Cole Cross's life hasn't gone exactly according to plan. The Canadian-born kid was once a phenom on the ice, quickly making his way up through the ranks of the Canadian major junior leagues, his eyes set on becoming an NHL superstar and one day suiting up for his beloved Toronto Maple Leafs. An off-ice incident, and a season-ending injury neutered his chances at being drafted by a pro team. After several years of setbacks, struggle and disappointment, he made the decision to leave his home country behind and accepted a scholarship to the University of Los Angeles, whose hockey program had just been accepted to the NCAA circuit, as a last-ditch effort to get his hockey career back on track.

Alex Hawke was your ordinary straight-A goody two shoes throughout high school. Not that many people knew, but she grew up in a poor family, often going to bed hungry at night and wondering if this would be the month they lost their home. She relied on her grades to get her to college. Without scholarships, a prestigious college was a distant dream. She was accepted to ULA, where she works for the student newspaper.

A chance meeting will bring them together, but will it be as friends, or something more?

@1Hawkeyes