Jason Brown stands at 5-foot-8. He weighs just 160 pounds. His body type doesn’t scream athlete. If you saw him on the street, you would never think he played hockey.

Every game, he skates onto the ice and finds himself lined up against guys eight inches taller then he is, some outweighing him by half his own body weight.

Yet, at the moment the puck is dropped, he transforms. His body may stay the same, but from that point on, he plays like he’s 6-foot-2, 200 pounds. Suddenly size means nothing.

“I’ve always been one of the smallest guys since I was little,” Brown said. “It’s not really a big intimidation factor.”

As Brown plays, it’s easy to see him for how he plays, and not for his size. He enters the rink at full speed, just as he leaves the ice at full speed.

He is one of the fastest players on the team and he uses that speed to his advantage. As he gets near the boards, he loads up at full speed and explodes into the opposing player, grabbing the attention of every fan in attendance. At first glance, fans may dismiss what they have seen. How could it be that such a small player could hit that hard?

“I just keep real low, with a lower center of gravity,” Brown said. “It’s better for me if I try and take them out at the knees.”

Brown has shown a vast improvement from last season to this season. Last season he played in 44 games, scoring 13 goals with 11 assists for a total of 24 points.

After only 12 games this season, Brown not only leads the team with 12 goals, but remains just as eager to dish the puck. He has 11 assists, which ties him for second on the team behind sophomore Allen Raushel, who leads the team with 15. This dangerous combination of passing and scoring has propelled Brown to a team-leading 23 points.

“It’s a pretty big honor [leading the team in points], and I’m real pleased with myself and my ability,” he said.

“I have a lot of good teammates behind me and you can’t score a goal by yourself.”

He has also developed a knack for scoring power-play goals – eight of his 12 goals have come on the power play.

“I try to keep my eyes open and just try and read the play as it comes,” Brown said. “I also try to be there on the back door. That’s where I score most of my goals.”

Scouts and coaches in every sport will often make a judgment about a player based solely on their physical appearance.

Even the “Great One,” Wayne Gretzky, was met with skepticism. When he came into the league, it was widely thought that, because of his small stature, he would get bullied in the highly physical NHL. Despite Brown’s height, however, he is a hard-hitting hockey player. His strength and speed have helped him become the team leader in goals and points, and helped Cyclone Hockey to a 12-2 record. Cyclone Hockey will try to continue increasing its win total when, for the first time ever, it faces Iowa on Friday at 7:30 p.m. in the Ames/ISU Ice Arena.