Dartmouth goalie Ben Heller is sitting in a rocking chair in the living room, there is a log burning in the fireplace and seven little children are sitting wide-eyed as their grandfather tells them stories about his rowdy college years.

"I remember back in the day, freshman year I think, when I missed the hockey bus to Providence, R.I. I'm pretty sure Tom Ruzzo and Brent -- what was his last name, Retter? -- were with me. We were a few minutes late and placed our bags on the bus outside Thompson Arena and quickly went inside to the locker room to get something. When we came out, our bags were on the ground and the bus was gone. We were going to have to find our own way down to Providence.

"So we had to get rides from friends and family all the way down to Rhode Island. I think we switched cars four times, but it might have been five. Oh, those were the days..."

While this scene may never take place, the story sure did, and it sums up Ben Heller's life. Every team needs a player who can loosen up the squad, make them laugh in stressful times and help the team anyway he can.

"Heller's a guy who, no matter how down you are, can always manage to lift your spirits," junior Shaun Peet said.

Other players agree that Heller makes the locker room an enjoyable place.

"Heller brings a lot of spirit to the rink day in and day out," said Retter, now a senior captain. "He keeps the game [in perspective for] what it was meant to be -- fun."

Although Heller hasn't been fortunate enough to suit up for a varsity game this season, he still epitomizes a team player. He may dislike his situation, but if the other goalies are getting the wins, then that's okay.

"I'd like to be a positive influence to the freshman goalies," Heller said. "I really like to pay special attention to the freshmen. I know it's hard and pretty nerve-racking to be a first-year player. I just want to make of point of encouraging them. It's good to see them do well."

Heller started playing hockey when he was five years old. He did not follow in his father's footsteps, as his dad never really played, but he wanted to try the sport anyway.

"I always wanted to be a goalie. I've been a defensive person by nature, I always want to play defensive positions and I love playing goalie," said the senior who was recruited to play on the Big Green campus.

"I looked at a lot of different colleges," he said. "I wanted to go to Dartmouth since I was a little kid. I had to decide what school I wanted to be at and where I could play hockey. I don't have any complaints about Dartmouth. I think I definitely made the right choice."

In his freshman year, Heller won his first collegiate start with 26 saves in an 11-4 win over Vermont. The pinnacle of his career came during his sophomore year when he was named ECAC player of the week in November with 41 saves in a 3-2 win at Colgate. Last year, he lowered his goals against average to 5.02 and gave Dartmouth a huge boost going into the playoffs by backstopping a 3-2 win against Brown in the regular season finale.

"I've grown in so many ways away from hockey, and hockey has helped me do that," Heller said. "Hockey teaches a good lesson, that things aren't always going to go the way you expect them to. If you can deal with that and take the positives with you, you are that much better off."

While Heller may never have NHL-type statistics as a Dartmouth hockey goalie, he is an athlete that teammates and coaches will never forget.

"Ben has been a real positive addition to the team," head coach Roger Demment said. "He's come in at various times through his career and performed quite well. This year it has been a different role for Ben, in the sense he has not seen any action in games, yet he's been a real positive influence on the team in the locker room and on the ice."