2008 Woodie Awards
IN THE CARDS: Mike Baccaro
Height not going to keep Baccaro down
Antonio Graves
Issue date: 2/15/08 Section: Sports
Originally published: 2/14/08 at 4:40 PM EST
Last update: 2/14/08 at 4:39 PM EST
If you happen to find yourself staring at the bright and now chipped-tooth smile of a brown haired, vertically-challenged fellow, do not be alarmed. Getting struck in the mouth by a well-hit hockey puck during practice is an event phased only by mere mortals.
Just ask senior Mike Baccaro, a forward for Plattsburgh State men's hockey team if getting a root canal and four stitches is going to be enough to keep him out of Friday night's game against the Potsdam Bears.
Trust that he has been through much worse, which included him smashing his face after falling face first into the floor ice a few years ago.
From chipped teeth to broken faces, Baccaro has had to repeatedly prove his toughness to people.
Whether on or off the ice, he has always made an effort to never give up and to never back down from anything.
Baccaro attributed his dad, Colt Baccaro, as the source of his courage and determination. While growing up near Lake Ontario, Baccaro's dad exposed him early on to organized hockey at the age of four.
"I was always told by my dad to stand up for myself and if I didn't, that the person would do it again twice as worse," Baccaro said. "Guys used to make fun of me because I was shorter than most with me being only 5'8."
Baccaro often remembers when he was cut from a team as a youth because he was not big or tall enough to play. Being overlooked has been the story of Baccaro's life - but if you ask him, he would tell you that he uses the negativity as motivation to prove the doubters wrong.
"Now I just try to play as if I were 6'2 and 210 or something," Baccaro said. "I've always had to work harder with me always being one of the smaller guys."
With Baccaro sharing a hand in the PSUC hockey team's reemergence as a SUNYAC powerhouse, he has indeed made many believers of his will with his hustle and grit on the ice. For his small size, Baccaro consistently surprises his much bigger opponents on the ice with his big hits during the game.
"Mikey plays the game a lot bigger than he is," men's coach Bob Emery said. "He definitely took his game to a whole new level this year. His work ethic is contagious. Mike, along with the two other seniors, are the heart and soul of this team."
Whoever said the older guys lose the ability to impact a team were dead wrong. Baccaro, as the team's oldest player at the age of 24, is always at work helping the latest acquisitions in making the transition from junior hockey to hockey on the college level. Being one of the fastest on the team, he proves everyday on the ice that hard work does pay off.
Baccaro said he vows to never give up his "hard work pays off" mentality, even as he nears the end of his hockey career.
As a hotel, restaurant and tourism management major, he has realized a life after hockey and it includes plans to be the general manager of a hotel, with a preference of working in a major city with hot climate.
Just ask senior Mike Baccaro, a forward for Plattsburgh State men's hockey team if getting a root canal and four stitches is going to be enough to keep him out of Friday night's game against the Potsdam Bears.
Trust that he has been through much worse, which included him smashing his face after falling face first into the floor ice a few years ago.
From chipped teeth to broken faces, Baccaro has had to repeatedly prove his toughness to people.
Whether on or off the ice, he has always made an effort to never give up and to never back down from anything.
Baccaro attributed his dad, Colt Baccaro, as the source of his courage and determination. While growing up near Lake Ontario, Baccaro's dad exposed him early on to organized hockey at the age of four.
"I was always told by my dad to stand up for myself and if I didn't, that the person would do it again twice as worse," Baccaro said. "Guys used to make fun of me because I was shorter than most with me being only 5'8."
Baccaro often remembers when he was cut from a team as a youth because he was not big or tall enough to play. Being overlooked has been the story of Baccaro's life - but if you ask him, he would tell you that he uses the negativity as motivation to prove the doubters wrong.
"Now I just try to play as if I were 6'2 and 210 or something," Baccaro said. "I've always had to work harder with me always being one of the smaller guys."
With Baccaro sharing a hand in the PSUC hockey team's reemergence as a SUNYAC powerhouse, he has indeed made many believers of his will with his hustle and grit on the ice. For his small size, Baccaro consistently surprises his much bigger opponents on the ice with his big hits during the game.
"Mikey plays the game a lot bigger than he is," men's coach Bob Emery said. "He definitely took his game to a whole new level this year. His work ethic is contagious. Mike, along with the two other seniors, are the heart and soul of this team."
Whoever said the older guys lose the ability to impact a team were dead wrong. Baccaro, as the team's oldest player at the age of 24, is always at work helping the latest acquisitions in making the transition from junior hockey to hockey on the college level. Being one of the fastest on the team, he proves everyday on the ice that hard work does pay off.
Baccaro said he vows to never give up his "hard work pays off" mentality, even as he nears the end of his hockey career.
As a hotel, restaurant and tourism management major, he has realized a life after hockey and it includes plans to be the general manager of a hotel, with a preference of working in a major city with hot climate.
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