Kyle Kramer returned from his first season as a member of the Brown Bears and is looking to build on his freshman season.
Kramer, a Ballenas graduate, suited up for 30 of the 31 games with the NCAA’s Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC)Bears in his first year at Brown, part of the Ivy League division of the NCAA.
A former Save-On-Foods Oceanside General and Nanaimo Clipper, Kramer had some adjusting to do in his first season at Brown.
“It’s a faster game at the university level, for sure,” Kramer said. “I wasn’t really sure what to expect in terms of game speed but it’s pretty quick so I had some adjustments to make right out of the gate. It took a bit of time but I eventually found my feet and adjusted pretty well.”
A hard-hitting forward with a nose for the net, Kramer managed five points (3 goals, 2 assists) in his first season but isn’t worried. Kramer increased his point totals in all four of his seasons with the B.C. Hockey League’s Clippers.
In 2010, he had 21 points (12 goals, 9 assists), 42 points (18 goals, 24 assists) in 2011, 56 points (29 goals, 27 assists) in 2012 and he was the Clippers’ leading scorer in his final season, notching 30 goals and 27 assists.
“I wasn’t really expecting to be a big contributor in my first season there, it’s more about finding where you fit in with the team and learning the system,” he said. “Now that I’ve had one season under my belt I feel like I’ll be able to ramp my game up a level or two next year and hopefully be able to help the team on the score sheet a little more.”
Kramer is home working for the Town of Qualicum Beach’s public works department, looking to recharge his batteries before returning to Providence, Rhode Island for his second year.
“It’s a cool place to live and be able to go to school,” Kramer said. “The buildings are really historic and I like the atmosphere over there. It’s a lot different than the Island, that’s for sure, but it’s always good to go away somewhere and then come back here. It makes you really appreciate what you’ve got back at home.”
Still undeclared in his academic studies, Kramer will be hitting the books hard along with hitting his opponents even harder on the ice, showing his value and trying to rekindle that scoring touch that made him a top BCHL player.
“That’s the goal, for sure, get out there and put the puck in the net,” he said. “If I can play the game I know I can play in the system we’ve got there at Brown, I think I’ll really be able to help the team out and help get us a few extra wins.”