Stephen Holtz, who wanted to earn a degree in mechanical engineering, wanted more than just being an elite athlete at his future school.
The defenseman wanted a place that would not only develop his skills on the ice, but also foster a desire to understand how things work in the classroom. The University of Michigan boasts a prestigious hockey program along with a top-five engineering school, so it was a no-brainer for Holtz. It was exactly what he was looking for.
But just a few years ago, he wasn't really looking for anything.
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A native of Michigan, Holtz grew up around the game of hockey. Both of his parents were competitive athletes, so his career began in the garage at the age of five. He loved getting into the net, saying the goalie's equipment was the biggest attraction of the position. Although he eventually gave up on that interest, he remained committed to the sport as a whole despite some difficulties.
“As far as defining moments, I think that's being cut from the team,” Holtz told The Michigan Daily. “It's not a good thing, but it makes you who you are now. You don't get cut from teams, you get told no. It puts things in perspective and it makes you grow as a person. ”
As a teenager, Holtz struggled to make the AAA hockey team in Michigan. He was ripped apart left and right, forced to take the unique path of minor hockey, but he kept going. After all, he loved the game.
But when Holtz was a high school senior, he seriously considered hanging up his skates. He fell behind his peers in junior hockey and didn't enjoy the sport as much as he used to.
Holtz told his parents that he had no intention of continuing his career in college and that he intended to continue playing hockey for his final year. He thought he might shift his focus to golf, which he also grew up playing and had a talent for. And of course he will continue to focus on his schoolwork.
Holtz had a breakout season that year, playing for the Compuware U18 team in what he hoped would be his final shot as a competitive hockey player.
“I think it was just being outside having fun,” Holtz said. “I wasn't really worried about my grades and I wasn't trying to impress anyone. I wasn't trying to do it for anyone other than myself. I just I was just having fun.”
He started getting scouted by schools and USHL teams, and his passion and love for the game was rekindled. So instead of hanging up his skates and choosing a club, Holtz decided to continue his hockey career.
Holtz finally made the jump to the USHL and committed to Michigan after his first season with the Youngstown Phantoms. He was supposed to join the roster after one more season as a junior, but the Wolverines called and told him they wanted to delay him another year.
Holtz was not very happy with this decision, especially since he was already an older man. He wanted to start his college career as soon as possible for both hockey and academic reasons. Another year as a junior meant another year away from school, and Holtz didn't particularly enjoy it.
So he turned down the University of Michigan and switched to the BCHL to play one more year, even though he wanted to attend the school. As it turned out, he started playing his best hockey again in Penticton and was approached by the Wolverines again around the middle of the season.
“I said to myself, 'If a school has the courage to recruit you twice, then they obviously want you,'” Holtz said. “So I couldn't pass it up. It was a dream school for me.”
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Now a senior defenseman on his dream school's hockey team, Holtz still plays for the same reason he played ball hockey in the garage when he was 5 years old.
Despite some unimaginable challenges, including fighting for his life due to complications from an adenovirus in November of last season, he remained committed to the sport. It's been about a year and a half since his release from the hospital, and he's still digesting the whole experience, but he feels especially lucky to be alive and doing what he loves.
Holtz is now nearly done with his mechanical engineering degree and his college hockey career. He's guaranteed one more game and two if the Wolverines can defeat No. 1 Boston College on Thursday and advance to the national championship on Saturday.
“I think you've realized that depending on how things go, this could be the last competitive hockey game I ever play,” Holtz said. “…And it just goes back to the basics of why you do it. Why did you play it when you were a kid? The second half was like this, and I feel like the second half was really good. I just played it for those reasons. is.
“I tell myself every game, 'Have fun.' Just go out and be yourself.”
That's why Holtz continued to choose hockey, even when it seemed like hockey wasn't choosing him. Because when he plays for the love of the game, he plays to the best of his ability. And he really loves the game.
