There’s something to be said for waiting until the time is right. For Mark Cheremeta, that time was prior to the 2016-17 season.
A native of Parkland, Fla., he decided to make the move north to play for the Islanders Hockey Club in the USPHL NCDC.
“I played my youth years in Florida. The competition wasn’t that great, but most of the guys left when we were 14-15 to go play prep. I wasn’t ready to go up north then and that was a good decision for me,” said Cheremeta.
Once the left-shot left wing finally made the move, his game elevated as he faced stiffer competition. His play was particularly impressive given that he was a younger player going up against some guys two to three years older.
“He was a young kid on a very talented team,” said Islanders head coach Sean Tremblay (Newburyport, Mass.). “It was a bit of a struggle for him. He wanted to play a certain way and he thought we’d confine him. There are certain kids you confine and others you don’t. He’s a kid you don’t confine.”
“I just had to keep sticking with it,” added Cheremeta.
In his first USPHL season, Cheremeta scored 16 goals and added 24 assists in 47 games played. The growing pains that he experienced during the 2016-17 season vaulted his development as a hockey player, according to Tremblay.
“He was playing with men. The kid could have been playing prep school, but he was putting up numbers against men. That’s what made him better,” said Tremblay.
“They need the discipline, but they need the positive encouragement. It’s that grind that makes people into the people they are,” added the coach.
This past year, he compiled 20 goals and 44 assists in 57 games. His productive season earned him a college commitment to the University of Vermont.
“Especially with his skill-set evolving, his game has grown exponentially,” Tremblay stated. You see the things he does in practice and he was finally able to translate that into games. He did that this year and even the last third of the season last year. He matured a lot as a player and he has a relentless work ethic.”
Cheremeta’s talent allows him to create time and space for his linemates, making him an effective playmaker. His hands and the way he thinks the game are right up there as well.
“He can create space more than most players. He’s a good east-west player. It’s hard to score in the offensive zone. It’s hard to create in zone. It’s hard to score five-on-five in today’s game. He has an amazing ability to make plays. That’s his biggest asset,” said Tremblay.
“Definitely my playmaking ability,” Cheremeta concurred, when asked about his strengths. “I can hold the puck and find open guys and find seams.”
Tremblay, arguably the most successful junior coach in this region’s history, has coached a lot of future NHL and NCAA talent in his time with the Islanders and New Hampshire Junior Monarchs previously. He has no doubt that Cheremeta could be a pro one day.
“He’s one of the top 10 most skilled kids I’ve ever coached. He showed that last summer at Florida Panthers development camp. He’s talented. He’s going to do great things at UVM,” said Tremblay, who played college hockey at Southern Maine.
Not only were the past two years productive individually, but also Cheremeta walks away from the USPHL as a two-time champion.
“It was great. I owe a lot to Sean. He’s a great coach. He helped my development so much. We won both championships. It was good to be a part of it,” Cheremeta said.
After a stellar showing at the Sioux Falls Stampede Main Camp, Cheremeta will take his game to the USHL for the 2018-19 season.
“I had a really good camp. The coaches seemed to really like me. I’m excited to play there next year,” said Cheremeta.
After a year in the USHL, Cheremeta will take his game to Burlington, where he’ll play for Kevin Sneddon’s Catamounts.
“When I went to the campus, I really liked the layout of it,” Cheremeta said. “It was a college town. I like the coaching staff’s style of play. It’s one of the best college leagues in the country and they have a lot of fans.”
