HFC roller hockey player proposes to his girlfriend at NCRHA National Championship
Competing in the National Collegiate Roller Hockey Association National Championships in Irvine, CA this season is something Dustin Foran, a member of the HFC roller hockey club, will remember for the rest of his life.
Foran, of Clinton Township, competed in the national championship. More importantly, he proposed to his longtime girlfriend Kiera Mustola, and she said yes. That was the highlight of the trip.
“I planned this when I heard the National Championships would be in Irvine, so I had a few months to prepare. I went on a road trip with my best friend to Malibu a few years ago. We found a beautiful hiking trail called the Ray Miller Trailhead that went up a mountain overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The views are breathtaking. Kiera and I are an active couple, so I knew it would be perfect,” recalled Foran.
Taking rattlesnake country in stride
The Chippewa Valley High School alumnus, who is majoring in web development at HFC and will graduate in 2024, was glad he proposed when he did.
“What's funny is once she said yes and we shared our moment, she asked, ‘Well, should we keep going?’ I said yes,” said Foran. “The second we began walking again, a massive rattlesnake crossed our path about 10 feet in front of us. It was a good thing I proposed when I did, because after that, we sprinted back to the car and enjoyed a nice dinner on the beach.”
Coach Rick Fenwick is happy for the newly-engaged couple, who will tie the knot in June 2024.
“Dustin led Division 1 in goals and points this year,” said Fenwick. “Kiera has watched us at every game this year, and it seemed fitting that he proposed to her on our trip while she came out to support us.”
HFC was the only community college in the NCRHA
HFC was the only community college to participate in the NCRHA during the 2022-23 season. Their record was 10-6-1 in the regular season and 3-4 in the playoffs.
“HFC has been the only community college to sustain a roller hockey program in the NCRHA throughout the pandemic,” said Fenwick. “Next year, there are supposed to be 5-8 community college roller hockey teams, so there should be a community college division. HFC will compete in that division and probably start the season ranked No. 1.”
The Hawks made it to the Elite Eight in the National Championships this season. The Hawks lost to 4-3 to Arizona State University, the No. 2 team in the nation, in what Fenwick called “a great game.” The Hawks beat Farmingdale State College, which is part of the State University of New York system, 9-8 in overtime. Farmingdale was ranked No. 8 in the nation and won three consecutive national championships from 2017-19. The Hawks then fell to Missouri-based Lindenwood University 7-2.
Fenwick kept this loss in perspective.
“Lindenwood beat us in the Elite Eight game,”” he said. “Lindenwood’s record in the regular season was an undefeated 13-0. They are now back-to-back national champions and have only lost one game overall in the last two seasons combined, so we did well against them.”
Making it a memorable season
Foran agreed with his coach.
“HFC being the only community college team in the country isn't what made the season special. Being put in Division 1 as the only community college team made us special. It made us different,” he said. “All but one guy on our team is from the Metro Detroit area, and we could only practice a few times a month. More often than not, we would be missing a handful of players at practice due to conflicts in their schedules.”
Foran continued: “The colleges we played against were the best in the nation with rigorous recruitment and player development. If you looked at the rosters of our opponents, you would find pro names from all over the country on one team. Some schools even have rinks on their campuses, so that they can practice more often. For us to be able to go out there and win a few games or lose by a worthy goal or two, it was a successful season for HFC, and I was proud to be a part of it.”
He also wanted to give a shout-out out to his coaches, teammates, and fiancée.
“Coaches Fenwick, (Frank) Caliguri, and (Tyler) Kolly were great to play for. They would listen to the team's input. Although we couldn't practice a lot, they made the most of it, which helped us prepare for our competition,” said Foran. “I want to thank Kiera for all the time and energy she put into the team by making snacks to bring to the rink and not being afraid to cheer louder and prouder than opposing fans when games got ugly,” said Foran. “I also need to recognize my teammates Tyler Blaszkowski, Carter Pattenaude, Dylan Pattenaude, Spencer Morrison, Kylie Brown, Shane Hodges, Chris Greco, Anthony O'Keefe, Calob Barnes, Lucas DiMascio, David Landstrom, and probably our most skilled player, Braden Yurkunas for battling hard in our final stretch in California. We didn't get the desired result, but we made it a memorable season.”