I thought some on the board might be interested in this article from the Kalamazoo Gazette about Gray Shaneberger.  Glad to hear that he is still playing and doing well.

Hope tonights game in Portland is the spark to start a great 2005!!

Ruth

http://www.mlive.com/sports/kzgazette/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/110509680780390.xml

Trying to make a name
Wednesday, January 7, 2005
[log in to unmask] 388-2730

With an unusual first name, Kalamazoo Wings forward Gray Shaneberger is used to having it mispronounced.

"Ever since I've been playing hockey, it's always been 'Gary,' " Shaneberger said. "I think more arenas have announced 'Gary' than actually said 'Gray.' "

Shaneberger's moniker came from his brother's friend.

"My brother had a friend named Gray and my mother liked the name, so that's how I ended up having it," he said. "It's a little different -- a good conversation piece."

His brother is the one who piqued his interest in hockey.

"He's about 10 years older than me and, growing up in Vermont, I'd go to his high school games," Shaneberger said. "In Vermont, high school hockey was huge and watching him got me into it."

His brother's name?

"Gary," Shaneberger said. "Really. So my brother's been announced at more stadiums, more arenas than me," even though he's not playing pro hockey.

But it's not until he came to Kalamazoo that his family name came into play with Mike Modugno, Voice of the K-Wings, shouting "Shaneberger in paradise" parodying the Jimmy Buffet song when the second-year player scores and "Shaneberger helper" for an assist.

"Any time they can put a spin on it like that, it's neat," Shaneberger said. "I enjoy it. I know that my friends and family that listen to (the broadcast over the Internet) appreciate it, too."

Shaneberger joined the team Nov. 7 and is making an impact on a "kid line" with rookies Sean Starke and Tom Ditzer.

"Gray and me are both about 6-4 and Starke is 6-2 and he's no slouch himself," Ditzer said. "Our game plan is we try to keep the puck deep, keep it in the corners and use our size. Even if we don't score on every shift, we're grinding, we're wearing down their D.

"We're young and I think we're hungry to prove ourselves."

K-Wings coach Mark Reeds said, "Gray's a big, strong kid. He's a good skater, shoots the puck well, passes the puck well."

Collegiate experience

Shaneberger, who moved from Vermont to New Jersey when he was 14, played high school and travel hockey, but hadn't thought much about playing in college.

"I didn't know what was really out there," he said. "Living in New Jersey, it wasn't like a real hotbed."

At his last high school tournament, an assistant coach from Maine noticed Shaneberger and recruited him.

Shaneberger liked the school and ended up at Maine for a career of highs and lows.

His redshirt freshman year, the Black Bears won the NCAA national title in Anaheim, but his junior year, his coach, Shawn Walsh, lost his battle with cancer and died at the beginning of the season.

"We were all filled in about the situation," Shaneberger said. "We got into school, had our first meeting and he was there. Then he was gone. It was tough on everyone. It was a huge emotional year for us."

That season, the team made it to the Frozen Four finals, losing to Minnesota in Minnesota.

"We were at the Xcel Energy Center and there were 19,000-some people there, practically all Minnesota fans," he said. "It was intense but it was a great experience."

Shaneberger got his degree in environmental and ecological sciences with a concentration in waste management in four years and decided to stay at Maine as a graduate student for his fifth-year eligibility.

He has 14 credits left for a master's in economics.

"I really took school seriously when I was there," he said. "I wanted to give myself other options for when I couldn't play any more. I really hit the books hard and tried to make the most of my time there."

Off the ice

When he's not at the rink, Shaneberger is a classics guy -- literally.

"I like to read the classics that have been in schools for ages to see what they're all about and why they've been so popular for so long," he said.

"My favorite is 'The Great Gatsby.' I've read 'Robinson Caruso,' 'Catcher in the Rye' and 'Ivanhoe.' I always go in the bookstore like Borders or Barnes & Noble where they have the classics section."

Last summer, he finally took up golf and actually worked at Scotland Run Golf Club in New Jersey -- and had a hole-in-one.

"It was on the ninth hole, a par 3, 212 yards, and I put it right in the cup," he said. "It was unbelievable.

"Everyone I worked with was mad at me because I had just started. They were happy for me, but at the same time a little bitter. It was great."

He also enjoys backpacking around Europe with friends.

"My favorite country is Italy," he said. "A lot of great places, a lot of history, famous paintings and sculptures."

While he still has several options for life after hockey, he's content to play right now.

"It makes you feel good about yourself," he said. "All the years I spent putting time in at the rink, working out at the gym, working with skating instructors.

"It's just a reward to be out on the ice and to be playing and having fun."