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University of Massachusets Athletics
VIDEO: Meet UMass Hockey's #6 Dominic Trento
October 04, 2014 | Hockey
Q: What number will you be wearing at UMass and why did you pick that number?
A: "Alright, well I'm wearing number 6. I'm wearing it because 11 wasn't available. I wore it my first year of playing hockey at a high level. It was one of the better years of my life, so it was one of those numbers that stood out to me. It's kind of a defensive number, but I like that single number on the jersey. It looks nice."
Q: What made you choose UMass?
A: "I loved that it was a big school. I had a family friend that played here, he played at UMass for four years so he's kind of one of my idols. I kind of knew it would be a great fit off the bat. The coaching staff is great, they've been nothing but nice to me so far.
Q: Who was the family friend that played here?
A: "Brian Kane, he wore number 15 here for four years. When I was about ten, twelve, thirteen I got to see a couple games at the Mullins Center and fell in love with the place."
Q: Take us through your hockey background, some of the places you've played.
A: "I've been able to call four different cities home. I've played juniors for forever it seems like. It feels great to find a home, basically. I've played forever it, it seems like. My dad got me on the ice when I was two and a half years old. From there on out, I fell in love with it. I guess the first time out on the ice I cried my eyes out, but after that I fell in love with it."
Q: What four cities did you call home?
A: "Well, my hometown Rochester, N.Y., Brockport. Then Long Island, which was Lawrence. Then I lived in Burlington, Vt., and then I lived in Wayne, N.J."
Q: What specifically did you like about the coaching staff here at UMass?
A: "They were just very personal. I met Coach Gasparini actually working at a hockey camp. We just kind of hit it off as friends before any recruiting happened. Then once I started getting recruited by them, Coach Micheletto just called me often and always had something good to say. It made me feel comfortable from a family stand point."
Q: What were some of your first thoughts of the campus?
A: "I really liked the size of the campus. I always wanted to go to a big school. I'm a really social person, I feel like. I really love meeting new people, so that was one of my main things and this school had that with so many kids. The first time I was at the Mullins Center was another thing. It was so loud in there and I've never played in front of that many people. It was insane. It seemed like a great place to play. I've seen a lot of hockey schools and it seems like UMass is the best with the student section."
Q: Describe yourself as a hockey player.
A: "I'd call myself a playmaker. I look pass first, usually, but I have a nose for the net as well. I work hard am kind of a grinder as well. I'm a power forward."
Q: Is there a specific NHL player you model your game after?
A: "Honestly, I aspire to play like Ryan Callahan. He's actually from the same city I'm from. He's just a leader, one, and every time he's on the ice he makes it known he's out there. He's always working harder than the next guy it seems like. Even though sometimes he may not be the most skilled player on the ice, he's always making an impact."
Q: What are your interests outside of hockey?
A: "I like hanging out with the boys mostly. I play a little guitar. I don't know, I like doing other activities like sports--tennis, golf. I just like staying active."
Q: What sports did you play besides hockey?
A: "I was actually like a pretty big lacrosse player. I played throughout high school. If hockey didn't really work out, I probably would have played lacrosse. I wanted to be an athlete, a college athlete, from a young age, but hockey has always kind of been the main standpoint in my life, really."
Q: What is your best talent outside of hockey?
A: "I would say probably making people laugh, I hope. I'm a really funny guy and I feel like I can make the boys laugh occasionally. I feel like that's a good attribute, but talent-wise I guess playing guitar. I'm pretty average at it, I guess hockey's my main point."
Q: What kind of music do you like to play?
A: "I like to play acoustic guitar, so I play a lot of early pop-punk like Blink 182 or Green Day, soft stuff like that."
Q: What are your academic interests?
A: "Academically I'm trying to be a Sport Management major. I just want to do something that stays in the field of sports. It's been my whole life. Otherwise, maybe going in to Communications, but again to stay within the sports media range."