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University of Massachusets Athletics
VIDEO: Meet UMass Hockey's #7 Patrick Lee
October 03, 2014 | Hockey
Q: Tell us about where you are from.
A:It's right beside the mountains, but it's mostly prairies. It's a pretty big city of a million people and pretty much everyone plays hockey.
Q: Take us through your hockey background, some of the places you played.
. A: "I played in Calgary for my minor hockey and then I was fortunate enough to go to a program like Brooks that is two hours east of Calgary. We won a lot of games, a couple years ago we started off 20-0 and we won a national championship so that was pretty cool. I played three years there. "
Q: Why UMass?
A: "I was talking to some schools and I really liked the coaches here. First and foremost, they were really welcoming. When I came to visit a couple years ago, there wasn't really anything to dislike. I didn't have any reason to not say yes."
Q: Describe yourself as a hockey player.
A: "Just pretty much all skill. It's pretty much what I do is just score. I try to generate offense, I try and play defense when I have to and yeah, just try and put the puck in the net."
Q: Who influenced you most as a hockey player?
A: "[It is] probably my coach in juniors, just because he gave me an opportunity to play. He taught me a lot about playing a 200-foot game and just everything about the defensive aspect and letting me do what I want to do in the offensive zone."
Q: What number are you going to be wearing at UMass and why did you choose that number?
A: "I picked number 7 because there weren't many numbers available that I've worn before and I knew Michael Pereira wore it before and I'd like to have a similar type of career that he did."
Q: Is there a specific NHL player you model your game after?
A: "Niklas Backstrom of the Capitals."
Q: What is it like going to school with a teammate (Maddison Smiley) from juniors?
A: "It's pretty cool. I committed and he had the option to come here as well so it was pretty fitting that we both were able to come here because we were pretty good friends in juniors."
Q: Tell UMass fans something about Maddison.
A: "He's a bit of a comedian and occasionally falls quite a bit on the ice. "
Q: What are your interests outside of hockey?
A: "I'm pretty good at math. "
Q: What are your academic plans?
A: "I'm probably going to major in business."
Q: What would you do with a business degree?
A: "I would probably go back to Calgary. There's a big oil sector there and I would try to go into the oil business. "
Q: What do you like about campus and the Amherst area?
A: "I came out to visit a couple of years ago and it's a really nice place. It's a beautiful campus. I went to a game and it was pretty crazy so the atmosphere is pretty cool and the rink is amazing. "
Q: What goals do you have for your first year of college hockey?
A: "I don't know what to expect. One goal would be to play in every game and get a lot of experience. "