Wednesdays with... University of Victoria goaltender Michael Fredrick

"Wednesday with..." is a weekly feature on BCIHL.ca that gets fans up close and personal with a different player from around the B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League.

Wednesday, November 7th with... University of Victoria goaltender Michael Fredrick

Fredrick enjoyed a highly-decorated career at the Junior A level with the Alberta Junior Hockey League's Brooks Bandits. He suited up in 173 regular season and playoff games with the Bandits over four seasons and won 127 of them, and helped lead teams that captured a pair of AJHL championships as well as an RBC Cup title as National Champions in 2013.

The 2012/13 campaign was a year of impressive individual achievement for Fredrick, as he was named a recipient of the Reebok Top Team Goaltenders Awards alongside teammate Devon Fordyce. He posted an regular season record of 42 wins and just two losses, along with a league-best 1.90 goals-against average. He also recorded the AJHL's second all-time longest win streak that season at 19 games.

He began his collegiate career in the NCAA with Division III Utica College, where he established himself as the team's starting goalie as a freshman. He led the Pioneers to 14 wins and posted a 2.28 goals-against and .927 save-percentage in 27 appearances.

The 2016/17 season brought Fredrick to the University of Victoria, where he was a big part of the Vikes' underdog run to a league title. He took over the net after Game 1 of the BCIHL Finals and picked up back-to-back wins, allowing just three goals in two games while facing 67 shots. His 37-save performance in the third and deciding game against Trinity Western set the stage for his team's stunning last-minute 3-2 win on a goal with seven seconds remaining.

Fredrick: The main reason I chose to attend the University of Victoria is because it is one of the few schools in Canada to offer Biomedical Engineering. Victoria is also a fantastic place to live with regards to weather, activities, and general lifestyle. I chose to play in the BCIHL because I have been playing hockey my entire life and love the experiences and relationships it creates and playing hockey at a collegiate level is something that I wanted to experience.

Q: Who have been the important influences in your junior and collegiate hockey career? Who has helped you get to where you are today?

Fredrick: The main influences on my junior and collegiate hockey career has been my coaches and teammates. My coaches have put in countless hours to better not only the team, but myself as well. My teammates throughout the years have become some of my best friends on and off the ice. Without a good group of teammates I strongly believe I wouldn't be where I am today. I believe that my goalie coaches have helped me get to where I am as well; they've helped me grow as a individual and pushed me to go above and beyond to become a better goaltender, as well as sculpted me as a person off the ice.

Q: What are your personal on-ice goals this season?

Fredrick: My one and only personal goal for this upcoming season is to give my team a chance to win every time I step into the crease.

Q: What are your team goals this season? What are the positive signs so far this season that make you feel you can reach them?

Fredrick: Our team goal this season is to take it one game at a time, focusing on the task ahead of us knowing that if we stick to our plan it will lead to success in the future. The long term goal is to win a championship. Positive signs that show me that we can accomplish these goals is how tight our group of guys are; we are all pulling in the same direction and know what each individual must do for us to succeed as a team.

Q: How would you describe your game to someone who hasn’t seen you play? What are you strengths as a player?

Fredrick: I'm a technically sound goalie that relies a lot on my hands to control rebounds and dictate the pace of play. I'm a calm player who likes to be in control of the game at all times. My strengths as a goalie are my hands, lateral movement, and puck handling.

Q: What are your education goals and future career path?

Fredrick: My educational goals are to graduate with a degree in biomedical engineering and gain transferable job experience and skills that are directly related to my future career. I hope to work with sports prosthetics in the future. I would like to design specialized prosthetics that will allow all individuals to experience sports no matter their disabilities.