Scholar Stories: Robertson Prepared for Moment, Making Seamless Transition to U-M
11/19/2025 2:00:00 PM | Ice Hockey
Continuing the series that began in 2016-17, each Wednesday MGoBlue.com will highlight a Michigan student-athlete and their academic pursuits. These are our Scholar-Athlete Stories.
By Jonathan Franchi
Making "the jump" is not always easy, no matter the sport. New teammates, new coaching staff, new competition; it all takes some getting used to. With the transfer portal becoming more prevalent in college sports, student-athletes are now having to adjust to their new college environments on the fly while getting started with their new teams. It can be a lot to handle for anyone who has not had to deal with big moves before. However, for Ben Robertson, his past experiences have allowed him to smoothly transition from Cornell to Ann Arbor and hit the ice skating for the nation's No. 2-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team.
Growing up about 35 minutes outside of Washington, D.C., in Sterling, Va., hockey was not the biggest sport in town. Robertson initially got into hockey after watching a Washington Capitals game on TV at a young age, and he simply told his parents that was what he wanted to do. His parents enrolled him in skating lessons, and the rest is history.
As a sophomore in high school, Robertson moved away from his home to attend Mount St. Charles Academy, a premier hockey boarding school in Rhode Island, to play against elite competition for his sophomore and junior years. Robertson got an early preview of dorm life as a young high school student. For his senior year and an additional prep year, Robertson moved to Omaha, Neb., with a host family, to compete for two years in the United States Hockey League, a league designed for amateurs to get necessary playing experience before college.
Before even setting foot on a college campus, Robertson had made two significant moves in his life that caused him to grow up fast. He credits his parents for always providing the necessary support to achieve his dreams.
"My parents have been awesome. Ever since I was 8, my dad has been waking up with me at like 5:30 to go to lessons, making sure that I get up, even on the days where I probably didn't want to," Robertson said. "They just have been so supportive. Obviously, it's hard to let your kid move away at such a young age, but they've been huge for me every step of the way, nothing but supportive. I definitely wouldn't be in this position without my parents and everything they've done for me."
After his junior hockey days, Robertson landed at Cornell as a defenseman and made a significant impact over his two years there. As a freshman, he collected 23 points, which tied a Cornell record for most points by a freshman defenseman. In two seasons, he recorded seven goals and 31 assists, helping lead Cornell to two conference championships.
Entering the transfer portal after his sophomore year, Robertson admitted he did not have much of a decision to make.
"Once I went into the portal and kind of started that process, Michigan was always a school that I was interested in throughout the process," said Robertson. "With the coaching staff, the facilities, the way they treat us here, and the support that we have academically, it's all top-notch. It kind of seemed like a no-brainer when you put all those things together."
Robertson's adjustment to Ann Arbor has been seamless, providing a spark for the nation's No. 1 scoring offense at five goals per game. Robertson is 10th in the nation in assists per game, averaging 0.86 per game, as he has racked up 12 assists over Michigan's 14 games to date. His prior experience and ability to adapt to different settings have prepared him well to make the jump to such an elite hockey school as Michigan.
"Being at Cornell for two years, I built my routine there, and then halfway through college, I'm now going to a completely different school, completely new teammates, new hockey, new environment, new everything," Robertson said. "So, I've just been trying to build my routine here and make sure that I'm getting the help if I need it or just getting comfortable with the campus. I came up here for about a month in the spring, so it was nice to get to know the guys a little bit and be able to work out and skate with them. So, that has definitely made the transition when I came here for school in August a little bit easier, but it's been great overall. Once I found my routine, it's been pretty easy and nice."
Off the ice, Robertson is an economics major and would like to pursue a career in business after playing professional hockey. His parents have always preached the importance of academics, and Robertson believes that the value in earning a Michigan degree will only benefit him down the road. Over the summers, the Virginia native enjoys returning home and giving back to the youth in his area by helping lead hockey camps with the same coaches who taught him how to skate when he was young. He relishes the opportunity to give back to the youth through the sport of hockey, a sport that has taught him so much throughout his journey.
"What I love the most about hockey is I think it just teaches a lot of life lessons, and I've been fortunate to make a lot of very good friendships through the sport and had a lot of very cool life experiences, like moving away and living on my own," Robertson said. "So, I'm just very grateful for everything that hockey has brought me."
Adjusting to a new environment is nothing new for Robertson, and he has been able to make an immediate impact for Michigan Hockey. Through all the different teams and settings he has played in, Robertson has learned that "hockey's just hockey," no matter where the game is being played, and he is just trying to enjoy every moment of the sport he fell in love with at a young age. Having to grow up and mature on his own early, Robertson has learned that change is inevitable, but the game remains the same. Now, he finds himself where he always wanted to be -- confident and comfortable, making a difference for an elite Michigan hockey team on the biggest stage.
