Barry Goers Hockey History

Barry Goers went to and played for the Council Rock Indians, (North) in both the SHSHL and ICSHL and was a standout defenseman. As a junior and senior, he was a two-time All-Star team member in high school. He was named Breakaway Magazine’s Defenseman of the Year as a senior when he graduated from Council Rock in 2004.

After high school Barry played two seasons for the Green Mountain Glades of the EJHL in Burlington, Vermont. he appeared in 91 games for the Glades, recording 10 goals and 54 assists for 64 points, he was EJHL Defensive Player of the Year in 2005-06 and captained the Glades as well. Goers was a two-time EJHL All-Star in both seasons. He also played in the EJHL All-Star game against the USA U18 team.

Barry played college hockey for the UMass-Lowell River Hawks from 2006 to 2010. During his freshman season, on January 6, 2007, he separated his shoulder and played in 30 of 36 games. He had a plus or even rating in 22 of 30 games played, compiled a season-best three-game point streak (1g, 2a) from December 6th through 15th, recorded a season-high five shots on goal, and picked up an assist at Union on December 15th. Barry was named Hockey East Rookie of the Week on December 11th after recording a goal and an assist in two games, he scored his first career goal, the game-tying power-play goal, in a 3-3 draw with St. Lawrence on December 10th, Goers earned his first collegiate point, (the primary assist) on Jason Tejchma’s goal against Providence on October 28th, he skated in his first collegiate game at Minnesota Duluth on October 13th, and was named to the Hockey East All-Academic Team.

In his sophomore season, Barry played in all 37 games and totaled career highs in goals (4), assists (20), and points (24). He led UML defensemen in scoring and was tied for the team lead with 14 power-play points. He was a three-time member of the Hockey East Weekly Honor Roll, recorded points in nine of the final 13 games of the season (2g, 9a), and recorded six points (1g, 5a) during a five-game point streak on February 3rd through the 22nd. Barry had two assists in the Hockey East Quarterfinals at Boston University on March 14th through the 16th. He picked up his fifth multi-point game of the season with a goal and an assist at Northeastern on March 1st. He assisted on the game-winning goal in UML’s 3-1 victory at Boston College on February 15th. Barry Picked up two assists, both on the power play, against Boston University on February 8th and earned an assist for the second straight game with a power play helper against Massachusetts on January 19th. Goers recorded an assist on the game-winning, power-play goal in UML’s 3-2 win vs. Cornell on December 28th and scored the game-winning goal in UML’s 4-1 win over Bentley on December 8th, He began the season with points in three straight and five of the first six (1g, 6a), and was named to the Hockey East All-Academic Team. Because of his spectacular sophomore season on March 8, 2008, he and fellow local high school star, Chad Kolarik were nominated for the Hobey Baker Award as the best hockey player in college. The award eventually went to Kevin Porter at the University of Michigan

In Barry’s junior season, he played in all 38 games and had nine points (0g, 9a) three of which were power-play assists. He assisted on three game-winning goals, earning an assist on the game-winning goal in a 6-0 win vs. Maine on March 7th. He played in his 100th career collegiate game vs. Maine on March 6th and assisted on the game-winning goal in UML’s 3-2 win at Maine on January 30th. Barry assisted on the game-winning goal in a 6-3 win vs. RIT on November 29th.

In Barry’s senior season he played in all twenty-eight games, he was named one of 20 candidates for the prestigious 2009-10 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award. Goers was the first River Hawk in program history to be considered for the honor. The award, an acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, is given to the Division I senior hockey player who best displays excellence in four keystone areas: classroom, character, community, and competition. Goers was a three-year assistant captain for the River Hawks, a two-time UMass Lowell Student-Athlete award winner, and a Hockey East All-Academic Team member. He was a member of the National Honors Society, the National Leadership Society, Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK), and the international business honors society Beta Gamma Sigma (BGS). A long-time member of the Boy Scouts of America, Goers received the Eagle Scout Award in 2003. With Goers, The River Hawks owned one of the most stifling defenses in college hockey and Goers played an integral part in its success. Making an immediate impact, he earned Hockey East’s Rookie of the Week during his freshman season. From the outset when he was a freshman, his goals allowed per game dropped from 2.9 to 2.3, the opponents’ shooting percentage fell from .113 to .084, and the opponents’ power play conversion rate plummeted from .222 to a conference-best .122(.) A steady contributor offensively, Goers scored 37 points (five goals, 32 assists) as a River Hawk, and was an assistant captain from his sophomore season until senior year. He was undrafted in the NHL, and signed his first professional contract with the Las Vegas Wranglers in the East Coast Hockey League at the end of the 2009-10 season.

After playing nine seasons of minor league hockey mainly in the AHL with stints in the ECHL, the speedy 5-foot-9, 175-pound defenseman was forced to retire in 2018 because of post-concussion syndrome. “I always truly believed I’d play a game in the NHL. I came really close,” says Goers, who twice went to training camp with the Pittsburgh Penguins. “It was tough having my career end without that closure.”

Later on, Barry would be a contestant on the Nationally syndicated American Ninja Warrior, an American Sports Entertainment television show. Dealing with the side effects of post-traumatic concussion syndrome after his career ended, and overcoming some difficult obstacles in his own life, he found an outlet. After playing nine seasons of minor league hockey, “I was in a dark place for about two years,” said Goers, who suffered from panic attacks, anxiety, and insomnia. The symptoms were compounded by the fact that he never realized his dream of playing in the NHL. After dedicating their lives to a sport, professional athletes can find it difficult to transition to new careers once their playing days are over — often while still in their 20s or 30s. Goers was 32 when he hung up his skates. With the NBC TV show’s announcers and camera crew looking on from below — and nearly 3 million viewers eventually watching at home Goers worked his way up to the eight of ten obstacles and flung himself through the air and grasping the second red corkscrew, which began to furiously spin. The torque sent Goers, like so many of the show’s 150 competitors, plummeting into the pool below. And just like that, in the semifinal round, Goers’ “American Ninja Warrior” run was over. But he has no regrets. “It’s something I always wanted to do, and I had a great time,” said Goers.

Barry made his appearance wearing his Wilkes-Barre Penguins jersey