Hi-Line Athlete Profile: Ethan Roberts, Havre Hockey

There is no question about it, when it comes to multi-sport athletes along the Hi-Line, Havre's Ethan Roberts is one of the best.

Roberts, who plays three sports: Baseball, football and hockey, has been making his mark in all three activities over the past couple of years, but right now, the senior has been spending all of his athletic time on the ice, for the Havre Ice Hawks and so far this season, Roberts is off to a spectacular start.

Roberts has always been known for his speed, and on the ice, that's no different. He's a tremendous skater and when he he has possession of the puck, he is always an imminent threat to score. This season alone, in 12 games for the Ice Hawks, Roberts has a total of 36 points. 20 of those points come from goals, and already this season, on four separate occasions, Roberts achieved a hat trick, which is scoring three or more goals in a single game.

One hat trick in a season is impressive but notching four of them in 12 games is just unheard of. That's an average of one hat trick every three games. While Roberts is a goal-scoring machine, he's not a selfish player. In fact, he leads the Ice Hawks in assists with 16, which is a direct result of his creativity with the puck.

With Roberts leading the way, the Ice Hawks have gotten off to a solid start in the Montana Amateur Hockey Association standings for high school teams. Right now, the Ice Hawks, which boast a record of 4-6-2, sit fifth in the division behind Billings, Missoula, Butte and Bozeman.

But even though Roberts is playing really well right now, it's nothing new, as he is used to playing hockey on an elite level. Over the years he has played with the Montana Thunderblades, 16U team that made the national tournament. Roberts said he is also hoping to play college hockey or junior-college hockey.

However, before getting too far ahead, Roberts is wanting to enjoy his last season in Havre, on the ice. One thing that is helping him with that is the fact that his brother, Tavish McLean, also plays on the Ice Hawks. That has been a uniqiue experience for Roberts, who will graduate from high school this spring.

Regardless of what happens, Roberts is hoping that this isn't his final season of playing hockey. If he keeps scoring and assisting at the rate he has been, he will definitely help his cause. With that, the Havre Daily News caught up with Roberts this week for five questions.

HDN: Your brother is also a member of the Ice Hawks, what has it been like to play alongside him this season?

Roberts: "He's a freshman. It's going pretty well. It has been nice. I have been helping him out for a while, but now I guess I can just yell at him since he is on my team."

HDN: What has been the key for you and getting off to such a fast start this season?

Roberts: "I just have wanted to try and get my name out there for colleges and junior hockey teams. I think, also, everything has started to come together. I have been playing for 14 years, and it's just all working now - I am finding the net and helping out others with assists and things like that."

HDN: What you would say are your best attributes as a player as you are looking to play at the next level?

Roberts: "Teams are looking for a playmaker and sometimes, I look at myself as a playmaker. I try to get everybody to help out and get my guys open and try to get them goals. I try to be a team player. Finding the back of the net helps, but I like being more of a playmaker."

HDN: How did you get started with hockey and why have you stuck with it?

Roberts: "Originally, I was going to be a wrestler. Then I found out there was a hockey rink and just went with it and ever since I have been playing. It's just a different sport than everybody else plays. It's not high school officiated or anything like that. It's just different and harder. It's the hardest one out there."

HDN: What are the team goals in your final season as an Ice Hawk?

Roberts: "State is different this year. Everyone is combined and so our goal is to make it to state because it's in Havre. We want to show what this team is actually made of."