Service Credit Union Student-Athlete Spotlight: Faith Bonett & Angus Crookshank

By Courtney Daigle
Special to UNHWildcats.com

Faith Bonett and Angus Crookshank are featured in this week's Service Credit Union Student-Athlete Spotlight. Both are being highlighted for their contributions to the team as well as their community accomplishments. Faith and Angus share the role of Vice President of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).

Faith is from Moorestown, N.J. and is a sophomore forward on the women's basketball team. She is an outstanding student-athlete and has earned a spot on the America East Commissioner's Honor Roll with a perfect 4.0 GPA for the spring semester of 2020. Faith is the Co-Vice President of SAAC and has personally designed the committee's logo. During the summer of 2020, she created her own clothing brand "For The Kingdom" to raise awareness about social issues such as Black Lives Matter. The proceeds go towards large charities as well as local ones.

Angus is from North Vancouver, British Columbia and is a forward on the men's hockey team. In the 2019-20 season, he led the team with 16 goals and tied for first in the country with two overtime goals. Angus has earned several awards, including the Guy Smith Best Offensive Player and a spot on the Hockey East All Academic Team. He represents UNH athletic teams and speaks on the behalf of our student-athletes during his role as Co-Vice President of SAAC.

Get to know Faith and Angus in interviews below, where they talk about their student-athlete experiences.

Q&A WITH FAITH

What inspired you to become such an active member of SAAC?

In high school I was involved in Student Council as a homeroom representative and was a part of an athlete council as well. I have a strong passion for community service and helping others which made me interested in serving on the SAAC board. I know as an athlete it is important to use my voice and the special platform I have been provided in a positive light.

Was there a specific moment that inspired you to begin the clothing line For The Kingdom?

One of the most significant moments that inspired me to start the "For the Kingdom" store was the brutal murder of George Floyd. Seeing the video and how the world erupted inspired me to not only participate in protests in my area, but to also find a way I could personally make an impact in my community. I've always been fond of art, so using it as a way to bring people together as well as make an impact on the lives of young people of color in my area is very important to me. Bonett1

You mentioned in the Wildcat Chat Interview that you wanted to add a local charity to receive the funds from your clothing line. What type of charities would you plan on adding?

Originally, the funds from The TOGETHER and EMPATHY collections were being donated to the Color of Change, but after thinking, I decided to switch to the LUCY Outreach in Camden, N.J. which is an organization that serves underprivileged youth in the town. SAAC will be doing the annual Food Frenzy food drive in November, but instead of making it a competition among all the America East schools, we will work to donate to local food pantries. I am planning on opening up the store again and donating those funds to those pantries!

Is there a specific game that has been your favorite and why?

One of my favorite games was playing against Princeton this past year. Princeton is only 20 minutes away from my hometown, so I was able to have a lot of support from my family and friends. It was also the first time my grandma got the chance to see me play basketball so it was a very special moment for me to play in front of her.

How do you hope to be an inspiration to underclassmen and other athletes?

I hope to inspire underclassmen on my team and others through my actions. I hope that the choices I make and the way I live will allow others to realize that they can make an impact on their communities. I also want people to know that the size of the impact does not matter. Even the smallest decision can cause a massive ripple effect.

Bonett and her teammates at the 2019 Bench Out The Stigma

OFF THE COURT WITH FAITH

Favorite Color: Earth tones (Especially yellow, orange, and green)

Favorite TV Shows: The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Chuck

Favorite Movies: Wreck-it-Ralph and Back to the Future

Favorite Study Spot: My bed or the living room table

Favorite Snack: Mandarin Oranges and Mixed nut bars with chocolate

Favorite Band: Judah and the Lion

Favorite Pump-up Song: The Saints by Andy Mineo

Favorite Pro Sports Team: Philadelphia 76ers/Eagles

Favorite Pro Sports Athlete: Joel Embiid/Carson Wentz

Favorite Place on Campus: Wildcat Stadium at sunset

Dream Job: Doing faith-based mission work with youth overseas or in the United States (possibly in a camp setting)

Q&A WITH ANGUS

What does it mean to represent UNH Hockey and what is your favorite thing about the team?

It's a true honor being able to put the UNH crest on my chest night in and night out. It's a program with such a rich hockey history and as a team we strive to live up to that history day in and day out. My favorite thing about the team is just being around the guys every day. We are an incredibly tight group so being around the rink with people like your family is definitely my favorite part.

What has been your favorite moment within SAAC?

Definitely the Bench Out The Stigma fundraiser we do. Mental health is something that I hold near and dear to me so being able to bring people and the community together to spread awareness is something that I take great pride in.

How has your family influenced your career in hockey?

I would not be where I am today without my family. My mom, my dad and my brother have been with me every step of the way with my hockey career. They have sacrificed a lot for me to be able to go after my dreams and I cannot ever thank them enough for that.

How did it feel to be selected in the NHL Draft by the Ottawa Senators?

It was a dream come true, especially being able to share that moment with my family. It didn't feel real at the time and that it was all a dream. It made me realize that it's a great first step but there is still lots of work left to be done to get to where I want to be.

Crookshank with Chris Miller '19 at the 2019 Bench Out The Stigma

OFF THE ICE WITH ANGUS

Favorite Color: Navy Blue

Favorite TV Show: New Girl

Favorite Movie: Caddyshack

Favorite Study Spot: Paul College

Favorite Snack: Movie Theater Popcorn

Favorite Musical Artist: Chris Stapleton

Favorite Pump-up Song: Evil Walks by AC/DC

Favorite Actor: Daniel Craig

Favorite Pro Sports Team: District 9 Mighty Ducks (from the movie The Mighty Ducks)

Favorite Pro Sports Athlete: Adam Banks

Favorite Place on Campus: Whittemore Center

Dream Job: NHL hockey player or lawyer

Check back every Monday to get to know two more Wildcats as part of the Service Credit Union Student-Athlete Spotlight. Thank you to Service Credit Union for sponsoring the Student-Athlete Spotlight.

Previous 2020-21 Student-Athlete Spotlights

Ava Boutilier (Women's Hockey) & Aidan Sullivan (XC/Track & Field)
Bloem van den Brekel (Field Hockey) & Jacob Gould (Men's Soccer)

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