When somebody tells you that you cannot do something, you are supposed to listen.
When a doctor tells you that you cannot do something, you almost have to listen.Only somebody forgot to relay this message to Scott Curry.
The senior co-captain of the No. 1 ACHA Div. I Icers competed in his final home game of his career this past Saturday, something many never would have imagined just a short while ago.
"Five years ago, I had a head injury that put me out for 13 months," Curry said. "I was told I would never play again."
Curry at first bought into what the doctors were telling him.
"I never thought I was going to play again," he said, realizing how far he has come. "Everything from that point on has been a blessing, something that I try and make the most out of."
The Burlington, Mass., native has certainly made the most of his Icer career. After joining the team four years ago, his combined record has been a staggering 104-19-7.
Couple that with a remarkable +82 rating coming into this weekend and you have a pretty good resume, one filled with many individual achievements.
The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Curry had previously been named Icer Rookie of the Year, Icer Defensive Player of the Year (sophomore season) and ACHA Academic All-American honors last season. He is also a two-year co-captain.
Two national championships in the past two seasons cannot be overlooked either.
"My personal career has been fulfilling," he said. "I could not ask for much more."
Neither could his teammates and coaches who have, over the past four years, witnessed what a true leader he has become.
"(He) leads by example," fellow senior goalie Geoff Beauparlant said. "He knows what to say at the right time."
Often his words of encouragement are directed at the younger members of the team, who still have two and three years left.
"Scott is always here early, and always giving the young guys support," sophomore forward Ryan Tocicki said. "It is something that you need, especially with a lot of sophomores and freshmen on the team."
Curry has made a lasting impression on almost every one of them.
"Curry has been a really big influence," freshman defenseman Chris Rome said.
"He is on us, getting us to work as hard as we can in practice and not slack off."
One of the reasons for his intensity is that Curry never took time off either.
He has competed in 122 games over his four-year career while missing only 10.
When he is not on the ice for Penn State, Curry has always managed to find competition somewhere else. It didn't have to be in America either.
Last year he represented the Icers and the United States at the World University Games in Zakopone, Poland, where he served as an assistant captain.
No matter where he plays in the off season, Curry's home over the past four years has been at the Greenberg Ice Pavilion, where he skated for the final time last Saturday.
"It's surreal. I knew it would come, but now it's here — 122 games," Curry said. "It is a weird feeling right now. It's the end but it isn't. I still have four of the most important games of my life coming up."
Curry will lead the Icers into next week's National Tournament as both the favorite and No. 1 seed. It will be a familiar scene for Curry, but this year's tournament takes on added significance, because there is not another one next year.
"Winning (my third championship) means everything," Curry said. "I would trade the other two for this one."
While most would think two championships are better than one, Curry has seen first hand what it means to go out on top.
"After watching two senior classes go out on top, that is all I want," he said. "Tears will shed by both sides. I want to shed the happy ones."
The happy tears will come after four years of intense training, and non-stop honing of his skills which has paid off very impressively over his distinguished career in State College.
"The friendships are even more fulfilling," Curry said. "I will remember the laughs and the bus rides and I know I have always tried to do my job. I think I have succeeded in that."
