Parker Lindauer and Reid Pabich, both exceptional hockey players from the Madison area, grew up playing youth hockey with me.

When high school started, Reid and Parker parted ways.

Reid chose to play juniors at the USHL level for the Madison Capitols, while Parker decided to play high school hockey with me at James Madison Memorial High School.

Parker: High School and Team Wisconsin

Parker, a year older than Reid and I, had 25 points his freshman year with 12 goals and 13 assists. He was first in points amongst all freshmen, and was third on the whole team in points. Because of his production at such a young age, Parker made a huge impact his first year and earned the respect of his older teammates.

Parker was named one of the four captains of the team during his sophomore year, an impressive achievement due to the depth on the team that season.

Losing star players Blake Komplin, Jack Andringa, and Jacob Padley – who all were ahead of Parker in points – was hard, but he didn’t back down. Instead, he had an even better season points-wise his sophomore year, putting up 35 points with 17 goals and 18 assists.

Junior year is when Parker started to get noticed by colleges because of his play in high school and his first year playing for Team Wisconsin.

“He has earned everything he’s gotten. His work in the offseason at the gym and on the ice is why he’s improved his game so much year to year,” said Parker’s former teammate and best friend, Jack Helle.

Parker put up 29 goals and 21 assists to lead the team with 50 points. He tallied 20 more points than the second leading point-getter on the team. The Spartans took a first-round exit in the playoffs in 2017-18, but it was a memorable year for Parker and a season to build off of.

Senior year was one for the record books.

Parker put up 78 points his senior year, only one shy of tying Riley Jelinek for the most points in the state. He was averaging 3.25 points per game his senior year, and had a total of 193 points in the Spartan uniform. Not only did his dominant senior year at Memorial help with recruiting but he also was producing for Team Wisconsin, which played before and after the high school season.

Parker notched five goals and eight assists for Team Wisconsin in 2017-18. Scouts showed up to a few of Parker’s high school games junior and senior year, but he was mainly noticed during those club games.

Reid: USHL Madison Capitols and Sioux Falls Stampede

Reid’s hockey career was much different from Parker’s.

He played youth hockey with myself and Parker growing up but never played high school hockey. He decided he wanted to go play in the United States Hockey League instead, which is known to be the best league in the United States besides playing collegiately.

Reid played in the USHL for five years until he turned 21, the maximum age allowed by the league.

In his first year, he played 40 games and recorded two points. Although his production wasn’t there, he was still getting ice time and recognition from scouts; the USHL has more scouts attend games because it is better competition than high school.

In his second year, not much changed besides playing 15 more games and totaling six points. However, juniors are a lot more about getting noticed and getting games under your belt because the speed and pace of the game are more comparable to the collegiate level than high school is.

After Reid’s second season, he was frustrated at his lack of production and knew that for how many games he was playing he needed to produce more on the stat sheet.

Jack Helle, who I mentioned earlier, is neighborhood friends with Reid and Parker. Jack skated with Reid and Parker in the offseason and in the summer because he also played in high school and for Team Wisconsin. In the summer of 2019-2020, Jack noticed something different about Reid.

“It’s time to start producing if you want to live out your dream of playing in college,” Jack told him.

The 2019-2020 season was stellar for Reid, logging 30 points in only 50 games played. 2020-21 was a down year for Pabich, who had 22 points in 53 games.

In Reid’s final year before he would “age out” and either have to hang the skates up or sign a collegiate contract, he was destined to make the playoffs for the first time as a part of the Capitols. If there is someone that hates losing, it’s Reid. He is always hungry and eager to improve as a leader and make sure he and his teammates are always on the same page.

During Reid’s final season as a Madison Capitol, it was announced that he would be the team’s assistant captain.

It was a season full of highlights for the Capitols, as they would set a franchise record for wins in a season since their re-establishment in 2013. They also clinched the playoffs for the first time, and made it to the championship before losing in heartbreaking fashion in overtime.

Reid contributed heavily in his final year as a Capitol. He had 55 points in 75 games, with 22 goals and 33 assists. Sometimes it takes a few years to get acclimated to the speed of junior hockey, but Reid rose to the occasion and proved himself to be a key piece to a team who was struggling for many seasons.

Experience at Maine

Parker and Reid both find playing at other universities and playing big-time teams to be the most exciting aspects of being a college athlete.

They appreciate the importance they have on campus, with Maine’s hockey team being the university’s most recognized sport, as well as the support they receive from the community. However, they also acknowledge the disadvantages of being in a smaller town with fewer things to do in their free time.

Their favorite memories of the season were different. Parker’s was the Boston College home weekend where they swept the Eagles in front of a sold out arena both nights, while Reid’s was scoring his first college goal in Vermont with his parents in attendance.

Both Parker and Reid have learned valuable life lessons from playing hockey.

“Nothing is given, and every opportunity to play must be earned,” said Parker.

“You can only control what you can control, and trust the process,” said Reid.

They acknowledge that being away from family and friends can be difficult, but the strong friendships they’ve developed within the team help make it easier.

They both feel that Maine was the right fit for them, with Parker trusting Reid’s opinion and Reid appreciating the school’s history and emphasis on hockey. While they both admit to having moments of wishing they were just regular college students, they also acknowledge that attending a smaller school like Maine allows them to focus on their dream of becoming NHL players.

Being a college athlete is a unique experience with both advantages and disadvantages.

Parker and Reid both appreciate the community support and opportunities to play big-time teams, but also acknowledge the challenges of being away from home and the sacrifices they have to make. They have also learned valuable life lessons from playing hockey, and are determined to pursue their dreams of playing in the NHL.