When first-year Jarrid Privitera was two years old, he said he never would have dreamed of being where he is now.

Growing up in Rhode Island, roller hockey was Privitera’s first love. Luckily for UVM hockey, he decided to switch wheels for blades.

“When I was younger, my grandfather was one of my biggest role models; he was battling cancer at the time and his strength definitely motivated me,” Privitera said.

Jarrid now finds himself in the starting lineup for the Cats as a first-year.

Standing at 5-foot-7, he said he’s overcome the odds of being the “small guy” on every team.

Privitera looked to other shorter players as role models.

“I gotta go with one of the little guys like Martin St. Louis. They prove that you can make it somewhere no matter your size,” he said.

St. Louis is a former Catamount himself graduating in 1997.

Privitera hopes to follow in St. Louis’ footsteps to NHL, he said.

In his first season, Privitera has made the lineup for the Catamounts’ first eight games, posting a goal and one assist.

“It’s definitely a lot faster game, there’s a lot more focus on the little things, as well as possessing the puck,” Privitera said.

“I hit a bit of a rut early on, but my goal in the scrimmage definitely boosted my confidence,” he said.

Q&A with teammate Kyle Reynolds

The Cynic sat down with men’s hockey senior forward Kyle Reynolds to discuss Privitera’s impact on the team.

The Vermont Cynic (VC): What has Jarrid brought to the team both as a player and a person?

Kyle Reynolds (KR): He’s fast for sure, works hard and as a first-year guy that’s all you can ask for.

He brings speed and energy to the lineup every night.

In the locker room, he brings energy, brightens the mood of the team up by laughing and have a good time.

VC: Being one of the seniors on the team, what is your relationship with Jarrid?

KR: That’s what’s special about UVM.  No matter what class you are, everybody gets along.

We all hang out away from the rink, and he’s definitely a great guy to be around.

VC: How does Jarrid’s style of play fit with the team?

KR: He’s obviously a very fast player; he makes the simple plays in crucial moments, which is what we need.

We lost guys from last year who brought a lot of energy on the ice and having him has been very beneficial and he’s made an immediate impact.

VC: What type of impact do you think he’ll have going forward with the season or seasons to come?

KR: As long as he focuses on doing the little things day in and day out, especially as a first-year guy, he definitely deserves to be in the lineup on a nightly basis and he’s a fun player to watch.

VC: Could you see him taking on a leadership role as one of the captains in the future?

KR: That’s kind of hard to tell right now, but all our freshmen are great guys and have qualities that can promote leadership.

Whether he’s a captain or not, having him is very beneficial to the program, and he’s made a big impact.