HIGHLIGHTS

HEIGHT: 6' 2'
WEIGHT: 170
DOB: 1995
TEAM: Omaha Lancers - USHL
GAA: 2.77

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Q. How has it been living away from home for the first time?

It’s been exactly what I had expected, an unbelievable experience. It’s a full commitment to hockey which is what I had hoped for. It’s been tough missing my family but it’s nice to only live two hours away from home so I can visit anytime, even if it’s only for a day. The AAA experience is much different then last year. My teams plays in the Midwest Tier 1 Elite league and the competition is top notch and pushes me to raise my level of play each day on and off the ice.

Q. How do you mentally prepare for a game 24 hours before it begins?

For my mental preparation 24 hours before games I don’t really look too much into it. I found that if I think about the game too much then I psych myself out. So 24 hours before I just relax and do what I normally would if I wasn’t playing a game. With an hour before game time, my mind set takes a 180 degree turn. I do  (6) 15 minute increment exercises 90 minutes before the game actually starts. The first 15 minutes I go out and do dynamic warm up stretching and get “pumped up”. The next 15 minutes I go in and just sit on the bench beside the rink and just sit there and study the ice. Then I take the next 15 minutes to get my bottom gear on and start bring in my focus on the game even more. The next 15 minutes I work on my hand eye coordination ball warm up where I just toss a lacrosse ball against the wall and watch it all the way in my glove, visualizing making each save. It helps get my eyes focused. The next 15 is for mental imagery. I visualize the 2-1′s, power plays and other situations that might occur during the game. I’ll also throw in anything I struggled with in practice or am nervous about as well leading up to the game to get it out of my mind. The last 15 minutes is for my top gear and deep breathing to relax and get in my zone and then….. I hit the ice READY!

Q. Do you have any superstitions?

I don’t really have any “superstitions”. The only thing I absolutely need is to be on time and my increments to be perfectly timed when moving. If this doesn’t happen properly, i feel off and get jittery.

Q. What dopes H.A.P. mean to you?

Have A Purpose – I’ve always heard Stan and the Bandits staff say this but never really understood how to apply it to my training. I really figured it out this past summer when I became really good friends with Ian Jenkins. He taught me more about what it meant and how to use it as a mindset. You have to figure out why you are training, why you sacrifice so much, and why you work so hard. When you find that reason you need to work for that reason every time your on the ice or in the gym. I once heard someone say:

Action Video Of Thatcher this past summer at the 5 Nations Cup: https://s3.amazonaws.com/ThatcherVids/Demko.vs.Czech.Republic.5Nations.mp4

Q. You have been a student at Bandits for several years now, how has it helped your training on and off the ice?

The whole Bandits coaching staff is amazing. They have shaped me into the goalie I am today. It’s so helpful having a group of experienced goalie coaches a phone call away just waiting to help you. They don’t force one way of goaltending on you like other coaches, they will give you tools so you can use if them in a comfortable way that makes you better goaltender. Bandits attract kids of all ages from all over the world. It’s an unbelievable program and I would recommend it to any goalie trying to get to the next level.