When Colin White scored the overtime winner that lifted Team USA over Finland in the IIHF under-18 world championships final in April, he reacted like any kid in his position would. He exploded in jubilation, jumping onto the boards and into the arms of his teammates.
But for the Hanover resident, the goal meant just a little bit more. It represented a poetic payoff to what was a hellish season.
Early in the season, he battled the effects of mononucleosis for a month and a half before he was diagnosed with the illness. Once diagnosed, he missed another month, then came back too soon and missed more time with an enlarged spleen.