Michael Pasek '21 Recruiting Profile

When I was little, I loved baseball because it was the first game I played. At the time, I didn't know much about hockey. Watching the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals pulled me in and got me hooked into the game. From that moment on, I wanted to play hockey. 

When I was 6, I began taking skating lessons to learn to play hockey. From the first game I played, I had my eye on the goalie position. I continuously asked my dad if I could play goalie. The answer was always that I needed to learn how to play the other positions on the ice before committing to being a goalie. 

I like the idea of controlling the game and I always like to be around the play. There's nothing more rewarding than making a game saving save late in the third period. There's such as rush of adrenaline and emotions that you can't find in any other sport.

One thing that I've learned from hockey that helps me with so many other things in my life is mental toughness. Mental toughness is what separates the great goalies from the good ones. It's that ability to push that bad goal to the side and focus on the next shot; the ability to keep playing 110% when your team isn't doing the work to get the win; it's the ability to rest, refocus, and dig deep to leave everything out on the ice in that game. I continually work to strengthen my mental game, which only helps to improve my physical game.

My major going into college is Business, more specifically marketing or finance. I am looking forward to college and the opportunities coming down the road for me.  

I may not be the tallest or quickest guy on the team, but I will work the hardest. I also tend to make jokes with my teammates and get along with everyone. I play the game to win. I am a leader on my team. I work with my teammates during practices and review with them what I observe from my point of view during games to help us be a better team and I ask them to do the same for me. I also have enough muscle where if I'm pushed around the crease, I can push back, and I believe I have the mental toughness and grit to compete at the next level.