One year after having his season taken away because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Peter Bates is making up for lost time.
He is the nation’s leading goal scorer (24) and tops the country in assists as well, racking up 24, and the senior standout has played an instrumental role in propelling St. Norbert into the spotlight once again.
The Green Knights (20-3 overall, 16-0 NCHA) have won 19 consecutive games. They are ranked fifth in the nation in the DCU/USCHO NCAA Division III men’s poll heading into a huge NCHA showdown with top-ranked Adrian this weekend that will decide home ice in the Harris Cup playoffs.
Bates said the team success has played a big role in his personal success.
“The team is playing pretty well and my linemates are playing well,” Bates said. “The combination of that has helped make me look good.”
A native of Illinois who played his junior hockey with the Janesville Jets of the NAHL, Bates has scored 11 or more goals in each of the seasons he’s played at St. Norbert.
This season has been his best one yet and part of that stems from the added motivation of not having a season a year ago.
“I’m thankful to have a chance to play hockey again. It makes you appreciate the game more,” Bates said.
Bates wasn’t completely away from hockey last season. He and his teammates spent the year practicing. But it just wasn’t the same.
“It was definitely tough last year,” Bates said. “We practiced the entire year, and by the end of it, it was hard to keep showing up because you were practicing and there were no games to play. But being around the group we had, it made things enjoyable even if the year wasn’t what we imagined it would be.”
Bates has played in more than 100 games in his career at St. Norbert, racking up over 30 multi-point games. He has 146 points in his carer, ranking third all-time on the scoring list.
But he didn’t come to St. Norbert because he cared about personal success. He’s always been about playing on a winning team and contributing to it.
“I wanted to be somewhere where winning was important. The best part of this team is no one is playing for themselves,” Bates said. “We’re all trying to win and work as a team. That was a big selling point for me when I was looking for a school.”
Bates believes he’s gotten stronger and smarter as a hockey player throughout his career at St. Norbert and that has helped him develop into the player he is today.
His focus now is helping the Green Knights not only try to win an NCHA crown but compete for the national title as well.
The next step is a highly anticipated series with the Bulldogs.
“I’m definitely excited about it. Those games against them are always competitive,” Bates said. “These games are the reason you come to a school like St. Norbert. It’s going to be fun and intense. I’m looking forward to it.”
