Michael Hertzberg '18 Recruiting Profile

• Played AAA hockey for 9 years
• 2018 T1EHL East All-Star (U18 NAHL Top Prospects Showcase)
• Tier 1 Elite All-Star (AAA Midget Major)
• Esmark All-American for High School Hockey
• 3x PIHL Varsity Ice Hockey All-Star
• 2015 National Team Development Camp (Team Orange #10)
• 2015 Tier II Runner-Up at USA Hockey National Championship in Salt Lake City, Utah (Steel City Ice Renegades)
• 2 Hardest Working Player Awards for Dan Bylsma's Penguins Hockey Camp (2012 and 2013)
• 2012 Bauer Western Selects Tournament in Toronto, Canada (Coach Eugene Cabinets)
• 2011 Bauer Western Selects Tretiak Tournament in St. Petersburg, Russia (Coach Eugene Cabinets)
• Squirt Minor and Major Best Offensive Player Award for the Pittsburgh Hornets (2009-2010 and 2010-2011)
• Grade 6 varsity hockey team
• Grade 4 hybrid middle school and high school hockey team

    Ever since the age of 3, I fell in love with the game of ice hockey. When I started to play, I became driven to learn something new every day and better myself each day, whether that be a deke, positioning tip, or any other kind of trick that would help to progress my skill and hockey IQ. My father has probably been the most influential person in my life in terms of athletics. He was a Division III inside linebacker for Union College (NY) as well as a semi-pro linebacker for the Pittsburgh Colts. My dad has emphasized the importance of working out and training hard and practicing/playing with your best effort to make it habitual. He has advised me to never waste any opportunities to improve my mind, body, and skill, as it can also be a chance to get noticed by scouts or coaches. Rooted from his advice and my drive to want to get stronger and better developed, I have always done an extra rep or repeated a rep until I get the perfect technique down when working out. I also never skip a rep because I believe that portrays that you are a lazy or careless person. I work hard out of fear of getting worse and because it is what is required to be successful. If I were to skip a rep or a set, the thought of that would worry me all day. However, the most crucial aspect of my life that my family and I stress is academics. My high school, Sewickley Academy, was voted the most rigorous Western Pennsylvania school in the spring of 2016. If I do not get good grades or if I am not working above and beyond the standard, my parents would not allow me to play hockey. I have never taken my education for granted because it costs a lot of money and there are a lot of people in the world who would love to have the opportunity to get an education but are unfortunately not able to afford one.

    As a hockey player, I could be a good candidate for a Tier II junior team, and hopefully from there, earn Division I or Division III interests because I am a hard working playmaker with great vision, speed, elusiveness, a hard and accurate shot, and good hands. I try to emulate the explosiveness, edge work, and playing style of Sidney Crosby, as well as the speed and feistiness of some undersized players like Conor Sheary, Carl Hagelin, Brandon Tanev, and Brad Marchand. I am a high-energy player who can bring a lot of tenacity to a team. I am versatile and can play any role during a game that a coach would want or need. I focus on trying to win every puck battle that I am faced with, and I utilize my smaller, yet solid body frame as well as my speed to protect or strip the puck from an opposing player. Additionally, I am always willing to get out of my comfort zone in order to further my game's ceiling because pushing yourself in every practice, workout, and game becomes habitual and will eventually excel your game and your conditioning. I am confident that I have the skill set and work-ethic to achieve these goals. Lastly, I was adopted from St. Petersburg, Russia when I was 10 months old, so I guess hockey can be considered to be in my blood.

"Go the extra mile; it is never crowded."

"Hard work beats talent when talent does not work hard."