By Katherine Van Buskirk Special to UNHWildcats.com
Growing up every kid has big dreams. But it's not every day that you meet someone who gets to live out that dream. Senior goalie Joe Lazzaro (Hampstead, N.H.) grew up watching UNH men's hockey and never stopped until he got the chance to put on the Wildcat uniform himself.
Playing hockey wasn't his only dream though. Lazzaro is a natural academic, with his specialty being in math and science. When he graduates from UNH in the spring, he'll have successfully received his degree in electrical engineering. Joe Lazzaro has always wanted to wear the UNH uniform
DREAMING BIG Lazzaro started playing hockey when he was four years old
Hockey has always played a huge part in Lazzaro's life, although he was the only member of his family to play while growing up.
"I started playing hockey when I was around four years old. I don't know exactly what it was, I was just drawn to it. I wanted to be the guy wearing the big pads and I just had so much fun playing goalie. I found a real passion for it and a real love of the game."
Being able to say you grew up watching the team you play for now is something special. Lazzaro often reflects on that, recognizing what a special opportunity it is.
"I grew up watching a lot of the games here, so from a young age it was always a dream of mine. To accomplish it is incredible, it's everything I imagined it would be and more. Being from New Hampshire and playing here is special too, because I got to see all of the tradition and pride within UNH hockey growing up, which was a huge factor in my wanting to play here." Lazzaro grew up playing at the Whittemore Center
Every day Lazzaro gets to walk into a locker room that once belonged to UNH legends, some of which he grew up idolizing. That is not something that people often get to experience, but when given the opportunity, it is something special.
"It's so surreal, especially when you look on the walls of the locker room and see the mural of the legends that have played here. Coach Souza's always teaching us about the history of the program and making sure that throughout our years in the program we really understand and develop a great appreciation for the people who came before you, the ones who paved the way for us. It's amazing to think that there could be kids watching us play at the Whitt who will be in our shoes one day."
This season Ty Conklin has been working with the goalies. Getting to work alongside him has been quite the experience for Lazzaro, especially considering Conklin's experience both in collegiate and professional hockey.
"It's been incredible. He was one of, if not the best goalie to play at UNH. He played with coach Souza and Jason Krog, who were also legendary players here. He's been around the winning culture and knows what it takes to be a successful goalie. His perspective and professional experience is incredible to learn from. He brings so much to the table and sees so many aspects that you wouldn't typically think to consider, he knows the game so well which has made him such a great asset."
Lazzaro's experience with UNH men's hockey has been filled with unforgettable moments. He's gotten to play at iconic venues such as Madison Square Garden and Fenway Park and has quite a few awards under his belt. Lazzaro has won the Sid Knight Award three times, been named to the Hockey East All-Academic Team three times, has been named an All-American scholar twice and has been inducted into the National College Athlete Honor Society. Needless to say, as he looks back on his time here, Lazzaro will have several fond memories that shape and define his experience. Lazzaro receiving the Sid Knight Award from Associate Athletic Director for Academic Support Joanne Maldari
ACADEMIC ASPIRATIONS
When Lazzaro first came to UNH he was accepted to the computer science program, while that intrigued him, he quickly found that it wasn't where his true passion was. He found a home in electrical engineering and from there he began to excel and achieve things that led him to where he is today.
"I wanted to do computer science at first because that was my first-time taking classes where you were given a problem and told to write an algorithm to solve using my analytical and problem-solving skills. I really enjoyed that, but at Phillips Exeter I took a class called electronics where I got to solve problems by using my math skills and my hands to physically construct devices. From there, I fell in love with the idea of building devices to solve problems."
Lazzaro expressed that there were similarities between computer science and electrical engineering that made the transition between the two easier, but there was something about his current major that fully drew him in and made the decision to switch an easy one.
"The integration of my math skills is what really drew me in. I've always been good with numbers and been passionate about math. To be able to see calculations on a notepad and calculator and turn it into a device is so exciting—it's cool to see it all come to life."
Being a student-athlete is by no means easy, especially with a heavy course load like Lazzaro has. He manages to balance his time and take things day by day, but one thing is certain: he is constantly on the move.
"My days change a lot, but I usually get up at around 7 a.m. or 7:30 a.m. and then go to class until around noon, and then get to the rink for practice and then after practice I sometimes have a lab from about 5-8 p.m. and then get home and then do homework or study, spending about three or four hours a night doing homework. When we travel it's more difficult because our schedule gets hectic, but I've been lucky to have professors and a coaching staff who have been great with working with it and helping me stay on track."
HARD WORK PAYS OFF
While his childhood dreams have come true, it's quickly become time for Lazzaro to start looking to the future. He's mentioned before that his dream job would be an electronic systems design engineer. Never being one to shy away from a challenge, Lazzaro has been taking the necessary steps to achieve that dream as well.
"I just accepted a job as a systems engineer at Raytheon following graduation on their integrated defense team. This summer I worked at a company that focuses on things at the component level and I had a lot of fun doing that, but I started to realize that I wanted to be working on the final product and figuring out how all of the pieces come together. Systems engineering is like a puzzle and I've always had so much fun working in that area."
Part of his process to gaining experience and enhancing his expertise is working on his senior capstone project. While certain aspects of the project must remain undisclosed, Lazzaro shared some details that would spark excitement in anyone.
"I'm working with a physicist and other students on measuring the current in the Northern Lights. We're building a device that's going to be on a NASA rocket in 2021. I'm building the supporting electronics to take that signal from a coil and modify the frequency response and then digitize it so that we can send it back down to the base station."
LOOKING BACK
As graduation in May rapidly approaches and Lazzaro moves onto a new career and environment, it's expected that he'll take some things with him that he's learned through both the men's hockey team and the University itself.
"I think the biggest thing I'll take away from my time here is holding myself to the highest standard as possible and also holding the people around you to that same standard. That's kind of what we work towards on the team—holding each other accountable and making sure we're all doing our jobs, filling the role as best as we can. Holding yourself to the highest standard possible is the only way you're going to get the best performance out of yourself as possible and that's something that I will definitely take with me into my career after I graduate."
Everyone has a person or people that constantly lift them up, push them to be their best and support them through everything. Lazzaro expressed how fortunate and grateful he is to have several of those people in his life, both on the ice and off. Lazzaro and his roommate senior captain Anthony Wyse
"Obviously my teammates are huge supporters of what I do, they're always asking about what I'm working on and what I'm building and my roommate, Anthony Wyse is always super helpful and supportive too. He's always willing to help me out and go that extra mile for me if I need something. My parents are always supporting me and have always been lifting me up since day one and they give me a lot of motivation to keep pushing through when times are tough. The coaching staff is also super understanding and support me in ways that keep me on track with athletics and academics, they push me to be my best on and off the ice."
Coach Souza is proud to have Lazzaro on the team and speaks highly of his work ethic when it comes to both athletics and academics. "I can't say enough good things about Joe. He puts everything into what he does both in the classroom and on the ice. He is incredibly bright and epitomizes what makes UNH such a great place."
As Lazzaro nears a new chapter in his life, he has a bright future in front of him as he continues to dream big.
The Wildcats will return to action on Friday and Saturday, March 6-7 at 7 p.m. when they play No. 4 Boston College in a home-and-home series on CBS All Access. Friday's game is at Conte Forum, while the contest on Saturday is at the Whittemore Center. Saturday the Wildcats will honor their five seniors for their hard work and dedication to the program. The game at the Whittemore Center on Saturday will be the last regular season game for the Wildcats as the final set of trading cards will be given out to the first 1,000 fans at the Whitt.
