Robert Martinez

President of the NIU Hockey Club & Goaltender

Robert Martinez is the president of the Northern Illinois University Hockey Club and veteran goaltender for the team.

Recently, Robert answered a few of the questions submitted by fans. Thank you for all of you that contributed.

NIUHockey.com: Was there anyone in particular that made you decide to become a goaltender?

Martinez: When I was a minor mite in hockey I played on a house league team and all the players had to try goalie one game. When it was my turn to play I did so well that the coach made me stick with it.

NIUHockey.com: Who do you see as your biggest competition this season?

Martinez: I think SIUE will be very strong again and will be our toughest opponent. Also, I think Lindenwood, RMC Springfield and University of Missouri will be strong.

NIUHockey.com: Why were the player fees raised this year? Are we going to see any changes with the new money that the club will have?

Martinez: The increase in fees was so that we could add more games against quality teams to increase our chances of getting a bid to nationals. The games we added are mostly away games and the money will go towards travel expenses. Also, the money went to help with the cost of our new uniforms which include home and away jerseys, garment bags and matching hockey bags.

NIUHockey.com: How do you feel about this year's team?

Martinez: I think we have a great team and hopefully will go farther than the team has gone in the past. We picked up a bunch of quality freshman players and combined with our veterans you should see some quality hockey.

NIUHockey.com: Do you consider last year a disappointing year?

Martinez: Not at all, our record was great at 28-14-1. We won a lot of games and although we lost in the MACHA tourney I feel it was a successful season.

NIUHockey.com: Do you have any long term goals as to where you would like to see this club in a few years?

Martinez: I would like to see the team have more school support in the future. I am working on making the hockey team a school sponsored sport so that there will be no more player fees.

NIUHockey.com: We have a new head coach and a new assistant coach, how do you feel about them? What kind of difference do you see them bringing to the team?

Martinez: I think the new coaches will be a huge asset to the team. Steve Cromie has a lot of hockey experience and with him behind the bench I think we will have a great season. I feel having the new coaches only makes us better as a team.

NIUHockey.com: Is there any chance for this team to play against bigger competition?

Martinez: This season we are playing against a lot of big name teams. Schools like St. Cloud, Bowling Green, Central Michigan and Indiana University are top notch schools and we will have to prove ourselves as a quality team by beating these schools.

NIUHockey.com: Any chance of this team ever making nationals?

Martinez: This year the ACHA has added a regional tournament which will be held at Fox Valley in Geneva. The ways it works is when the final ACHA regional ranking comes out in March the top two ranked teams will automatically receive a bid to the national tourney. Then teams 3 through 10 will playoff for the remaining two bids. I feel that our team has a great chance of making it to the regional tournament and from there on all we have to do is upset a couple of teams and then we will be going to New York for the big one.

NIUHockey.com: As a goaltender that has been in the net with the Huskies for a few seasons, how do you feel about the defense? What was the biggest weakness in the defense last year and have you seen improvements in the new talent this season?

Martinez: Last year our defense was not as strong as our offense but we still managed to do well. This year I think we are about the same defensively but hopefully with strong goaltending and our powerful offense we can still win games.

NIUHockey.com: What is your best memory with the Huskies?

Martinez: There are too many great memories with the huskies to list. But I will say that this team is like a fraternity, we all have a great time and everyone gets along. If you are part of this club you will leave college with tons of memories.

NIUHockey.com: In your opinion, what is the toughest type of shot to stop?

Martinez: I would say backhand shots because it is almost impossible to judge where the shot is going to go.

NIUHockey.com: Did you play juniors or triple a before joining the huskies hockey team and do you need to play juniors or triple a to make the team and get a scholarship? (Question submitted by Craig Corley)

Martinez: I played AAA before coming to NIU and we have a couple of players with Jr. experience but it is in no way a prerequisite. The majority of our players are from high school varsity or AA club. Also, there are currently no athletic scholarships for ice hockey at NIU.