Ryan McFarlane
A product of Murrayfield Juniors Ice Hockey Club, and brother to two other handy hockey players, Ryan was an instant impact on the Eagles when he joined in the early days.
I was a goaltender with Murrayfield when Ryan and I first played together. I remember he was reliable as ever and able to get me out of a few jams. That was no different when Ryan started with the Eagles all those years ago, except he had developed his scoring touch. Ryan would go on to captain the team and lead the team to many wins under his captaincy. After leaving university, Ryan moved to England and featured in the NIHL with the Bristol Pitbulls, which was not surprising given his ability.
Interestingly, Ryan is the only player to have played in the first full Eagles’ season (2004-05) and the most recent season (2017-18) after having returned to the club towards the end of last season. His return would help the Eagles reach a Nationals semi-final, but more importantly, a win in the Jonny Wookey Varsity Match for the first time in the club's history; a game in which he was truly magnificent. Ryan earned his place in this 25 with his endeavours in the early years, but the recent stint did not hurt.