Zachary Halling '25 Recruiting Profile

My name is Zac and I like hockey. So much so that my earliest memories have hockey in them. I grew up watching my uncle play in high school, onto Juniors, and then into college, and consider him to be the person that sparked my passion for the game. I learned to skate when I was 18 months old and officially joined the 8U hockey team in my hometown when I was in kindergarten. I have been playing ever since then and enjoying every minute of it.

Being the oldest of 4 boys that all play hockey, my parents pour as much as they can into us with this sport and for that I am extremely appreciative. As I got older my passion grew as well. I realized I wanted to play at a higher level, so I sought out skills coaches, camps, Spring travel teams and more to challenge myself and develop further. I have been blessed with great coaches around me that push and encourage me and my parents supporting me along the way. After my first season at the High School level, I wanted more and knew I would need to work even harder to get there. So, I worked for my grandfather on the family farm and also trained with my skills coaches, Nick Turcotte and Taylor Kennedy, as much as possible. It all paid off and I was able to pay for and play under Coach Rohde of the Wisconsin Dells Ducks for the 23-24 season. While there, I had the opportunity to work with the youth program in the area which is something I have done throughout the last several years as a way of giving back to the programs that have given to me.

I plan to continue to pursue higher level hockey as long as I can and am open to playing in college or continuing on at the Junior level. This spring/summer I am working full-time near Yellowstone, as well as putting in the work on and off the ice, to be able to pay for, compete and play at the Junior level again. As far as the future, at this point I am unsure what degree I would work towards in college. I am also considering either attending a trade school and/or joining the Air National Guard after graduation. I want to be certain that whatever I pursue, it is something I am passionate about, so I don’t want to rush into making this decision too soon.

Having read a little about my background, I hope you come away knowing that I work hard, face challenges, and am willing to put in the work necessary to achieve my goals. I am coachable, accept constructive criticism and work to correct my mistakes immediately. I believe that, if given the opportunity, I would be an asset to your team and a respectful member of your organization.