While most four-year-olds were learning their ABC's, Brian Consolino was learning how to ice skate.

After playing youth ice hockey for the majority of his adolescent years, Consolino ended his high school career with hopes of playing hockey at the collegiate level.

"I played hockey my whole life," the 22-year-old said. "I knew if I wanted to play at the next level I would have to improve my skills."

Needing a break from school, Consolino decided in 1992 to take a year off and gain more experience on the ice. He spent a year playing hockey in Kalamazoo, Mich., which was enough time for him to get his priorities straight. He said he realized going to b ack to school was at the top of the list.

Also at that time, Consolino met the right person who would give him the opportunity to meet Icecat coach Leo Golembiewski: Dennis Hands, the popular goaltender for the Icecats at that time. After playing together for a semester in Kalamazoo, Hands and Co nsolino kept in touch.

In the spring of 1993, Consolino was on an airplane to Tucson, to enroll at Arizona and meet Golembiewski.

"It all happened very quickly," Consolino said. "I was admitted, had lunch with the coach and started at the UA that fall."

Since his first couple of years at Arizona, Consolino said his role on the team has changed. Offensively, however, he said he's always done the same thing.

"I'm a goal-scorer and a playmaker," Consolino said. "I've always produced points."

As one of the younger players on the team, Consolino said he tried to contribute anywhere possible, trying his hardest to help out the older players.

"I wasn't the 'go-to' kind of guy," he said.

This season, however, things have changed.

Consolino is now only one of four seniors on the team and he is definitely a scorer. Having 70 career goals and 74 assists to his name, Consolino has already begun adding to his stats, only two games into the season.

Against Stanford last weekend, Consolino knocked in seven goals and assisted on four more.

Golembiewski said Consolino has always been a scorer and will continue to be a major factor in scoring contributions.

"When you look at how many goals he has, you know he can score," Golembiewski said.

Besides being a leading scorer, Consolino said his role has changed to one of leadership, helping guide a young team with 10 freshmen.

"I'm trying to lead by example," he said. "I want to bring up the younger guys and teach them."

Senior co-captain Sam Battaglia said Consolino is already a leader because he does so well in games.

"He is a leader on and off the ice," Battaglia said. "Even though he isn't a captain, he leads with the way he plays."

After playing together on the same line for three years, Battaglia and Consolino said they know where to find each other on offense.

"Consolino is a natural goal scorer," Battaglia said. "My job is to get him the puck in front of the net."

"It's a team sport, which means that you have to rely on other people to be successful," Consolino said. "Sometimes that's hard. When you begin to work well together and all goes well, that's the best part."

With the start of season just underway, Consolino said it's hard to look far into the season.

"It's still early to tell what our team expectations are," Consolino said. "We have three solid lines and there is no reason why we shouldn't be one of the top teams in the league."

There is no question that the Icecats have the coaching to be one of the top teams. They have recorded 300 wins prior to this season under Golembiewski.

"If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be playing hockey," Consolino said. "He's given me the opportunity to strengthen the areas of my game."

On top of strengthening Consolino's game, Golembiewski has helped the team by moving Consolino from right wing to center on the offense.

Consolino said this change will give him more opportunities to score.

"He did a positive thing by moving me," he said. "He's doing something that is going to benefit the team the most."

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