Defenseman Marnauzs first DI men’s recruit for upcoming fall semester
3/24/2023 5:38:00 PM | Men's D1 Hockey
Martin Marnauzs, a defenseman born in Latvia who has lived most of his life in Illinois, outside of Chicago, became the first 2023-24 commitment for Liberty University's ACHA Division I men's hockey team on Friday.
"I heard about Liberty from my connections in the hockey world," said Marnauzs, who visited Lynchburg, Va., for the first time on Thursday. "It is a great atmosphere and a great coaching staff."
Marnauzs, who will turn 21 next month, just finished his season with the Jersey Hitmen of the National Collegiate Development Conference (NCDC) after playing previously this year with the New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs and the Twin City Thunder. Last season, he played half a season with the Northeast Generals and half with the Maine Nordiques, both of the North American Hockey League (NAHL). He spent the entire 2020-21 season with the Lone Star Brahmas of the NAHL.
"It was pretty tough at the beginning, but I have learned a lot and have grown up more and developed as a person and as a player," he said of his three years of Juniors hockey experience. "I'm always looking for a good challenge, and an opportunity to help the fan base and to win games."
In Latvia, where he lived until the age of 6, the only sport he played was basketball. However, he witnessed his share of hockey there, which planted a seed in his heart for when he arrived in the United States.
He quickly became a fan of both the NBA's Chicago Bulls and the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks.
"The Blackhawks have given me a lot of childhood memories that I'll cherish, of how they were so dominant," he said. "They gave me some idols to look up to."
However, in addition to his improvement in the sport of hockey, Marnauzs has grown in his relationship with God and holds no one in higher esteem than Jesus. His faith was one of his primary reasons for seeking to play for the Flames.
"The players seemed very friendly and Christ-oriented, which is very important to me," he said.
Though he has never served on a team's captaincy corps, Marnauzs has the experience of mentoring younger players throughout his career.
"I have been the oldest player on a team and am good at giving advice to rookies and players just starting out," he said.
As a player, he brings a level of professionalism to the locker room and is a good communicator on the ice who adds plenty of energy on the bench as well.
"I'm pretty energetic," he said. "Depending on the situation, if we're having fun, I'm very positive and bring a good vibe. If we're losing and needing someone to step up and be a leader, I'm willing to do that as well. I try to stay positive and serious as well."
He describes himself as a defensive-minded defenseman.
"I like to get gritty in the corners and also to get a jump and play in the rush," Marnauzs said. "I'm definitely a shooter and I love to shoot the puck. But I like to do the small things that are key to uplifting our team to wins — a quick pass or an effective breakout, playing the system correctly. It starts with good stick position, making timely plays and good routes."
At Liberty, Marnauzs plans to study in the School of Business, as many of his future teammates already do, and to play hockey professionally after graduation.
"That has been a dream of mine I have worked for that since I've been a little kid and to achieve that would be a dream come true," he said.
As a backup plan, he would love to use his business degree to build a gym and start training athletes and the general public, he said, noting that strength training is one of his passions.
"One of the main things I do to give me the edge is put the extra effort in the gym, as well as being the first on the ice and the last off of it," he said, noting that he is excited to see what types of workouts Club Sports Director of Sports Performance Chris Kerr has for him throughout the season. "This summer, I will be skating every day and going to the gym, meeting with my trainer (USA Hockey Director of Sports Science Brian Galivan) when he is back in the Chicago area, and learning from other Juniors players."
By Ted Allen/Staff Writer; Video by Megan Davis/Club Sports Assistant Director of Marketing & Social Media