Joey Mattera '19 Recruiting Profile

I started skating when I was 3 years old and become a goalie at a young age for travel hockey while still skating out during house league. I became a forward full time my second year as a peewee when I realized what I really loved about the sport and where I wanted to take it. Even though being a goalie at that age came with some drawbacks, it helped my game a lot in my opinion. It helped me slow down the game when it needs to be,  see passing lanes, and overall see the ice better than someone who has been a forward their whole career.  College hockey has been a dream of mine forever, however I lost sight of it at one time which is why I'm in the position that I am now. I'm grateful for it though because I have grown greatly as a person and as a player.

I was not a captain on my high school team however I was undoubtedly a team leader. I had the most points on the team and many of the freshman came to me over the captains sometimes. Being in the military I have had the opportunity and responsibility to continue being a leader.  I am an authority figure to many people and personally feel I excel at it. Overall I feel like I have always had the personality and characteristics of being a leader and hockey and the Army have been two places I noticed them being expressed.

I have been in the Army for 2 and a half years and will be until March 2019. In the past two and half years I have deployed and created many life long friendships with the people I work with or worked with previously. I was lucky enough to be stationed at Fort Bragg which has an ice rink on base and hockey every Monday, Wednesday, and Sunday. I prioritize and make time to play as much as my schedule allows. Even though the hockey isn't that competitive, I look at it as an opportunity to challenge myself. Every time I step on the ice I focus on a part of my game I want to improve.  I set goals and make sure I am getting as much as I can out of each session to ensure my growth as a person and player. 

I am open to going to any division or level of college hockey, the important part to me is that I'm playing at a level where my full potential is being executed.