“Without him it will never be the same” – CBS Pittsburgh

By: KDKA-TV News Team

CALIFORNIA, Pa. (KDKA) – Cal U mourns a hockey player who died over the weekend.

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Branson King, 23, died unexpectedly on Saturday, the Vulcans said. He had just completed the fall semester of his junior year as an assistant captain.

“Branson was the heart and soul of the team; he approached hockey as everything in his life with passion and 100% commitment, ”Vulcans head coach Jason Greenway said on the Cal U hockey website.

“He was a true leader who was selfless and would sacrifice anything he had to do for the success of our team. He embodied our team culture with passion, hard work and a big heart; it was a trainer’s dream.

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King, originally from Hamburg, Pennsylvania, was majoring in education with a concentration in social studies.

“Without him, it will never be the same; we want to honor him by playing the way he expected us to play every time we play on the ice, ”said Greenway. “Branson and I were close on and off the ice; I love him as a player but more importantly as a person.

The family is asking that any donation go to the scholarship that will be created in their name, the Vulcans said.

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Details of the visitation and funeral have yet to be announced.

Catherine J. Martinez