While a restful break for the holidays usually is welcome, Anthony Conti and his Laurier Golden Hawks teammates wanted no part of a 34-day layoff between games.

The Golden Hawks men's hockey team finished 2019 on a roll with wins against Lakehead, York and Windsor. Conti checked in with three goals and five points in the three victories.

"I've never liked taking a break," Conti said. "I like to be on the ice all the time. But in this league, you learn it's a short season. This is not a 60-game schedule. That's the way the cookie crumbles."

Conti and the Golden Hawks returned from their time off and suffered losses to Windsor and Ryerson. But Laurier swiftly found its groove again with wins last weekend at home against Western and Ryerson. To add to the good vibrations, the Golden Hawks also discovered their 3-1 loss to Windsor on Jan. 3 turned into one for the win column after Windsor employed an ineligible player.

Conti, meanwhile, kept his impressive run going with a hat trick against No.9 nationally-ranked Ryerson to give the third-year forward five goals and nine points in Laurier's last seven-game. As a result of his three-goal game, he was named Laurier's male athlete-of-the-week.

"I'm not worrying about ice time," said Conti, a sociology major. "I'm not worrying about my production. I think I'm in a good frame of mind this season."

Long-time Laurier head coach Greg Puhalski remarked Conti worked hard for his results this season.

"He has been one of our most consistent offensive players this season because he's playing between the dots more, and he's capitalizing on his chances," Puhalski said.

"Anthony plays his best when he focuses on outworking his opponents, that's when his natural ability shows."

How Conti wound up at Laurier from his North Vancouver roots has been quite the journey. After finishing his time in the renowned British Columbia Hockey League with the Surrey Eagles, he earned a hockey scholarship to the University of Alaska-Anchorage.

Two years later, Conti landed an opportunity to play pro for the Mississippi RiverKings of the Southern Professional Hockey League. Conti's season was cut short, however, when his father John passed away from a blood disorder.

John and his wife, Elizabeth Friesen, were and are successful in the film industry. John was a writer/producer. Elizabeth is a financier. John had battled his condition for a decade and lived longer than expected. But his death had Anthony searching for a fresh start. Laurier proved to be the perfect locale for him to finish off the finance degree he started in Alaska, work on another degree in sociology and continue to develop as a hockey player.

"I liked the school, the town, and I knew it was a good place because my Mom is a Mennonite, and she has a lot of relatives in the area," the articulate and thoughtful 24-year-old Conti said. "I also liked the better travel, a lot of shorter road trips."

As much as the holiday break temporarily derailed Conti and his teammates, it was vital for him to visit with family. He spent most of the break in Toronto with his girlfriend Chase, Mom and a cousin. Oh yeah, his loyal dog Frankie, a Rottweiler, also was there to share in the festivities.

"I wouldn't be able to do this without being given all the blessings in the world by my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ as well as the support of my Mother and my girlfriend Chase. They have been nothing short of spectacular," Conti said.

He also had plenty of time to focus on his exams and term papers and make daily visits to the gym in preparation for the final weeks of the season, and hopefully a memorable run in the playoffs.

"This has been such an enjoyable experience," said Conti, who is in his last year of eligibility and hopes to continue his career in Europe next season. "It's a good situation, a good school and a good town.

"The coaching has been great, and this is the best group of guys I've ever played with. There are so much character and amazing people in this group."