King's offers the best of both worlds for Western Mustangs goalie

For the second time in two years, fourth- year Criminology student and goalie for the Western Mustangs hockey team, Josh Unice, has been named one of the Western Mustangs Goodlife Fitness Athletes of the Week.

Hailing from Holland, Ohio, Unice was playing for the OHL when he was recruited by the Mustangs. Ultimately, he chose to attend King’s due to the benefits of smaller class sizes and the accessibility of faculty members.

Unice cites the assistance of faculty as helping him to achieve a successful balance between academics and athletics. He appreciates the open and accepting attitude of the King’s community, and feeling that students are truly the top priority of the University.

“The teachers have been very understanding and supportive. They do anything they can to help us learn and accommodate us for any missed tests or quizzes,” said Unice.

This season, Unice has helped to lead the Mustangs on a 13 game winning streak and has gained the appreciation and trust of his team and coach alike. In the team’s last two games, Unice stopped 50 out of 53 shots averaging only 1.50 goals against average and .943 save percentage.

“Josh continues to provide strong, reliable goaltending for our team night in and night out. He gives the team confidence and the ability to win a game even when the team is not at its’ best,” said Western interim head coach Patrick Powers.

Reflecting on his athletic career at Western, Unice notes the Mustangs 2012 national championship involvement as his most memorable experience as a part of the team.

“Although we ended up short, we had a great run and opened a lot of eyes in the CIS (Canadian Interuniversity Sport league). It was great to experience all that we did, and to do it with such a great group of guys made it even better,” said Unice.

Though he can draw upon an impressive array of experiences in his athletic career—including being a 2007 draft pick for the Chicago Blackhawks, and representing team USA in the 2009 World Junior Championships—Unice is open to exploring alternative career options.

He has set his sights set on achieving his law degree at Western, and ultimately hopes to be lawyer or agent, but for now he is looking forward to spending time with his family upon graduation.

For more information please visit www.westernmustangs.ca/index.aspx