Editor’s note: The Daily Illini sports desk sits down Sunday nights and decides which Illinois athlete or coach is our Illini of the Week. Student-athletes and coaches are evaluated by individual performance and contribution to team success.
The cool rush of air flowed through Scott Barrera’s open cage. Handling the puck in the offensive zone, Barrera weighed his options.
On the left faceoff circle, Barrera was one-on-one with a defender while linemate John Olen posted up in front of the net. The Southern Illinois (Edwardsville) defenseman took an ill-advised step toward Barrera, leaving him vulnerable. Sliding the puck with the backhand, Barrera slipped the puck between the defender’s legs, eliciting a chorus of “ooohs” from the Big Pond crowd. Barrera continued the motion and dished off to Olen, who went top shelf to beat the goaltender and break a 2-2 tie.
The Illini would never look back, taking a 6-3 win over SIUE — their fifth consecutive victory on the year. It was Barrera and Olen who brought the firepower on the weekend, with Barrera accounting for seven points to Olen’s six. That one point also earned Barrera the top spot in the team’s point leaders, 40 to 39 over Olen.
Last weekend was his best at Illinois, and this season is the best of Barrera’s career. The explanation is pretty simple.
Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!
“It’s my last semester,” the senior Barrera said. “It’s coming down to 12 or 13 games left in my career. I want every shift to count.”
The 24-year-old has certainly done that. After accruing 52 points his first two seasons in orange and blue, Barrera already has 40 this season. While not considered to be a premier goal scorer, Barrera’s calling card as a passer and a facilitator allows him to rack up points and allows his teammates to fill the net.
“(Barrera) is more of a playmaker, a passer,” head coach Nick Fabbrini said. “He’s got a high hockey IQ.”
Barrera draws from his experience in juniors and at Illinois to attest to his IQ on the ice, and his leadership earned him an assistant captain spot this season. A soft-spoken player, Barrera said he lets his play do the talking and won’t ask anyone to do anything that he isn’t willing to do. Especially on the gray line, with freshmen Olen and Kevin Chowaniec, Barrera is seen as a mentor.
“No matter what is going on in the game, I try and stay calm,” Barrera said. “I try to set an example for some of the younger guys that you don’t always have to be yelling.”
After joining the team in 2010, two years removed from the program’s second ACHA national championship in four years, Barrera stepped into a program in which winning the league’s top prize had become an expectation.
Almost three years later, things haven’t gone quite according to plan. After missing out on the championship in Barrera’s first year, the Illini finished under .500 last season and made a first-round exit in the ACHA national tournament. Former head coach Chad Cassel, Barrera’s landlord of all things, left after the 2011-12 campaign, casting doubt if Barrera would ever win the championship he craved.
In Barrera’s swan song as a player, the Illini have shown some of their old dominance, surging back into the top 10 and currently holding a 19-8-2 record. Even with four regular season games remaining, Barrera is still aiming for that title.
“I think this is by far the best team we’ve had since I’ve been here,” he said. “I personally felt like we were rebuilding, we lost a lot of key players, but we’re there now.”
“I think we have a really good shot this year,” Fabbrini added. “We’re not the most talented team in the field, but the most talented team doesn’t always win a single-game elimination tournament.”
With his career winding down, Barrera has taken time the past few games to soak in every moment with his teammates. Though he was only playing for three years, Barrera has made a lasting impact with the team. When asked about his potential legacy with the team, the forward was at a loss for words.
“I don’t know, it’s been amazing,” Barrera said. “It’s hard to put into words.”
His legacy won’t require words if the Illini raise another banner in March.
Stephen can be reached at [email protected] and @steve_bourbon.
