice again, they were forced to adjust to having no bright faces to cheer them on in the stands. Flashbacks to last year’s games had cherished memories to the applause and glory that had been stripped from them.

The student-athlete experience has been affected by COVID-19. Kitt and Daniels explain how their usual relationship with their fans has faded. The two players are in their junior year and have developed connections with fans that have slowly been lost from the inability to see friendly faces around campus and in class. The legends before them left a trace that Daniels and Kitt were unable to fulfil. They began losing sight of the end goal as they played in empty arenas.

“You’re not able to live what other people have lived in terms of playing Division One hockey... it’s not the same as what it should be,” says Kitt.

Daniels and Kitt stayed strong in accepting their reality and continued to put their best foot forward. The players began to adapt to their original routine as best as they could. Just as things felt like they were on the rise, they were hit with another outbreak in mid-January. Six players were required to do yet another quarantine for 10 days, while the rest of the team was able to improve their game.

Daniels and Kitt were among the six and sat in their quarantine for the last time. The men thought they would be having fun dancing with their friends this year and are instead trying their best to find the thrill in doing a puzzle. Daniels and Kitt give tribute to head coach, Rick Gotkin, and his wife for creating games and prizes, and to assistant coaches, Greg Gardner, and Derek Whitmore for personally checking in on them and their mental states.

They watched the rest of the team play from afar as the Mercyhurst Lakers won both games against Robert Morris University, 3-2 and 7-5. Their minds cluttered with self-doubt, wondering if they are needed on the team.

“It can play mind games with you. You start to think the team is having success without us, so maybe we aren't going to have that same role that we thought we might have had. Maybe they are going to stick to that lineup if it's working,” says Kitt.

Overthinking while confined in a small space, separated from the pack caused a struggle for Daniels and Kitt. This time, they weren’t even given a garbage bag to keep the space tidy. The players continued to eat yet another cold lunch and were left alone with their thoughts.

Coming out of quarantine, the two were behind on their game and endured pressure within themselves to be back at 100%. In the first game back against RIT, Kitt was back in his position as a centreman with Daniels on defence. Kitt and Daniels describe themselves as behind on their game after being out of practice. Kitt ended up anxiously sitting on the bench for the entire third period, unable to help the team in the way he knew he could. The Lakers lost the game 6-4.

“Right when you come back, you’re behind the ball because you haven’t been skating. You can see it in yourself,” says Daniels.

Daniels and Kitt spent a month and a half in isolation, participating in life through a virtual screen, with limits on fresh air. The players feel their performance on the ice was back to normal after a couple of practices but have endured a lot mentally in their time in isolation; a time they won't forget.