Q&A with UND freshman defenseman Nate Benoit
Nov. 2—GRAND FORKS — UND freshman defenseman Nate Benoit spoke to the Herald about his path to UND, his first month on campus, this weekend's trip back home and shared some of his favorites.
Q. You're from Bow, N.H. How far is that from Boston?
A. It's probably about an hour, depending on traffic.
Q. Are you going to have a lot of family at the game?
A. Pretty much my entire family will be there. I don't have an exact number, though.
Q. How do you feel about going back home?
A. I'm pumped. It's a great opportunity for a lot of the family and friends who want to come to our games but can't because of the travel.
Q. How was your time in the United States Hockey League?
A. It was great. I had a great experience at each team I played on. I learned something new each spot. I had a ton of fun in the U.
Q. Your last coach in the USHL was former UND captain Matt Smaby with the Waterloo Black Hawks. What did you learn from him?
A. He's a great coach. He talked a lot about the leadership side of things, being an older guy in that league, what I could do leadership-wise. He was so detail-oriented, kind of like we are here. The little things do matter. You've got to be good at them. I think he was a great coach to have before I got here.
Q. Did Smaby or Waterloo general manager Bryn Chyzyk talk about UND with you?
A. They both talked about it. They both know what it's like here. They had a lot of good things to say. They weren't wrong. It's a great spot. Anybody that's related to hockey — who has played or knows about here — says good things.
Q. How has your first month at UND gone?
A. It's been unbelievable — the way we're treated here, the support we have from the community. Being a freshman here is a tough transition from the (USHL), but having the teammates and staff around us, to be in such an amazing facility, makes it so much easier. The transition hasn't been too difficult. I've been in the Midwest the last couple years. But being with the guys, hanging out, getting to know each other, has been so helpful.
Q. UND has a new defenseman coach in Dillon Simpson. What are your impressions so far?
A. Simmer is great. He's an unbelievable coach. I really like Simmer. He's great for our group. He's incredible with us — being able to help us for our individual needs development-wise and how to translate stuff from our games. I've loved having him.
Q. What's your favorite food?
A. I'm going to be a little weird, because in the Midwest, it's a lot of steak and potatoes. I'd probably say seafood — fresh stuff you can get in the Northeast.
Q. What's your favorite restaurant — anywhere in the world?
A. Giacomo's. It's on the North End in Boston. It's probably 10 minutes from the rink at BU. It's a hole-in-the-wall Italian restaurant. You've got to get the lobster ravioli. It's overpriced, but it's the best ravioli you'll have in your entire life. Oh, and if you go, remember it's cash only.
Q. Have you found a go-to restaurant spot in Grand Forks?
A. A bunch of us go to Texas Roadhouse a lot.
Q. Who is your favorite musical artist?
A. I'd probably say Jon Pardi. He's really solid. Me and my roommates listen to him a lot.
Q. What's your favorite movie?
A. Oh, that's tough without narrowing it down to a genre. For comedy, I'd have to say anything with Will Ferrell. He's GOAT'd in the comedy genre for me. I like action types of movies, too. In comedy, The Hangover is a classic. It never misses.
Q. What app do you use the most on your phone?
A. Probably Snapchat or text.
Q. Did you have a favorite athlete or sports team when you were growing up?
A. I loved the (Boston) Bruins when I was a kid.
Q. If you got to set up a destination game during your UND career, where would you do it?
A. An outdoor game at the Twins' stadium against the Gophers. That would be insane. It would be a great game for college hockey. We got to experience the rivalry early and that is an unmatched feeling. Something like that would be great. The fans would care about it and be passionate about it.
Q. Who would you choose to join you in an ideal golfing four-some?
A. I think I'd want someone funny — Adam Sandler or Will Ferrell, whoever has a better handicap. I'd probably take someone from the hockey world — (Wayne) Gretzky. And I'd want a pro golfer, maybe Phil Mickelson, just to blow my doors off with his ability. Sandler would keep things light, and I'd want Phil next to me on every shot.
Q. What's one of your hobbies besides hockey?
A. Golf, and as of the last eight months, I've really gotten into fishing.
Q. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose?
A. I want to travel the world. It would be so cool to go to Asia — somewhere that has a completely different culture. I've been lucky enough to go to a lot of places, and there are still a lot of places I want to go — the Dolomites in Italy, Patagonia in Chile. . . places like that. You can't replicate it.
