In the Spotlight - Minnesota State's Jesse Rooney

One goal in mind.

Dec. 27, 2000

By P.J. Slinger

Jesse Rooney is getting married this summer, but there's some hockey business he has to take care of to make that day even more perfect.

Rooney, a senior forward for Minnesota State University, has a little payback in mind for when the Mavericks play St. Cloud State in February.

You see, one of his best friends (and groomsman) is Scott Meyer, the senior goaltender from SCSU.

"Last year he got the better of me so I'm looking for a little revenge," Rooney said. "I gotta have bragging rights at my own wedding. But he knows where I like to shoot and knows where I'm going with the puck. He usually psyches me out."

That's because the two have played together on-and-off since high school, when they attended White Bear Lake (Minn.) High School. They also played for Fargo of the United States Hockey League for a season (also with Jeff Panzer of the University of North Dakota).

"We actually went on a visit together to Mankato and he got the offer and I ended up going to St. Cloud," Meyer said. "But we've played quite a bit of hockey together. We still talk all the time."

And Meyer said, yes, he does know Jesse's shooting tendencies.

"He tries to go upper corner every time," Meyer said. "But I don't want to let him get a fluke goal, either. I know he just wants something to talk about at his wedding."

But whatever happens that weekend in February, Meyer and Rooney know their friendship will survive the series.

"We both understand our job is to perform for our team," he said. "It's nothing disrespectful to each other. It's just what we are out there to do."

And Rooney is out there to score goals. Last year he led the Mavericks with 19 goals and the year before he had 18. As a freshman he scored eight times.

"Jesse is a very talented hockey player," MSU coach Troy Jutting said. "He has that special gift of being able to score goals."

Rooney said he's had that gift most of his life, although never made a big deal of it.

"I always led the teams in goals, but it was never anything I really thought about," he said. "I was just happy to be out there playing with my friends. And when you'd go on the road, we'd get to stay in hotel rooms with your friends. That's what was so fun. That's what it was all about. But as you went up the ladder, you'd lose some of your old friends who dropped out of hockey, but then you'd keep making new ones as you played on different teams. Back then it didn't seem so competitive because we were just out having fun."

And Rooney still tries to keep that the focus of his game.

"I played on select teams, but I never took it as 'Oh, I'm better than everyone else.' Really, then and now I just go out and try to have fun. I never took it that seriously. It's not life or death. When the game's over, it's over. Sure, during the game I give it my all, but if we lose, I don't beat myself to death over it."

Rooney learned his hockey skills on the neighborhood rinks on the outskirts of St. Paul

"It was pretty much all hockey," he said. "We'd be outside all night on the rinks. It just seemed like everybody played hockey. After school we'd go right to the park and play all night. Mostly we skipped supper and usually just went home because we were so tired."

He used all that ice time to become a top-caliber player. He played in the Maroon and Gold game, which was Minnesota metro vs. outstate players. Many of those players, including Rooney, then went on to play in the Chicago Showcase. Minnesota ended up winning that tournament against teams from all over the nation.

After high school, Rooney played one year for the St. Paul Vulcans of the USHL. "When I look back on it, that was really the biggest learning year for me," Rooney said. "I think I got my priorities straight that year."

From there Rooney played a season for Fargo before joining Minnesota State. During the past summer, Rooney was a member of the WCHA all-star

team that played in Norway.

Rooney almost lost a year of eligibility at MSU because the NCAA didn't recognize a ninth-grade English class he had taken.

"So actually my freshman season I was considered a sophomore, but they gave me that year of eligibility back. I don't know how it worked out, but I'm glad it did." The only caveat for Rooney was that he graduate in four years, which he did this past summer.

"I know that happens to other people to," Rooney said. "It seems those math or English classes really boggle things up for people."

With the end of his college hockey career in sight, he said he hasn't reached his goals - because he never set any. But he does say it has been a success.

"I don't really set goals or expectations for myself because I did for my freshman season and I didn't meet them and got mad," he said. " So I thought maybe setting specific goals was a bad thing. This way I don't say I have to do this or that to make my season successful. I'll just know it at the end if I felt it was successful or not. Whatever happens, happens."