Mike Sparago is a rarity – an outstanding hockey player who played three sports in high school, and excelled in all three. This Suffern High School graduate started on Suffern’s renowned varsity hockey team as an 8th grader, being only the second 8th grader to ever make the team. Mike played 5 years of varsity hockey for Coach John Orlando and along the way was voted All County 3 times. He wound up being the 7th leading point scorer and 4th all time leader in goals for the Mounties. In 1980, while still competing in high school, Mike was selected by the United States Olympic
Committee to play in the 16 years and under Best 100 Players Showcase. During the fall season Mike played football for the Mounties. He was a two year starter on the varsity team and in his senior year, Mike was voted All County Honorable Mention by The Journal News. That year he was the 4th leading rusher in Rockland County. In the spring time
Mike played lacrosse. He was a 4 year varsity starter on Suffern’s highly successful varsity team. In his junior year Mike was selected 2nd team All County and, as the senior captain of the lacrosse team, Mike was voted to the 1st
team All County list.

After Mike graduated from Suffern High School in 1982, he joined the Sioux City Musketeers of the United States Junior Hockey League and played with them through 1984. During that time he was selected as a first team
league All Star and scored 54 goals, had 36 assists in the 46 games that he played. Also in 1984 Mike was selected to play for the USA in the World Junior Cup in Switzerland where the USA team was the Gold Medal winners. For his efforts on the USA team, Mike earned a hockey scholarship to Ferris State University in Michigan, wherehe competed in the NCAA Division I Central Collegiate Hockey Association and was a three year starter. Mike scored 27 goals and had 17 assists in the 88 varsity games he played in. He graduated from  Ferris State in 1988 with a degree in Business. Mike continued his hockey career by being invited to the training camp of the St. Louis Blues of the NHL. After training camp with the Blues, he signed with the Virginia Lancers of the Atlantic Coast Hockey League. The
Lancers areaClass A professional team. In his rookie year Mike was 4th on the team in scoring with 26 goals and 48 assists in 41 games as he helped them to the Atlantic Coast Championships. Mike lead the Lancers in scor-
ing during the playoffs. For his efforts, Mike won the Rookie of the Year award in the Atlantic Coast Hockey League.
Now retired from competitive hockey, Mike works as a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley. He lives in Hohokus, New Jersey and is married to his wife Deborah and has three children, Jack, 8, Lindsay, 7, and Charles, 5. He spends his free time coaching youth hockey and football in Bergen County.