For most hockey players, playing for your home country in an international setting is something we all dream of. For Robert Morris Division I Club Hockey Swiss army knife Alejandro Apud de La Fuente, he has been fortunate enough to live out this dream for his home country, Mexico.
For the third straight season, Apud has joined Team Mexico for the IIHF World Hockey Championships. This year's tournament was held in Kyrgyzstan as they faced off for the Division 3 Class A title. From March 10th through March 16th they squared off against Thailand, Kyrgyzstan, Luxembourg, Turkmenistan, and South Africa.
Though not winning a game this tournament, Apud explains just how tough this tournament can be, "The tournament experience was very intense, it is super fun and high tempo." Apud netted 1 goal and 3 points in a battle against Kyrgyzstan and another goal in a loss to Turkmenistan.
Hockey in Mexico has slowly been growing throughout the years and now they have been able to field teams for these IIHF tournaments the last couple of years. Apud sees hope in the country's growth in the sport, "Hockey in Mexico has faced many challenges throughout the years but its development continues to grow and hopefully one day the younger generations will be able to surpass us who currently play for Team Mexico."
We all strive one day to be able to represent our country on the biggest stage and for Apud it never gets old. "It is a huge honor to play for Team Mexico, being able to wear my country's colors and go out there and play for my country is truly a pleasure, playing with those guys is also an honor."
More information about the RMU Men's D1 Club Hockey team can be found here at https://rmuclubsports.com/sports/mens-ice-hockey
