Freshman Friday is a Q-and-A feature with new members of the men's hockey team. This is the third installment, featuring forward Beau Starrett. Starrett is one of the Big Red's two NHL draft picks within the freshman class, having been taken by the Chicago Blackhawks in the third round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. He discusses his older brothers' influence, his relatively new-found size and how he has essentially transitioned from one hockey powerhouse to another.

Q: One of the first things that stands out when reading your bio is that you have three older brothers, all who have played college hockey. Was this always your sport growing up, playing hockey with your brothers?
A: Yes, definitely. That was always the sport around the house, whether it was something simple as playing in the driveway or street, hockey was always big in my family. There were four of us, so we would always do two-on-two street hockey and play with each other. With me being the youngest of the four of us, it was pretty good because they were showing me the ropes, telling me what's right and wrong, and what to do on and off the ice. Maybe not picked on, but being the youngest I didn't have much say in certain things. So that would just motivate me a little extra. I look up to all my brothers, and they would definitely push me to reach my goal and reach my limits. They still do. They're definitely a lot of help and we have a lot of fun with it, too. It's good.

Q: So how did the family sport become hockey?
A: My dad never played organized hockey. The only hockey he ever played was in the winters on the ponds. He loved playing on the ponds. He was a big weight-lifter and into wrestling, and he loved the aggression and the tenacity that hockey brings. The pace and the speed of the game is awesome. My oldest brother — the one who went to Harvard, Pete — he didn't start playing hockey until he was about 8 or 9. He was big; massive. So he enjoyed it, and it kind of took off from there. With me being the youngest, I started skating when I was like 2 years old. Definitely helped a lot.

Q: So you were born and raised in the Boston area, right?
A: Born in Framingham, but raised in Bellingham.

Q: You're a big guy, 6-foot-5 and 213 pounds. Have you always been big for your age?
A: Quite frankly, not really. All three of my older brothers were just massive — 6-5, 6-3 and 6-3. Going into freshman year of high school, I wasn't 6-feet yet. It's not short, but it wasn't freakishly tall. They would always joke around about me being the smallest, but coming to the end of high school around junior and senior year, that's when I kind of hit that growth spurt. Actually, I think I've grown another inch in the past year. I've passed them all. It was only a matter of time, I guess.

Q: When did the attention really start to ramp up for you in college recruiting and for the NHL draft? Was it after that growth spurt?
A: I'd definitely say around the end of my junior year of high school is when I really focused in on hockey and tried to bring together all of the talents that I had. There's skill there, but I like to incorporate my size and play a full 200-foot game. Obviously with the size, people expect the big guy to play big — which is what Cornell hockey is all about.

Q: Now since you said you weren't necessarily that big for a while, do you think it's really helped your game to not necessarily depend on your size all along?
A: Obviously the size has its advantages. If you look at the NHL, everyone's getting bigger. Colleges, too. They're recruiting bigger players. So I try to play the role of a big player, trying to be physical and finish every check. Not necessarily going out there and absolutely crushing someone, but simply playing through checks with stick on the ice and playing a big role.

Q: Did you get any advice from your brothers on the whole college recuiting process?
A: A lot of the advice I got, from my oldest brother especially — the one that went to Harvard — wasn't necessarily about the recruiting process, but it was about right now. He said to always focus each day to improve. He said freshman year is probably your biggest year, other than senior year maybe. He said to really focus in freshman year and be a big impact. That's the key, he said.

Q: You've spent your whole life in New England, so what led you to Cornell as opposed to some of those Boston-area schools.
A: So my oldest two brothers went to school in Massachusetts. When I first started getting college looks, Cornell was actually the first college that stepped up to the plate. I talked to (assistant coach) Topher Scott. As soon as I talked to him, it was great motivation for me to keep going. The start of my senior year of high school when I came for my visit here, I saw their first preseason game against York. I could see hockey here was just like a religion. The culture and the Lynah Faithful. The whole atmosphere was just second-to-none. As soon as I saw it, it was just a no-brainer to me. Plus the style of play, I could just see myself in a Big Red jersey.

Q: You talk about the history here, but you also played at Catholic Memorial in the Boston area, which is renowned as one of the best high school programs around the country. What was it like to play at such a historic place, but also a place where all your brothers played, too?
A: Playing there was great. Like you said, it's a hockey factory there. The whole history and the coach, Bill Hanson, and the overall culture there with me being the younger and watching the varsity games and seeing my brothers on the ice wearing the jerseys there, it was unreal. When I was a kid, I always wanted to put on that jersey. Growing up in Boston, that was definitely the place to go if you're a kid looking to play.

Q: And then you played junior with South Shore Kings. What do you think is the biggest challenge of jumping from that level to this level?
A: I wouldn't say the challenge right now is size, but maybe it's the pace of play and overall speed of when you get the puck. The defenseman's going to get on you quicker than before. But there are some really good players — Jimmy Vesey (Harvard) — who came from my league. Same team, actually. And Charlie Coyle (Boston University) is another name. Obviously it's a challenge, but at the same time it has its benefits playing there and living at home. I would say the overall speed is the biggest adjustment, but I think right now it's what you do each day that leads to improvement. I think I've improved a lot each day in practices already since getting here.

Q: I saw an interview where you mentioned James van Riemsdyk as a guy you look up to. Why him, and are there other guys out there that you look up to and think that you want to play like?
A: James van Riemsdyk, he's got size, a big left-winger, power forward, streaky along the wall. I think someone like him in transition works well. That's something I like to do, take the puck from our end, take off and make plays on the rush. I think that's the way I like to play, to play with speed and make plays. I think JVR does that a lot through his game, so I like to model myself after him.

Q: Do you play any other sports?
A: No. I guess I played baseball growing up.

Q: Were you any good?
A: I stopped in eighth grade. That was my last year.

Q: So it was always hockey?
A: Always hockey.

FRESHMAN FRIDAY SERIES
Oct. 23: Luc Lalor
Oct. 30: Mitch Vanderlaan
Next Week: Trent Shore