Rochelle student-athlete Owen Haas remembers visiting the Carlson Ice Arena in Rockford with his family for open skate sessions when he was in elementary school. Those open skates were where Haas first developed an interest for playing hockey and after a brief conversation with his father Chris, Owen began playing hockey in third grade before joining the Rockford Roadrunners Hockey Club in sixth grade.

“Hockey isn’t like any other sport I’ve played,” Haas said. “I have to be on the rink and not many people from Rochelle play the sport so I thought it would be cool to be unique. I’ve met a lot of new people throughout my time playing hockey and I’m really glad for that. It’s been really cool to travel and play against some of the best teams in the nation and players who’re my age that have a lot of talent.”

Haas was on the ice when the 16U AA Rockford Roadrunners battled the Joliet Jaguars at the Crystal Ice House for the 2021-22 Northern Illinois Hockey League Blackhawks Tournament title on Sunday. After finishing 13-2 over 15 games of league competition, Rockford earned the No. 1 seed for the tournament, winning a three-game series against the Peoria Jr. Mustangs to reach the championship game. Haas dished out two assists in the championship, leading Rockford over Joliet 6-1 to clinch the tournament title.

“I was definitely nervous before the game because we could see a lot of fans in the stands before we entered the locker room,” Haas said. “It was definitely much tenser than a regular game and as we went onto the ice we looked up at all of the parents who had signs and everybody was being really loud.”

Haas currently plays right wing for the Roadrunners, but he originally played defense when he first joined the club in sixth grade. His favorite NHL athlete is Alexander Ovechkin, who’s scored over 750 goals and recorded over 600 assists as a left wing for the Washington Capitals. Throughout his hockey career, Haas has developed many skills including hand-eye coordination, lateral movement and muscle memory.

Those same skills are what have helped Haas make an immediate impact with the Rochelle Hub varsity tennis team. Despite not playing tennis as a freshman, Haas went out for the team as a sophomore, following the footsteps of his father who played tennis in high school. Haas quickly proved his ability to compete, becoming a varsity starter at No. 2 doubles and placing third in the Interstate 8 Conference tournament alongside teammate Peter Forsberg. Rochelle finished in fourth place as a varsity team.

“My dad and I have always gone out and played tennis for fun,” Haas said. “My coaches are the main reason why I’ve improved so much. I’ve learned that there’s always someone competing to take another player’s spot and we have to compete for our spots on the varsity team. If I don’t compete during practice and during matches, then someone else will move up and take my spot. I think the skills that I’ve developed throughout my time playing hockey have definitely helped me a lot on the tennis court.”

Haas is one of eight players who could return to a varsity team that didn’t lose a single senior during the 2020-21 season, which was postponed to the summer due to COVID-19. Now a junior at Rochelle Township High School, Haas said his goals are to compete for a No. 1 doubles spot or even a starting spot in singles.

“I hope I can move up to No. 1 doubles this year,” Haas said. “I’d like to improve on our third-place finish at No. 2 doubles and win the conference title wherever I’m playing. I’d like to advance further in the sectional tournament and possibly make the state tournament. With everybody coming back to the team this season, I think we definitely have a chance to win the conference championship as a team.”