Chase Polacek

Classroom

Chase Polacek is a business and management major in the prestigious Lally School of Business and Management. He has a 3.46 GPA and is a multiple Dean’s List honoree and a three-time recipient of ECAC Hockey All-Academic honors.

Character

Polacek is an assistant captain of the Engineers. In addition to hockey responsibilities, he also serves as a Student Ambassador for the Institute.

Community

Polacek has participated in volunteer efforts throughout his time at Rensselaer. His contributions include serving as a volunteer with the Troy-Albany Youth Hockey Association for the past four years; participating in the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life in each of his first three years; playing in an exhibition game against the Capital District Sled Warriors in an event held to help raise money and awareness for the sled hockey team and STRIDE Adaptive Sports; assisting in the efforts to clean up Prospect Park, a public park greatly affected by storm damage; and volunteering with United Way of the Greater Capital Region to help repair and revitalize a stretch of road, removing the existing blacktopped traffic triangle and replacing it with planted shrubbery and mulch.

Competition

In his junior season, Polacek led the team in goals (26) and points (52) and ranked second in assists (26). He finished as a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award and also earned ECAC Hockey Player of the Year honors. He was also named an All-American by the American Hockey Coaches Association, Inside College Hockey, All-College Hockey News and All-USCHO.com. Nationally, Polacek ranked third in power-play goals, sixth in points per game, eighth in goals per game and 10th in short-handed goals. He enters his senior year as a preseason All-ECAC selection by both the coaches and media. He was voted as the team’s Most Valuable Player the last two seasons.