After hours of practice, moving all over the country, getting little sleep and an injury, Alex Miller’s hard work is paying off.

Freshman engineering major Miller was recruited to play as a defenseman for the Seawolves Hockey team.

“Hockey is a huge part of me, it is who I am,” he said.

Miller was recently chosen to be an alternate defenseman for the 2013 U.S. Men’s National University Team, which will compete in the Winter World University Games in December in Italy. “It’s like a mini Olympics,” he said.

Originally from Ann Arbor, Mich., Miller discovered his love for the game at a very young age. When he was five years old, he joined his first team and has enjoyed it ever since. In Michigan, Miller played for the team Belle Tire and was the captain of the Detroit Falcons.

After high school, Miller was recruited to play hockey in Vermont. He had his own apartment and lived with other team members. Miller says playing for the Vermont Glades, which is part of the Eastern Junior Hockey League, was a full time job.

“We were basically like professionals,” he said. “They had practice almost all day, every day.”

After playing for the Glades for a year, Miller was then recruited to play for the Portland Pirates in Maine. He says that while playing in Maine, he felt more confident in his abilities.

“I was more of a leader and knew what I was doing,” he said.

For the next year, Miller played with the Pirates before getting recruited once again. This time, he was asked to join the Stony Brook Seawolves. Miller says the point of the junior hockey league is to get into a good college and that Stony Brook was a good place to get an education.

“Hockey is the one thing that’s constant in my life. Everything else is always changing but this stays the same no matter where I go,” he said.

As of now, the Seawolves Hockey team is 11th in the country with a 13-2-3 record. Christopher Garofalo, the head coach for the past four years, says he is very proud of the team and honored that three members were asked to compete in Italy.

Garofalo recruited Miller to play for the team over the summer.

“Alex is a very smart, disciplined hockey player and a great student in the classroom,” he said.

Miller says he has no regrets about starting school later, rather than right after high school. He believes he can stay more organized and manage his time better.

“I’m more able to handle hockey and a full course load now,” he said.

“You have to do it because you want to. I wanted to get better. It just makes it more worthwhile and work harder when you do something you love”

The Stony Brook Seawolves’ next home game is Jan. 11, 2014 where they will play Liberty University at 8:30 p.m.