NEW Basingstoke Bison Canad-ian forward Jeff Corey was described as a "bang-crash" player, when he joined the Herd earlier this season.

So far, the 23-year-old, from Niagara Falls, Ontario, is living up to that tag in his first season as a professional ice hockey player.

He is not afraid to get involved, as he proved in the Bison's recent visit to Sheffield, where he came up against former National Hockey League star Ron Shudra.

Corey, talking about his style of play, said: "I am a high-energy player and a fast skater, and I am not afraid to mix it up."

The new Bison forward started skating at the age of two and began playing ice hockey at the tender age of four.

He played all his junior hockey around the Niagara Falls area, playing Junior C level at Chippawa and Junior B at Niagara Falls.

From there he was recruited on a scholarship to Hamilton College, near Syracuse in New York state, in America.

He spent four years there and, in his final season, he was given the role of team captain.

Corey said: "That was a real honour to do that in my final year with the team."

Leading by example, the new Bison forward ended the season with a fistful of awards.

He was voted the team's most valuable player, the coach's most valuable player and also picked up the Michael S White award, which is awarded annually to a player who shows leadership, integrity and enthusiasm.

Corey said: "To have won one award would have been great, but to get all three was unreal."

During his four years with Hamilton College he played 100 games, collecting 85 points and scoring 44 goals.

Last season he hit his first hat-trick for the team, which came in January this year and included an overtime winner in a 6-5 victory over Elmira College.

Corey said: "I had a whole bunch of two-goal games, so it was great to finally get a hat-trick. And with it being the overtime winner, it made it that extra bit special."

As well as being a star on ice, Corey was also a star on the athletics track, finishing sixth in the College State Championships and then anchoring Hamilton to the state 4x100 metres crown.

Corey said: "I just used to use athletics as a way of keeping fit outside of the hockey season and I enjoyed the competitiveness."

While at Hamilton, Corey spent a couple of summers helping out with the marketing for National Hockey League team the Buffalo Sabres.

He enjoyed mixing with the stars of the sport in North America and decided that he would like to become a professional hockey player.

He had already spoken to Bison general manager and head coach Mark Bernard while he was in charge of the Rockford IceHogs last season.

So when Bernard moved across the Atlantic, Corey was happy to follow him, even if it was his first time in Europe.

He is getting used to the small adjustments, like Basingstoke's traffic systems, and the game itself.

Corey said: "I'm now used to the roundabouts in Basingstoke, and also the extra time I'm getting on the ice, as we used to have four lines of forwards, instead of the three we have here.

"Otherwise everything is going well and we have a great bunch of guys, and the fans of Basingstoke have made us all very welcome. We hope to repay that by moving the team up the standings."