Evan Plunkett '23: Dedication and Consistency Show Results

Entering his freshman season with the Saint Michael's College Men's Hockey Team, Evan Plunkett ’23 was focused on establishing his role within the team, whatever that may be: “We have great leadership. Our captains have fostered a culture where we, as a group, are willing to do whatever it takes to win,” said Evan, “ Everybody has a unique role. It can be hard to accept a role where you don’t have as much playing time, but it's been really cool to see guys say ‘This is how I'm gonna help and I'm completely okay with that because this is my role right now and that's going to help us win.’  That takes a lot of unselfishness.”

As a goalie, Evan knew that establishing consistency was crucial to defining his role on the team: “ If you know what you're getting from a goalie every time they step on the ice, you’re going to develop trust from your coaches and your teammates.” Joining a team with three upperclassmen goalies already on the roster, playing time was no guarantee. However, this was not a new experience for Evan. 

As a ninth-grader at Holderness, partnered with two senior goalies, Evan established himself as the starting goalie and was ultimately named the team’s Most Valuable Player at the end of the season. This year, Evan once again embraced the competition and rose to the challenge: “I knew it was going to be a battle to get playing time. You're playing college hockey, there are a lot of good goalies. I knew it was going to be very competitive.”

In his first start of the season, Evan made 19 saves in a shutout victory. Throughout the year, Evan posted three more shutouts, setting a new Saint Michael's College Men's Hockey single-season shutout record and earning himself the starting spot. The accolades did not stop there. Evan won NE10 Rookie of the Week five times and was named to both the NE10 All-Conference Second Team and the All-Conference Rookie Team. For all goalies in the conference, Evan ranked second in shutouts (4), save percentage (.934), saves per game (31.0), wins (13), and third in goals-against average (2.28). An incredible season was capped off with Evan backstopping the Purple Knights to their first NE10 Championship since 2009, as he made 27 saves in a 5-1 win over Saint Anselm College. 

Reflecting on the season, Evan reinforced his focus on consistency:

“At the end of the day, you have to win. It's been cool to set the shutout record and to be recognized for my play, but I don't think that's defined my season. I think the best part about the season is that I’ve been able to bounce back after bad games, stay consistent, and try to bring the same thing to the rink every day.”

Emphasizing the impact his freshman season at Holderness had on him, Evan credits Holderness Boys Varsity Hockey Coaches Alan Thompson '04 and Joe Gaudet for helping him develop the ability to thrive in competitive environments: “Coach Thompson and Coach Gaudet gave the players a lot of room to try things out, ask questions, and be students of the game. They made it very clear to me that if I was playing better than the other two guys, I was going to play. They said, ‘You're gonna get an opportunity to take the net. Whether or not you do, that's up to you.’ That was a very valuable lesson for me.”

Evan plays on the team with former Holderness teammate Quinn McCarthy '22 (Forward), who scored the first goal of the NE10 championship game.

About Evan

Hometown: Charlotte, NC
College Major: Psychology
Holderness Highlights: Cross Country, Hockey, Baseball

View his Saint Michael's College Purple Knights profile.