The Clayton hockey team has been doing pretty well so far this season. One of the main contributors to this is sophomore forward Gabe Jacus.
Jacus has been playing hockey since he was just five years old, thanks to Clayton alumni Max Barron.

Sophomore athlete of the month Gabe Jacus led the team with 32 goals and 22 assists in just 20 games.

“Max Barron used to come to my house and get me to play street hockey and then he eventually got me to play ice hockey,” Jacus said.
Playing hockey as a child paid off in the long run, as Jacus began playing on the varsity Clayton team during his freshman year.  That season, he scored 1.5 goals per game.  Jacus dangled his way through the club season as well, and has now established himself on the St. Louis hockey scene.
Being one of the best players on the team, Jacus tallied a team-high 32 goals and 22 assists, showing why he plays on the top line. He has had three game winning goals this year alone.
So far this season, Jacus has scored half of the team’s game winning goals. Even though the team is 6-16-1, he still has a strong passion for the sport.
Jacus receives a lot of emotional support from his teammates as well.
“He is really fun to play with,” sophomore forward Will Rosenfeld said. “He scores a lot of goals and is tough.”
This season alone, Jacus had 47 penalty minutes, showing his phenomenal toughness on the ice.
In the last game of the playoffs, Jacus managed four goals and an assist in an 8-5 loss to Fort Zumwalt South.
On a better note, the Hounds’ first Ladue game was one of the team’s best because of their dedication and hard work on the ice.
“Our team was able to win without a full team,” Jacus said. “A lot of individuals stepped up their game, and that was fun to watch.”
Even though Jacus is dedicated to hockey, he seems to be very relaxed when it comes to setting personal goals for the season. This year he didn’t make any set goals for himself; however, he did want to score as many goals possible.
Jacus doesn’t have his heart set on any college just yet, but if the opportunity arose he may just take a scholarship.
“If a good offer came up from a school, then I’d think about it, but I have no problem just going to a school and having fun,” Jacus said. “I’ve got a lot of time to think about it, so I don’t worry too much.”
At this point Jacus is exceeding in the sport and may, in time, have an opportunity to make this a profession.
“For a while that was my plan, but a lot changes over time,” Jacus said. “It would be great, but the sacrifices you need to make and the dedication you need to have is just ridiculous.”
Jacus plans on playing hockey throughout high school and may eventually turn his love of the sport into a career.