 "Photo: Nicholas Santiago / Staff Photographer")
Name: Phillip Wong
Position: Center
Number: 89
Height/Weight: 5-4 / 135 lbs
Class: Senior
High School: Lynbrook High School
Hometown: San Jose
How he fits
Phillip Wong contributes to San Diego State hockey with a no-fear attitude. He acts as the current club president and plays a physical game as a grinder.
“I like to get dirty in the corners, take and receive big hits,” Wong said. “To me no team or player is intimidating.”
Best tool
Wong does a great job of applying pressure offensively and defensively. His tenacity and speed serve as his strengths as a player.
“I actually think being small and fast makes it harder for bigger players to play against me,” Wong said. “Players don’t expect me to hit them.”
Indeed, Wong lacks the physical size thought to be necessary to play college hockey — 5 feet 4 inches and 135 pounds sounds like a punching bag for many hockey players. Some opponents find themselves second-guessing that assumption once Wong catches them with a big hit.
“Most of the time I’m able to get my head up and surprise them with a big hit of my own,” Wong said.
Wong understands the nuances of hockey. His ability to sense momentum and spirit within a hockey game is an underrated characteristic. He skates with a purpose and never takes a shift off. Wong has a skill for finding ways to inspire his teammates through action.
Something you don’t know
Wong graduated from the California Culinary Academy of San Francisco, receiving a degree from the Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts Program.
Quotable
“I became the team president so the coaches wouldn’t cut me,” Wong said.
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