Scholar Stories: Estapa's Success Driven by Pushing Boundaries
3/8/2023 4:00:00 PM | Ice Hockey, Features
Continuing the series that began in 2016-17, each Wednesday MGoBlue.com will highlight a Michigan student-athlete and their academic pursuits. These are our Scholar-Athlete Stories, presented by Absopure.
By Morgan Wagner
St. Clair, Mich., native Mark Estapa has had his eye on Michigan hockey since he was very young. Growing up about an hour and a half northeast of Ann Arbor, on the border of the United States and Canada, he was raised around maize and blue and dreamt of one day becoming a Wolverine.
"When I was young, my dad made an ice rink in the backyard and I kept little journal logs of what my goals would be someday, and one of the things was obviously, playing hockey at the collegiate level, hopefully for the University of Michigan."
The sophomore forward first visited Yost Ice Arena at a very young age and can still recall how "electric" and "unreal" the chaotic atmosphere was.
Now, about 14 years later, Estapa is amplifying the buzz around the rink and enriching the traditions that have been around for a century.
For those that know Estapa, they know he is a Children of Yost fan-favorite for how often he gets in trouble. He has tallied 87 penalty minutes this season, coming in at No. 2 in the Big Ten rankings. Although this is not something he is necessarily proud of, he confesses to constantly testing the waters and pushing the limits of the game.
"I don't like being in the penalty box often," he said, "but I'd say I try to play a game where I play on the edge between pushing the boundaries, the rules, and trying to stay out of the box. I guess part of it is the learning process, learning where you can push it to and where you have to maybe hold back a little bit."
When he is not on the ice or in the penalty box, Estapa can be found knee-deep in his studies. Playing at the highest level of college hockey undoubtedly complements his work ethic in the classroom and has taught him a lot of lessons. Estapa is enrolled in the Ross School of Business and has mastered the art of time management between juggling his demanding course load and intense athletic schedule.
"Playing hockey alongside teammates who care (about school) and want to get better every day is kind of like going to class here at the University of Michigan," he said. "Everyone wants to learn, and it pushes me to work harder in the classroom as well. Being surrounded by people who want to keep improving definitely has a positive influence."
Estapa is surrounded by a sea of motivated students due to Ross' collaborative and action-based learning curriculum, and he is certainly not one that shies away from working on a team. Hockey has taught him how to lead and contribute in his own way in the classroom.
"One of the great things about Ross is that most of the classes are team-oriented," he said. "For a lot of the assignments, you work in groups and with teams, so that gives you an opportunity to meet a lot of people away from the rink and some of the people that I have met in my groups are really good friends of mine now."
Estapa touched on the impacts of a light-hearted sibling rivalry which has extended far beyond wrestling or playing mini sticks and having Nerf wars in the basement. Estapa credits his older brother, John, for inspiring him to pick up a hockey stick and continuously encouraging him since they were little.
"I think competing with him every single day is a major part of who I am today," Estapa said. "He's always been there for me."
There's a bit of a family feud in the Estapas' divided household as both his mom and brother graduated from Michigan State.
"They love to give it to me about every other sport and they love to talk about their school, but when it comes to hockey, they root for Michigan."
Rivalry has been a common thread throughout Estapa's life but it has only been magnified and reinforced in this stage of his life, playing hockey for Michigan.
"Every time we play our rival teams, especially Ohio State, that's when you really see how insane this building (Yost) gets and how great the support is," he said. "And there's just that much more urgency when you play a team like that. It's deeper than just the game."
This past summer, Estapa attended the Vegas Golden Knights development camp alongside Brendan Brisson, Nolan Moyle, Steven Holtz and Jackson Hallum.
"It was an unbelievable experience. Meeting all the staff and players within their organization was great," Esatpa said. "Learning from their staff there and seeing how they go about their daily routines as well was interesting."
Although Estapa is currently undrafted, he plans on pushing the limits and living out his lifelong dream of playing in the NHL.
"I do see myself playing professional hockey someday, and I know that it is a task that I can work towards every day," he said. "All of the resources available at Michigan are great tools to learn and get better from every day.
"I also understand that developing every day on and off the ice is extremely important in order to have success in the future."
Two of Estapa's most cherished memories in his time at Michigan come from last year's Big Ten Tournament and the team's advancement to the NCAA Frozen Four. Last March, the Wolverines defeated No. 1-ranked Minnesota in the Gophers' arena. Shortly thereafter, the team punched its ticket to the Frozen Four and headed to Boston, Mass.
"That was unbelievable," he said. "As a freshman, I felt super fortunate to get that experience. And obviously, we want it to happen again this year. Having the experience from last year and carrying it over to this year, I think will help out in the long run too."
Although the team dynamics have shifted slightly due to losing 14 players from the 2021-22 roster and welcoming an 11-member freshman class. One thing has stayed the same: the Wolverines are looking to make a run deep into the postseason.
"Our team got a little younger," he said. "So the young guys last year have to step up and be more of leaders. I think the freshmen have done a great job of stepping up as well and I think everyone has grown a lot throughout the year."
Sitting at No. 4 in the DCU/USCHO poll and No. 2 in the Big Ten standings, Estapa and the Wolverines are hungry to return to the Frozen Four in Tampa, Fla., on April 6.
What Estapa's future holds is unknown, between choosing a major specialization and attempting to secure a professional hockey career. He has a lot to think about, but for now, he has his eye on growth and building connections in every aspect of his life.
