The Hockey World is Starting to Notice 16yo Rising Star Goalie Jack Lombardi

January 08, 2020 - /PressAdvantage/ - Jack Lombardi hockey goalie has seen his stature go from being relatively unknown to someone that college and junior scouts are now taking a serious look at. His rise has seen him progress nicely through the ranks of several developmental hockey programs. He currently is playing for the Joliet, Illinois Jaguars. That team is a member of a well-respected developmental league called the NJPHL 18U. Lombardi has split time in net with the team's other goaltender and currently boasts a very respectable 90% save percentage. This has helped his team find success too as they have rolled to several wins and tournament championships in a season that has not even reached the halfway mark yet.

Lombardi talked about his start in hockey and realizing the effort it was going to take to be successful by saying, “I started to learn how to skate at 8 years old. At first, I was on and off with skating lessons. At 9 years old I began to take skating more seriously. It was at that point that my father was brutally honest with me and stressed that it was going to take a lot of hard work on and off the ice to make it further in the sport. I tried out for my first team at 11 years old. Having started so late, I needed to push myself and I was able to do that with help from my family. It was very important to dedicate myself to the training that was necessary in order to play goalie at a level where I could hold my own against College and Junior Hockey players. I know this is a viable option for me if I keep working hard and progressing at the pace I am."

At 16, Lombardi is also growing physically into what scouts look for in a goalie prospect. He currently stands at just under 6-feet tall and weighs 160 pounds. Since he has not stopped growing yet, that means he can easily end up being at least 6-feet 2-inches in height or better based on family history and growth averages for teens his size. Lombardi says he has grown almost 2-inches in just a little over a year.

Lombardi also talked about the importance of being a well-rounded person, not just a good hockey goalie by saying, “It’s true that I have worked hard at every level of hockey I have played to improve my skills. But I want to be known for being more than just the best I can be at hockey. Although my dream is to ultimately play in the NHL, I realize that only a small percentage of goalies ever get to play professionally. Therefore, I also take my studies at school very seriously. I know that getting good grades that lead to a good education is a surer path to be successful in life. If those studies aid me in becoming a scholarship goalie in college even better. My parents have always taught me to be polite and respect people as individuals too. Several of my coaches have also ingrained in me the importance of putting my team’s success ahead of any individual success I hope to achieve.” His school grade history shows he consistently achieves test scores that place him in the 90th percentile of all students his age.

Being a U18 hockey goalie that plays and trains in the Chicago area also offers him an opportunity to improve his overall game in other ways besides playing for a hockey team. Illinois and the neighboring states of Minnesota, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin are considered to be a hotbed for hockey. Each year these states host many tournaments, development camps, and team tryouts where young players can assess their skills compared to some of the best players in the USA. There is also plenty of opportunities to get individual training from former professional goaltenders that give 1-on-1 lessons in the area. Lombardi says he tries to take advantage of as many of these opportunities as possible each year.

Lombardi closed by saying, “Each year I give my all to this sport I love. I am committed to doing whatever it takes to play hockey at a high level. The team I play for now and any team I play for in the future will always get my absolute best effort to help them succeed.” He added that being listed on the ‘Elite Hockey Prospects’ and ‘Next College Student Athlete’ websites shows his hard work is paying off.

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