The Jewish Link of New Jersey and Gotham Burger would like to recognize Michal Michael as this week’s Sportstar of the week. Last week, the 18-year-old Frisch Hockey co-captain set a new league record for career goals: her 52 goals surpassed Aliza Hillers’ old mark of 50. Michal is a standout soccer player at Frisch and co-coach (along with Kayla Blumenfeld) of the Yeshivat Noam girls soccer team. Under her leadership, the Knights finished in second place, earning a first round bye. They topped Hillel 3-2 in the second round. Their next stop is the championship
Michal, who would you say is your role model?
I guess one of my role models is my teacher Dr. Shira Weiss. She started college at the University of Pennsylvania and played on their ice hockey team. She later switched to Stern College and pursued a career in philosophy. Her ability to mix a love of sports, intellect and Judaism is something that I think is extremely important and I wish to emulate.
Who is your favorite athlete, and why?
Henrik Lundqvist. He is the rock of the Rangers. The team relies on him to bail them out and protects him like a little sister. He seems to be calm, cool and collected as he plays. His ability to ground the team is something that I wish I could do, and hope that I do.
What is your pregame routine?
Before every home game my line-mate Kayla Blumenfeld and I walk around the Frisch track and listen to music to clear our heads and calm down.
What is your earliest sports memory?
1) Watching my brothers Josh and Ari Michael play TABC hockey. I think I was their biggest fan. I was that 5-year-old begging to stay up for a 9 p.m. game that I could barely see because I wasn’t tall enough.
2) My family is a major football family and to me football wasn’t an automatic love. From the earliest that I can remember, my whole family would pile onto the couch to watch the game every Sunday and I would be sitting there bored beyond words.
What is your favorite sports memory?
When I was first learning how to play hockey, I used to go to the basement with my brother, Josh Michael, and play for hours. He used to run circles around me but whenever I was on the cusp of being frustrated he would “mess up” and I would get so excited that I stole the ball from him.
What is your favorite thing to do when you are not playing sports?
I love monitoring the first cuts at Anthropologie or going on any spontaneous adventure with friends.
What is the best thing about being a sportstar?
To be honest I am a little awkward about being featured in an article so I guess the best thing about it is the ability to showcase all the efforts of the Frisch Cougars. I wouldn’t have had a single goal without them. Not without Jessica Adler saving the ball, the defense clearing it or Kayla constantly throwing perfect passes through the middle of the court.”
The Gotham Burger Sportstar of the Week will receive a $10 gift certificate to Gotham Burger. Please send nominees for next week’s Gotham Burger Sportstar of the Week to [email protected]
