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03/08/2022 11:00 PMWhen he was in 4th grade, Michael Robert came home with a hockey flyer and was eager to get on the ice. Michael has developed a big-time passion for the sport through the years and is now leading the East Haven co-op boys’ ice hockey team as a senior captain this season.
Michael wasn’t exactly sure what hockey entailed when he picked up the flyer, but he told his mother Diana and father Allen that he wanted to play the sport. From that moment, Michael’s parents encouraged him to give hockey a shot and work hard to improve his skills.
“I came home from school one day with a flyer for hockey. It was weird that I was so interested in it, because none of my family has done it before,” says Michael. “But I came home with that flyer, and I was so excited to start playing.”
Michael began playing hockey in East Haven’s youth league when he was four, and he’s competed for various leagues in town through his senior season. Since he started as a youngster, Michael was able to get all of the fundamentals down and felt confident heading into his freshman year.
“This is something I’ve played pretty much my entire life, and I have enjoyed it,” Michael says. “All the emotions I go through with hockey are pretty much natural at this point. Having that foundation really helped me in high school.”
Once he joined the Yellowjackets, Michael promptly took on prominent role as a varsity player. Michael knew that there were great expectations from day one, but he was ready for the challenge while competing at a more advanced level.
Michael has shown great growth both physically and mentally throughout his hockey career. In his freshman season, Michael would sometimes make mistakes by losing focus. However, as his four years in the program have unfolded, Michael has learned how to correct those mistakes, and now he always feels confident when he has the puck on his stick.
“There was a huge difference, and a lot of it had to do with mentality. My first couple of years on the team, I used to make mistakes, because I would lose focus. I’d panic when I had the puck,” says Michael. “As I grew up, I stopped doing those things. Whenever I get the puck, I’m a lot more focused. I’m not panicking and throwing it away.”
When the puck hits Michael’s stick, it’s on the defensive side of the ice. Michael has been a defender since he started playing hockey and, while he admits that it’s not the most glamorous position, Michael loves doing the dirty work and making sure the puck doesn’t get into the Yellowjackets’ net.
“We don’t score many of the goals, but we’re still a pretty big part of the team. We’re the foundation,” Michael says. “Your team can score as much as they want, but we need to stop other people from scoring on us. It’s something I’ve done my whole life, and I love it.”
Head Coach Lou Pane has seen Michael become a focal point of East Haven’s defense during the past four seasons. Pane says that Michael always puts in an excellent effort and is willing to grind out any defensive sequence.
“Mike has proven to be a blue-collar defenseman who is very physical,” says Pane. “He has led by example and is truly the catalyst of our defensive core.”
When he was in youth hockey, Michael would watch the high schoolers practice before his games and also attended some of the Yellowjackets’ contests. Michael admired those athletes, but never thought that he would be on their level. However, entering his final year of high school, Michael had not only proved that was he a solid varsity starter, he was also named a senior captain alongside Ethan Roach and Parker Sprankle.
“It’s a great honor,” Michael says of being a captain. “This year, we have a group of boys that are really, really into the sport. They love doing what they do. We’ve had a pretty great season. Being a leader of them and being able to watch them grow has been great.”
After graduation, Michael will attend the University of Hartford to pursue a degree in robotic engineering. He is also hoping to play hockey at the club level.
Michael feels proud to have spent his entire time on the ice playing hockey in the town of East Haven. Michael loves suiting up for the Yellowjackets and says the experience has helped him become a great skater and an even better person.
“It’s really a great thing that I get to call myself a hockey player for East Haven,” Michael says. “Outside of hockey, these guys have really helped me grow a lot. They’ve made me a lot better as a person in general. Being able to come from East Haven and having a big role on the team is something I’m really proud of.”