Jacob Searles
Number: 17
Position: Forward
Height: 5' 11"
Weight: 180
Birthday: 4-23-77
Hometown: Centerville, MN
Last team: Des Moines Buccaneers

Player Biography

Jake is a returning member of the Bucs. He played in 59 games last year, scoring 16 goals and had 26 assists. This Centerville, Minnesota native enjoys water and snow skiing, and hopes to earn a Division I scholarship. Jake says that if he weren't playing hockey right now, he'd be in school working towards a degree.

Player Interview

2/11/98

Steve: Jake, tell me about where you were born and where you call home.

Jake: I was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, and I live in Centerville, Minnesota, a small town with a population of like 2,000. I grew up playing association hockey there and then went to a private school for high school.

Steve: Was that in Centerville?

Jake: No, it is in Fridley, Minnesota, which is about 25 minutes from my house.

Steve: What was it like growing up where you played high school hockey?

Jake: Well, I started out playing association hockey for Centennial. Then my high school years, grades 9 through 12, I played at Grace High School. We made the state tournament two years, my sophomore year and my senior year. My senior year we lost in the championship game at the state tournament by 3-2.

Steve: Tell me a little bit about your family.

Jake: My mom and dad are divorced and both remarried. I live with my mom back home. She is remarried and my dad is also remarried. I have one sister and one step-brother.

Steve: Has any of your family been able to see you play as a Buc?

Jake: Yeah, my dad pretty much comes down here for every game, as much as he can, so that is most of the time. He also goes to a lot of road games. My mom also comes down when she gets a chance, and my sister comes down to see me too.

Steve: How did you start playing hockey?

Jake: Well, I have a lake across the street from me and a huge pond in my back yard. I guess all the neighbor kids were out there just playing, so I guess I decided to play too and skated on the pond forever.

Steve: Even at night?

Jake: Yep, we had lights on it.

Steve: When did you know or decide that you wanted to pursue hockey full time?

Jake: I guess when I started playing I just kept joining associations. When I first tried out for a traveling team, I made the A team and from then on I just kept making it. It just kind of, I do not know, I just kept making the A teams and it stayed fun. I went through high school and now I am just looking to go to college.

Steve: Have you always played your current position?

Jake: I play wing now and I played center my whole entire life up until last year when I joined the Bucs, then I played wing. Other than that, I played center my whole life.

Steve: What do you like about playing forward or center?

Jake: I guess when I was younger the coach always wanted me to play defense because I was a strong enough skater for our team. I guess all the glory was to score goals and get the points and stuff, so I didn’t want to do that. And now this year I have gotten to play defense a couple of games and I enjoyed it, but I still enjoy forward. I like getting out there and scoring goals, getting the assists. I do not know, just work hard I guess.

Steve: How did you come to play for the Bucs?

Jake: The season after my high school year, the year after I graduated, I played for the Twin Cities Vulcans in the same league here. I wanted to come to a better organization and a better team and so I contacted Coach Owens before last year and decided to come down here.

Steve: What are some of the things that you like about playing for the Bucs?

Jake: It is a good organization, good coaching staff. The crowd is amazing. I think we have one of the best crowds in the league, and that helps a lot when you are playing here at home. It is a huge advantage. Overall, the atmosphere is good and the whole team camaraderie is very good I think this year. Hopefully we can go a long ways.

Steve: That is good. Does the team being together make a lot of difference? You said the camaraderie is good this year.

Jake: Yeah. Some of the teams I have been on in the past, you know, we have all been decent friends but towards crunch time sometimes we don’t get the job done or whatever. Last year, you know, we kind of slipped away at the end of the year. I think this year everyone is trying to work towards the same goal. No one has given up and we are all still sticking with it. We want to win the league and I think that can happen.

Steve: What are the differences between playing a road game and a home game?

Jake: Here it is a huge advantage because we have an outstanding crowd. So at home, you know, you come out and the crowd is going crazy for the guys and it jacks up the team. When you are on the road, you don’t have that crowd backing you up. A good team finds it within themselves to play on the road, to get wins. It is more of a slow game. You just try keeping the score close and hopefully come out on top.

Steve: Are there certain teams that you would rather play or not play?

Jake: No. Some people say playing the least ranked teams are always easiest. I think when you play the harder teams, more people are jacked up to play them so it is a better game and stuff. If you don’t work hard on any given night, any team can beat any team in our league.

Steve: Do you have a favorite college or pro team?

Jake: No, but I used to. I used to like the University of Minnesota when I was younger. Every Minnesota kid wants to go there, but now I really don’t. A pro team would be the Dallas Stars.

Steve: Why the Dallas Stars?

Jake: Cause they were in Minnesota once.

Steve: What are your future hockey plans?

Jake: Hopefully to go to Mankato or Anchorage, Alaska.

Steve: What is the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you in hockey?

Jake: I have no idea.

Steve: We can come back to it.

Jake: All right.

Steve: Now are going to switch to some personal things, such as what is your favorite food, dessert.

Jake: I will go with pasta for my favorite food, mostly like fettucini alfredo.

Steve: How about dessert?

Jake: I do not know. I don’t eat much dessert. Ice cream.

Steve: How about favorite music or band?

Jake: I like a lot of everything I guess. I mostly listen to country and alternative music.

Steve: How about a movie?

Jake: I just saw “Titanic.” I liked that.

Steve: How about a favorite car?

Jake: Slug bugs. No, I really don’t have a favorite car I guess.

Steve: Do people consider you shy or out going?

Jake: A little of both; it is a mix. I keep to myself but I guess I am out going also.

Steve: What type of girl do you like? Tall, short, hair color, eye color?

Jake: I have a girlfriend any ways. I guess somewhat tall, brown hair. I do not know. Someone that is going in the right direction, you know, with their life. Someone that knows what they want to do, career goals and stuff like that.

Steve: What do you do in the summer?

Jake: I guess I continue playing hockey. I live across the street from a lake, so I jet ski a lot, water ski and a lot of stuff in the water and things like that.

Steve: Do you have any other hobbies or interests you like to pursue?

Jake: I guess I do summer stuff and things like that. In the winter I like to ski. Obviously, I can’t ski much down here. No, nothing really.

Steve: Complete this question. The fans would be surprised to know that . . .

Jake: That I have had a girlfriend for four years. I do not know.