FALCONCAST: Captain Cookie & Life on the Men's Ice Hockey Team at Fitchburg State

In the Season 2 finale of FalconCast, Jeremy Allik (COMM '25) talked to Oliver "Cookie" Cookson (BSAD '25), a captain of Fitchburg State University's Men's Ice Hockey team.  Cookie discusses his journey as a student-athlete, the appeal of the daily grind of the hockey season -- while looking ahead to next season's team and hopes for success.   Says Cookie, "A lot of the stuff that you know translate to a good life you can find in a good athlete and a good teammate.  So as a leader, that's what I try to strive for."

Episode transcript can be found here.

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This episode was produced by Jeremy Allik and Adam Nedelka (DMI '27).  It was edited by Drew Tremarche (GAME '25) and Dante Melo (GAME  '25) -- and sound mixed by Gio Colon (COMM '25) .   

FalconCast Season 2 was produced by members of the Spring 2024 Podcasting class in the Communications Media department at Fitchburg State University.  A special shout out to Stephen Hattler (GAME '24) who wrote show notes and did transcriptions for Season 2 episodes -- and Season 2 's lead producers, Tori Kiolbasa (COMM '25) and Gio Colon .  

FalconCast show art by Nate McKenna (COMM '23).

Click here to learn more about Perseverantia. Join us for programming updates on Instagram. Or reach out with ideas or suggestions at podcasts@fitchburgstate.edu.

Transcript

[ FalconCast theme fades in ]

[ 00min 01sec ]

Jeremy Allik (host):
Welcome to FalconCast. 

In this season of FalconCast we are focusing on the extracurriculars at Fitchburg State University. FalconCast is a show where we get into the time management, community, personal growth and responsibility these clubs and sports promote.  Switching between the two we explore what it means to be a part of something bigger than oneself here at Fitchburg State. 

Today we talk to Oliver Cookson, a Captain of our Men's Ice Hockey team. Also known as “Cookie” by his teammates and friends, Oliver is a junior majoring in business here at Fitchburg State. After a heartbreaking end of their 23-24 campaign, sights are set on the upcoming season. Many familiar faces are ready to make another run for the championship, including Oliver. 

Oliver, thanks for being with us today. 

[ 0min 46sec ] 

Oliver "Cookie" Cookson (Guest):
Yeah, thanks for having me Stoked to be here.   It's, I think, my like first podcast ever, so 

[ FalconCast theme fades out ] 

Jeremy:
Love it. I mean, I already just gave you a long-winded introduction, but introduce yourself. 

Oliver:
Yeah. So I mean, my name's Oliver, but it seems like not many people call me that here.  Like when I say to people like “oh, I'm Oliver,” and they're like, “oh,” and then I'm like “you can call me Cookie,” and they're like, “oh, yeah, I've heard Cookie before.” 

So that's kind of what I go about here at Fitchburg.  I'm on on the hockey team. I'm a junior from Western Massachusetts, so not too far.  But yeah, ever since stepping on campus I've been loving to rock the green and gold and 

Jeremy:
Yeah those are two great colors. So, Oliver, you grew up playing sports. Why did you choose to play hockey in college?

Oliver:
Well, I grew up playing soccer, hockey and baseball. I still play baseball in the summer. Soccer was kind of just to play. I like soccer but it was never like my true love, I'd say. And then hockey is that sport that, you know – you can play men's league and all that, but you'll never get the same taste of, you know, competing and working as a team – unless you play competitively, like, growing up in high school or at the NCAA level. 

So coming out of high school I really knew I wanted to play hockey in college because you know, for the rest of my life I'm never going to have an opportunity to play a sport I love at, you know, a high compete level. 

[ 2min 15sec ] 

So yeah, I mean here at Fitchburg over the last three years we've had some success on the ice. You know we've had three winning seasons since I've been here. We had a decent playoff run this year. Obviously we didn't achieve our goal – but hopefully next year we will. 

The whole process of hockey – like you know, they say like you gotta love the process, not just the results.  I personally love the process, and I'm sure a lot of the hockey players do because, you know, just going into the locker room, seeing the guys of the ice – even like bag skating during practice, doing tough workouts. In the moment you might think that sucks, but then right now – April 12th today – you know, I miss that, like I miss being a part of a team. 

And I think everyone can say that they want to be a part of a team.  There's a lot of athletes here and obviously everyone that plays a sport here I'm sure loves a sport, but they also love the aspect of being a part of a group of people that have like minded goals.

[ 3min 17sec ] 

Jeremy (Host):
And I think hockey, like sets itself apart in terms of being a sport where you really have to have that grit and dedication to compete, and I think you guys do that.  I mean,you were probably one of the most competitive teams at our school, in terms of success.  How does playing hockey at Fitchburg State fit into your life as a student?

Oliver:
It's funny to think about it. But like right now, obviously we have more free time because we're not playing hockey, but I feel like I'm way more focused off the ice during the season.

Like right now, I have almost trouble sitting down and getting homework done, and I feel like I'm not the only one to say that on the team.  So playing hockey here, like having it in our daily schedule  – from like the second week of September we really start captain's practices, lifts, so we're like doing something five times a week.  And that went this year until March 2nd when we lost in the finals of the conference. But.

[ 4min 17sec ] 

Yeah, like that majority of the time here when we're in season technically, in terms of like time management off the ice, you know like you wake up, maybe you do like a workout or something. Some people skate in the morning, go to class and then after class we always lift at two o'clock and then right after that we practice. 

So we have a pretty consistent schedule. It's class practice and then after practice we usually eat dinner together at DACA or something and then it's off to the library or just homework in the dorms. 

[ 4min 52sec ]

So it's pretty well time allotted.  And you know like when you have other stuff to do when you need time to like finish an essay or something you're kind of more like dialed on it.  That's how I feel, personally.

Jeremy:
So it yeah, it just adds the structure. Yeah, and that time where you're not playing hockey is like even more – like when you're in season, the time you're not playing hockey, it's more valuable, the time – so you can just kind of dive into doing the homework and getting everything done. 

[ 5min 26sec ] 

Oliver:
Yeah, and another thing is that you know you see a lot of the athletes here like we all kind of we all have pretty good gpas. I'd say, obviously, like the hockey guys are a little bit older than everyone. 

So I'd hope that, you know, I'm in classes with 19-year-olds – and I'm 23. [ laughs ] 

So I mean I'd hope I'd have, you know, a little bit more skill and time management and maybe even a higher GPA than most.  So I mean, it is weird being in class like as a 23, and then we have some 24-year-olds with guys three years younger than us.  But you know, it's a part of life: You're always going to be with older, younger people. 

[ 6min 03sec ] 

Jeremy:
What’s the biggest difference between juniors and college hockey?

Cookie:
It seems like juniors everyone kind of has – obviously there's a team aspect of it. But the year I played juniors, I only played one year; it was like the COVID year.  We still played like 50 games, but we were literally getting dressed outside of the rink.  So it's definitely a little bit different like it was the weirdest year of hockey ever played but it was also like one of my most fun because we got to play so many games during a time a year when prep schools were only playing like two games.  So that was sweet. 

But from what I picked up is like it seems like in juniors, everyone kind of has their own agenda in some way.  Like everyone's trying to play college hockey.  You know a lot of people are like 18 to 20 years old so they're kind of figuring out what they want to do in terms of college or, like, if they don't want to go to school – if they want to maybe play hockey in another league.  So everyone's kind of thinking for the future.

[ 7min 03sec ] 

You play junior hockey to hopefully play at a higher level.  In terms of college like once you kind of get to a school, like you commit to a school and you get a role on a team, I feel personally I feel like more comfortable.  

You know, I can just kind of play how I want to play; deal with stuff off the ice just in a more like relaxed manner.  You're no longer really at the junior level competing to get the attention of scouts. If you really buy in here or at any other college – you buy in to win as a team. 

And I think the difference between Juniors and college is that every player at a college team they were once one of the good players on a junior team. 

[ 7min 48sec ] 

So you're coming from like kind of being the guy to, you know, finding your role on a new team.  Yeah, you might not be like the top point getter, you might not be averaging a point per game but you know that winning kind of weighs more than “Oh, I'm I averaged a point a game and we still you know didn't even make the playoffs.” 

But it's way it's way better like in the long run realizing that you play the game to win. That's just how I feel personally.  Like that's way more rewarding.  Like we talked about earlier, beating UMass Dartmouth.  We beat them, like, 2-1. We didn't play like great offensively, obviously – like only two goals, but everyone was pumped.

Even if they didn't even have a good game – like, just that feeling of, like, you know 30 guys in a locker room after – like just hyped. Like that's that's what it's worth.

[ 8min 40sec ] 

Jeremy:
So how does being a captain alter your role on the team in terms of leadership and competitiveness and everything?

Cookie:
I just try to be myself. Honestly.  

I feel like throughout my life I've always been a really competitive person, not just on the ice.  We play basketball right now,  some of us.  And, I foul a alot but I also compete.  In other sports. I've always competed, but what I value as a person is always trying to look out for the other guy I come from. I went to a school – it's called Cardigan Mountain. I went there for only two years but I'd say there I learned a lot about what it takes to be a leader and what it takes to win at, like, a higher level. 

[ 9min 24sec ] 

A lot of the coaches, a lot of the teachers there were former athletes.  And there are a couple of model mottos that I refer back to.  One of them is like “be the best.”  So you know, you want to be the best version of yourself. You want to be the best teammate. You want to be the best leader. You also want to be the most, you know, hardest working guy in the room. 

Because a lot of the stuff that you know translate to a good life you can find in a good athlete and a good teammate. 

So, as a leader, that's what I try to strive for, just to, you know be the best person I can be, but also not afraid of conflict.  Like over the last year. I learned that sometimes, even if a guy's like a really good friend of you, you have to keep each other in check. 

Because that can lead to infringing upon, like the little things that determine winning or losing.  And everyone's in the locker room for the same reason to win. 

Jeremy:
So you kind of already went over this, but give us some thoughts and reflections about this past season and how you plan to approach the next one. 

[ 10min 30sec ] 

Oliver:
Honestly, I haven't thought about that yet this year. It felt very emotional and put in a lot of work, but I'd say like over the last couple weeks we've been kind of as a team setting our eyes on next year. 

It took about a month to, like, realize that, “oh, our season's over.”   Even though we had a 15 and 10 season and we got to the finals and stuff. Yeah, we had a good year, but we need to turn the page. You know, we're zero and zero. Right now we're not. We're no longer 15 and 10. We're no longer in a conference championship game. 

[ 11min 07sec ] 

Everyone is, you know, at the same point.  And we're also adding two more teams to our conference next year. So it's going to be really competitive.  And I think there's like six of us for seniors: Myself, Mike Macchione, Jack Johansen, Sammy (Rennick), Christian Halbig and Toivo (Kramer) obviously.  

But there's not that big of a group coming back. But we've all been here for the last three years and we've all – I could say the same thing for every other guy in this class and in my class – is that we all care a lot. 

Everyone might care in their own way, but at the end of the day, like at someone's core, like I can tell, each and every person gives a damn, and that's what matters. Next year, senior class, as leaders, we got to set the tone and, uh, we need to like, we need to win a championship. Plymouth has won five in a row. 

[ 11min 59sec ] 

Fitchburg hasn't won since 2018. I think we all know that – you know, coach Fuller's been there for like 40 seasons. He's probably kind of getting towards the end of his road in terms of coaching, so it'd be nice to send him off with a win.  And obviously you know, maybe like end our careers on a win. 

Jeremy:
What club or activity would you participate in, and why?  Maybe, like, would you want to make a new club? 

Cookie:
Well, we play flag football, so obviously we love flag football.  Jeremy and I – we kind of have, like, a rivalry.  Like you know, your team won this year, and then my team won two years ago, last year.

But they did something weird with the schedule this year.  Like it was too late, so I couldn't play in the playoffs, and some of the guys on my team are on the baseball team and they had stuff. But I would definitely be involved with intramurals. You know I love flag football. Play some basketball. Would love to hoop during the season. But I don't, because, you know, hockey comes first. 

[ 13min 07sec ] 

I would also like – I don't know.  There was a karaoke thing like last week. That was fun. 

I've always, like, wanted to try improv and I never have.  So maybe I would do something like that.  

If I wasn't an athlete here, I don't know what my daily schedule would look like, because a lot of the athletes here they spend –

[ FalconCast theme fades in ]

– maybe half their time focused on school and then the other half on sports or like working.  Like jobs and stuff.  I definitely would find a job if I weren’t on a sports team here. But it’s kind of hard to because hockey takes up a lot of my time.

[ 13min 45sec ] 

Jeremy:
Well, Oliver, it's been a pleasure talking to you. Thanks for hopping on this interview.  

And to all of our listeners: thank you for listening to this episode of FalconCast. We hope you join us for the next one. I've been your host, Jeremy Allick. 

[ FalconCast theme ends ]

[ 14min 04sec ] 

[ Perseverantia Theme fades in ]

Gio Colon:
Hi, I’m Gio.  I’m a Communications major at Fitchburg State.  And you’re listening to Perseverantia, the Fitchburg State Podcast Network. 

[ Perseverantia theme fades out ]