Portage's own Reilly Funk is nearing his final days as a junior hockey player.

The 20-year-old forward is the captain of the USHL's Youngstown Phantoms and says he's learned a lot from his two years with the club. While his final season didn't go exactly how he planned it, Funk is still grateful for the learning experience.

"It's been an up and down year for myself as you don't really picture your last year in junior to be a COVID season, no one predicted that," Funk explains. "Also with the injury bug that I've been going through in 2021. So, there's been a lot of ups and downs but I've battled through and tried to make the most of it the whole way."

The forward says he suffered a high ankle sprain in January which kept him out for nearly two months. Funk notes he got back on the ice for a couple of weeks in March before tweaking the ankle again and one again has him sidelined. He hopes to still get one last run in with the Phantoms.

"I am aiming to return next weekend for my last weekend in junior and have a go at it," says Funk. "I'm aiming to do that if everything goes right to kind of go out on a good note and enjoy it with my buddies. I just want to go out there play hard and get one weekend left of junior out of me and I think I'll be ready and give it a go. That's the plan but anything can happen so we're just taking it day by day."

Despite this being the end of his junior career, Funk still has plans to continue his on-ice journey beyond this season.

"My next step is going to Northern Michigan University in Maquette, Michigan," says Funk. "That's been the plan for over a year now and it's been a goal to go be a player on that university division one team. This summer I'm going to train hard and work at the things I need to work on the most and give myself the best chance to succeed there."

Funk says the coaching staff from Northern Michigan has the same vision as him when it comes to his development and believes he will fit in well with their hard-working culture.