Spencer Schneider, a commit to Bowling Green State University for the 2020-2021 season, has a high hockey IQ and impressive speed. He started playing at age 3 with his older brother on an outdoor rink a few block from his house, “I’d sit on the ice with a stick in my hand and poke at the puck.”
He is a product of Minnesota High School playing for Lakeville North HS and was the team’s point leader last season. Spencer, like most players his age, had the opportunity to play Junior hockey but chose to stay in Minnesota. “My decision to stay in MN and play my senior year instead of playing Juniors was easy. Looking at the bigger picture, Junior hockey didn’t have any benefits that high school hockey didn’t have. In my opinion, playing my senior year will better me as a player than Junior hockey would at this age.” He goes on to give us the multiple examples of NHL players that also played at Lakeville North, including Jack and Nick Poehling, Max Johnson, Taylor Schneider, Jack Sadek, Jack McNeely, and Keaton Pehrson; making his decision even easier.
While several schools showed interest in Specer, it was Bowling Green who had been following him the longest. “Bowling Green first reached out to me during my Sophomore year. They came to a few games that year and right before the start of my junior year they offered me a full scholarship. Me and my family decided it was best to wait till I at least visit the campus before I make my decision. We decided to do my official visit in early November before my high school season started this year. Spencer also spoke with Ohio State, Penn State, and Bemidji State University throughout his recruitment process.
Discussing his final decision, “There are many reasons why I chose Bowling Green. The biggest influence was my brother Taylor. He is currently a freshman on their team right now and is also on a hockey scholarship. Playing college hockey with my brother would be a dream come true.” Spencer’s brother was a key resource he used to make his final decision, “I would ask him tons of question about how the team operates on games days, practices, weight lifting, etc. He’d be able to offer me first-hand answers, which helped me get a very good picture of what life is like on the Bowling Green hockey team. In the end I knew this was MY decision though, and that’s where the coaches came in. Once I met all three coaches and had meetings with all of them it was very evident that their staff would allow me to be the best player I can be. Also that they have relationships with their players that go deeper than hockey. My third big reason was the campus and hockey facilities. I love how the campus is setup in the city. I also loved the locker room at the rink and the players lounge.”
Looking forward to his future, “I’ll be preparing for NCAA hockey by off-seasons spent with my brother and other college players training and competing everyday. Me and my brother have a very strong bond. We always push each other to be our best every single day and also always have fun off the ice together.”
Photo credit: Hickling Images
