Coming from Lexington, Massachusetts, Ronan Bryant was hesitant about choosing Clemson at first. But looking back four years later, he now knows without a shadow of a doubt that he made the right choice when he decided to become a Tiger — and none of it would have been possible without the club ice hockey program.
“Being a part of the hockey team here has changed my Clemson experience entirely,” Bryant said in an interview with The Tiger. “I have met so many great friends through the team, and those relationships have led to meeting more people here at Clemson. Just about everyone I know and love here at Clemson, I can trace back to the hockey team in one way or another.”
Bryant began to consider Clemson per his younger sister’s request that he apply, but it wasn’t until after he received his acceptance letter and did some research that he realized he was destined to be a Tiger.
“Clemson was the only school outside of New England that I applied to,” he said. “Once I got in and did some research, I fell in love with it. I couldn’t be happier, and it was definitely the best choice I could have made.”
Although he left New England behind, Bryant had no intention of losing sight of what mattered to him before migrating south to Clemson; one of the most significant things being hockey.
“I’ve been playing hockey since before I could remember,” Bryant told The Tiger. “My dad played, all my uncles played, my older brother and both my sisters all played. We were all passionate. It made it easy and fun to go to the rink with your whole family.”
While he seemed to have been born with a passion for the sport in his blood, it wasn’t until he played as a child that he decided how much he really loved it.
“One of the earliest memories that I have that really sticks with me was from playing house league, and one of our coaches was Cam Neely,” Bryant said. “I guess I had a pretty good shift, and when I came back to the bench, he tapped me on the head and told me I had a great shift. That memory has never faded.”
Bryant continued playing hockey in high school at Lexington High School and Worcester Academy. During his senior year, the forward won the “Boston Bruins – MIAA Sportsmanship Award” for his league.
“It was voted on by the coaches around the league,” he told The Tiger. “Being recognized by the coaches really made me feel like I was doing at least something right and gave me the confidence to believe that I had the ability to continue playing hockey.”
With that confidence in mind, Bryant was ecstatic at the prospect of continuing to play in college when he discovered Clemson’s club ice hockey team on social media and at his first Tiger Prowl.
And over the last few years, his teammates at Clemson have become akin to family.
“My favorite memory at Clemson has to be this year when my girlfriend was able to throw me a surprise birthday party,” Bryant explained. “She was able to convince the entire hockey team to show up, as well as all of my other buddies. It was just very special to see everyone there in one place. It shows how much everyone really cares and is willing to show up for each other.”
As he returns to Massachusetts to pursue a career in finance, Bryant can only hope to leave as significant an impact on his Clemson family as it had on him.
“I hope people remember me as a guy who did his best to make people smile, and always tried to bring people together.”
