Vecchione finding home at Union

Figuring out what direction to take in life can be like using a GPS. You plug in the destination, hit “go” and hope it takes you where you want to go.When Mike Vecchione of Saugus graduated from Malden Catholic in 2011, he had a plan. He was heading to the University of New Hampshire to play Division 1 hockey, but first he had to spend a year in junior hockey. One year in junior hockey turned into two and Vecchione decided to de-commit from UNH and look into other college options.?After I de-committed, one of the first schools to jump on me was Union. I talked to more people who said Union would be the perfect place to play,” Vecchione said. “When I saw the campus, met with the coaches and players, everything felt right.”That brings us back to the GPS. Although the route might be indirect, it usually gets you where you want to be.Union made it to the NCAA Division 1 tournament last year, where it defeated Boston College before losing to Quinnipiac. The Dutchmen finished 22-13-5.Union is off to another strong start this year. The Dutchmen are 12-3-3 and 9-0-1 in their last 10 games. Vecchione has five goals and eight assists.?Everything is pretty much going great,” Vecchione said. “I?ve played in every game and been pretty productive out there. I?m happy with how everything has played out.”Vecchione said the school, which has just over 2,100 undergraduates, has been a good fit academically as well. It operates on a tri-semester system, which he said helps distribute the workload a little better.?The on-campus life is pretty great. Everyone is close. It?s like the college version of Malden Catholic. MC is a small school where everyone knows each other. Union is small. I like the way it?s set up,” he said.Vecchione spent the two years following his graduation from MC playing for the Tri City Storm, a Junior A hockey team in Nebraska. Although it was a bit of a culture shock, Vecchione said he enjoyed it.?I had a good couple of years out there. It was a lot of fun. Going from city life to the middle of the country was different,” he said. “I would drive through a cornfield, down a dirt road to get to my house.”Vecchione lived with a family while he was playing.?The hockey was great and the family I lived with were the nicest people you would ever want to meet,” he said. “They?ll probably be lifelong friends. It was a big culture shock, but it was a great experience.”Vecchione said the two years of Junior A hockey definitely prepared him for college hockey. He said the USHL style of play was similar to ECAC play.?When I stepped into Union, I kind of fit in already,” he said.Vecchione had a very successful career at MC. The Lancers won the Division 1A (Super 8) title his senior year.?Back when I was first looking at schools, Union wasn?t in the picture,” he said. “I wasn?t talking to them. UNH is a great school. It would have been nice to play there too, but everything is meant for a reason. I?m happy where I?m at now. Union is a great spot for me.”Although Union has been on break since Thanksgiving, Vecchione?s time off has been much shorter. He?ll be heading back to school a couple of days after Christmas.