Wearing number 43 for Weber State’s club hockey team, forward Rob Simmons has been a critical part of the team’s success. Coming off six goals recently in the Beehive Showcase, Simmons has a total of seven goals on the season.

“My love for hockey came from my dad,” Simmons said. “We watched it together and he motivated me to get into it.”

Simmons spent most of his life in Richmond, Virginia, and although Virginia is often considered a football state, Simmons found his love for hockey at a young age.

“Hockey has made me more mentally and physically stronger,” Simmons said. “I’ve dealt with a lot of adversity throughout my life and going down the tough roads, hockey has always been there for me.”

Playing a year of junior hockey in Atlanta, Georgia, Simmons then played three years in Richmond, Virginia.

From 2019-2022, Simmons played junior hockey for the Richmond Generals. In the three years he spent there, Simmons played a total of 94 games and had 29 goals and 32 assists. In the 2019-2020 season alone, Simmons played 41 games, scoring 18 goals and having 17 assists.

“My main job for juniors was to sit in front of the net and take as many shots as I can,” Simmons said. “I’m a bigger guy so when I got put into the front, I was able to deliver.”

Simmons recently moved to Utah from Virginia to pursue his dream of becoming a motorsport technician. Majoring in automotive technology, Simmons is currently a freshman at Weber State University.

“Coming to Utah from Virginia is a complete 180,” Simmons said. “Back east, there is more city and out here you see a lot more country… it’s a whole different environment but I love it out here,” Simmons said. “I used to live two hours away from mountains and now I can wake up to them all around me and it’s truly a blessing.”

In the last four games of the fall semester, Simmons was able to score six goals for the Wildcats. Throughout the four games, Simmons scored two goals against Montana State, one against Michigan State and a three-goal hat trick against Northern Colorado. Not only was it the first hat trick for Simmons this year, but it marks a first for the Weber State hockey club this season.

“Looking at it as a freshman, I think those last four games clicked for us and it proves to people what we can do,” Simmons said. “We’re a team to be reckoned with and we’re ready to bring our A-game every game.”

The Wildcats returned to the ice on Jan. 7 against Utah State University and beat the Aggies 4–3. Simmons scored the only goal of the shootout to give Weber State their first win of the new year.

The Wildcats will travel to Colorado to play in the MLK Showcase from Jan. 13-16.