This month's UMD Bulldogs Bark and The Bite presented by Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union, is a special feature on UMD men's hockey sophomore goaltender, Zach Stejskal. UMD Bulldog athletic director Josh Berlo sat down with Zach to discuss the Bulldogs and his current status heading into this weekend's series against Alaska Fairbanks. Zach opens up about his health and looks forward to returning to the ice later this year.  

JOSH:  Zach, I think most of Bulldog Country is aware that you have not been between the pipes since the Ice Breaker weekend back in October. As we discussed last week you have something you would like to share and as such we are doing this special edition of the Bark and the Bite. What do you want Bulldog Country to know?
ZACH:  Back in October, after noticing something was not quite right I went to the doctor and I was subsequently diagnosed with Testicular Cancer. Since then I have had surgery and am currently undergoing chemotherapy treatment. I am doing well and feeling pretty good. It has certainly been an unexpected and fairly scary experience, but, with a lot of support, I have taken the fight head on and am doing well. I want everyone to know that I DO PLAN TO PLAY hockey yet this season.
 
JOSH:  Great that you are hanging in there Zach. As the spouse of a 12-year cancer survivor who was diagnosed at 29, albeit with a different kind, I can understand some of the challenges you are facing. As I shared with you the other day, there are many great survivor stories out there, but the journey is a challenging one. How have you handled the stress of the diagnosis and treatment?
ZACH:  I have had a ton of support, from Dr. Suz Hoppe who oversees Bulldog Hockey Sports Medicine to my great teammates, coaches and all of the hockey team staff to Dr. Jeff Engersjerd at Essentia Health to my amazing family and girlfriend. It has been hard, but I have taken it one-step at a time, stayed positive and focused on getting healthy, taking care of my academics and staying in shape.
 
JOSH:  What led you to want to talk publicly about going through Cancer as a young man and Division I hockey student-athlete?
ZACH:  I want to encourage people, men in particular, to go to the doctor, to get their regular health screenings and not ignore something that does not feel right. It helped me to get on this early. It makes health issues more manageable and gives you more treatment options. In addition, it is Movember, a time of the year that we in hockey try to generate attention on men's health issues and this was an opportunity to personally shed some additional light on these topics. By doing so I am trying to do some good out of my situation.
 
JOSH:  That is incredibly impressive and mature Zach. How can people support Movember and men's health awareness, research and treatment?
ZACH:  First, take care of your own health and encourage the men in your lives to pay attention to their health.  Support Movember by raising awareness or donating to my teammate and fellow goalie's (Ben Patt)  Movember fund raising effort.
 
JOSH:  Well Zach, please know that we are incredibly proud of you and how you are navigating this. Most importantly, we are so glad your treatment has been successful thus far and you are doing well.  I am sure that I speak for many in saying that we can't wait to see you back out on the ice. In closing, do you have any advice for those out there that are facing this battle?
ZACH:  Again, take it one-step at a time, embrace the support you are receiving, keep an eye on your mental health too and get some help if you need it. Stay positive and embrace the challenge no matter what your age is, what kind of cancer you have or what else you have going on in your life, focus on what you can control and battle on.
 
The Bulldogs would like to thank Zach for sharing his story and we encourage all of Bulldog Country who would like to show their support of Zach to send cards to the following address or show him support on social media or email.

For those that want to support Zach you can connect in the following ways:
Email:   champ@d.umn.edu
Social:   @Zstejskal (Twitter) | @zach_stejskal (Instagram) 
Mail:    Zach Stejskal
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