Junior Cooper Emerson breaks the North Broward record for most goals in a hockey game with an impressive 8 goals. Emerson has been playing since he was just 7 years old, giving him 10 years of experience. The Eagle Gazette has the opportunity to interview Cooper about his amazing accomplishment.

When asked if he knew he had broken the record at the time, Emerson shares, “Towards the end of the second period, after my 5th goal, my coach told me I was two away from the record, which at the time was 7.” He then describes how he felt, he says, “I couldn’t believe I actually did it. I thought I would just tie the record, but I got the 8th goal with about 2 seconds left.” Even though it seems impossible, Emerson perseveres at the very end to get his 8th goal.

It may have been Emerson who scored the goals but he explains, “…my teammates played a huge role; I couldn’t have done it without them. Good defense and good passes really allowed me to generate on offense. It was a team effort.” Emerson takes pride in his team and their performance every time they step on the ice. He tells us, “…breaking both records means a lot, but honestly, it reflects the people around me more than anything. It’s something I’m proud of, but I see it as a team achievement as much as an individual one.”

Emerson plans to continue playing hockey for NBP and shares, “I plan to implement all the things I did in this game in every other game I play for the rest of the season, and hopefully it leads to another state championship.” His greatest piece of advice to hockey players at the beginning of their journey is,“… just play with confidence and don’t critique yourself too much. A huge part of the game is mental, and when your mind is performing, your body will too.”