Kenny Orlando skated to the bench to clear his head during a morning practice last Thanksgiving.
The 22-year-old forward for the State University of New York at Canton had just collided heads with a teammate as they were going to the net and something didn’t feel right.
Orlando practiced through discomfort for another week, but sat out the final 17 games of season with a concussion.
“I was just like, ‘there’s something wrong with me, I can’t do it,’” said Orlando, who played with the Kangaroos at the NCAA’s Division III level. “I couldn’t push myself anymore.