By Avery Williamson
For Wasilla High School standout Porter Schachle, hockey has always been a big part of his life. “I live on the (same) street with all my family members, and we would always have an outdoor rink,” he said. “All my uncles played, and my dad played hockey, so my family got me into it.”
Porter’s hockey career began when he was just four years old. Although he also played soccer growing up, he stopped at the age of eight. “I just liked being at the rink a lot more than being at a soccer field,” he said.
“I felt like if I was outside, I’d rather be doing something else than playing soccer. The rink is just a lot more fun.”
Growing up in Wasilla, Porter always enjoyed traveling to Anchorage to play against some of the area’s top players. “There was Max (Helgeson), (Brandon) Lajoie, (Aiden) Westin, and (Tanner) Edwards,” he said. “It was really fun getting to compete against those guys because they were just a lot better.”
After graduating high school, Porter played two seasons (2018-20) with the Kenai River Brown Bears in the North American Hockey League before moving to the NAHL’s Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks (2020-21).
Porter then made the transition to college hockey, playing two seasons at the University of Vermont. After his sophomore year of college, Porter looked into UAA. “I liked the coaching staff that was there,” he said.
“I felt like the team was pretty good even though they only had one season to really put a team together. I just felt like they were going to get a lot better.”
Fellow Alaskan Max Helgeson also played a large role in Porter’s decision. “I grew up playing with and against him,” Porter said. “Just talking to him and seeing how much he enjoyed his first year made it sound like it would be a good spot to be.”
Now that he’s back in Alaska, Porter enjoys having his family at home games. “It’s awesome to have them at the games,” he said. “Knowing that they’re in the crowd supporting you means a lot.”
Beyond family, Porter is thrilled to be surrounded by the mountains once again. “My brother would always get mad at me because I’d be taking pictures of the mountains whenever I was back,” he said.
As a senior finishing his final year as a Seawolf, Porter aims to be a supportive teammate. “We have some awesome guys on our team,” he said, “and I just want to be there for them.”
As for his pre-game routine, Porter sticks to the same stretches before hitting the ice. But, more importantly, he participates in a game of sewerball.
“I play a game with our entire team, and then we play a three-man game after that’s done,” he said. “We do that every single time.”
UP NEXT
Fans can watch Porter in action on February 12 when the Seawolves take on Connecticut in an away game. Anchorage fans are encouraged to join the official watch party at Las Margaritas, located at 541 W. Dimond Blvd.