Ashton Goble is enjoying his second season in the USPHL, playing the 2023-24 season for the Charlotte Rush after spending last year with the New York Aviators.

All it took to get the Cimarron Hills native to North Carolina was a simple communication from the Rush staff.

“(Rush associate head coach) Trevor Kleckner reached out and talked to me about coming out to play in Charlotte,” Goble said. “He said they had the pleasure of watching me play against the Northern Cyclones and Wilkes-Barre last year. He said I was a proven goaltender in this league.

“What really caught my eye about the Rush was the culture they have. It truly is a family out here and the culture is amazing. Each and every one of the guys here would do anything for their teammates. This had led to success in the past and has led to countless college commitments.”

Off the ice isn’t too shabby either, according to Goble.

“Living away from home is pretty hard, but the billet families out here are the best,” said Goble. They truly do care about the well-being of the players and allow us to be mentors for the youth players in the Carolina Premier Hockey organization. Charlotte is a very nice town, pretty scenic, and pretty warm most of the time.”

Growing up, Goble said he started playing hockey at Skate City in the third grade.

“My school had flyers laying around for hockey at Skate City,” remembered Goble. “I have played roller hockey most of my life and started playing ice hockey as a second-year Squirt.”

Goble began his journey with the Green Mountain Falls Catamounts (now Pikes Peak Catamounts) and also played high school for Doherty High School.

“Some coaches that have really stood out to me were Mathew Zubial and Edward Hughes at the ‘Cats,” said Goble. “They were my coaches from Squirts to Bantams and they care about how we are on the ice, and they care about what type of people we are off the ice as well. Another coach that really stood out to me was Will English. He was the coach my freshman and sophomore year at Doherty. Will took a different approach to coaching than I have had before. He really instilled a culture in the locker room that I’ve never seen before, and this really allowed me to mature fast and really develop on hockey. I will remember the experiences I had with the Catamounts. Being able to grow up around a group of boys and then continue to play with them in high school was very memorable.

“The final coaches that have stood out to me are Trevor Kleckner and Trevor Jewell with the Charlotte Rush team. Much like Will, they have installed a culture in the locker room and really brought a family together from all over. Trevor Kleckner took a huge risk on bringing me in this season due to me having to miss a few months from injury. He believed in me from Day 1 and it was worked out great.”

Moving forward, Goble has reachable aspirations, at the rink and away from the rink.

“Some short-term goals for me on a daily basis are to get better on the ice and to get better as a person,” Goble said. “Even if it’s a little bit every day, it all adds up. Some long-term goals for me are to win a national championship this year with the Rush and eventually earn a college commitment. I will go to school for physical therapy or athletic training in hopes to attain my doctorate degree. I would love to work for a professional sports team as a team trainer, especially if it’s the Detroit Red Wings.”

Photo/Tony Terrana

— Matt Mackinder

(December 11, 2023)