When you ask any one of Nick Lamberg’s peers how to describe him as a hockey player or a person, there is always one word that comes to mind: Passion.

Dean Causevic, Lamberg’s senior hockey teammate, said it himself.

“Nick’s a really passionate player,” Causevic said. “He’s always going to play to win.”

This fire and passion for hockey isn’t just exclusive on the ice. It also happens on the green and fairway, too.

“I first met Nick during the 2019 golf summer camp for the first time,” Bucciarelli said. 

Lamberg, who was playing the sport for the first time, wowed Buccarelli. The sport just came naturally to him.

“Hockey is like a natural transition to golf,” Buccarelli said. “It’s the same type of swing.”

Lamberg’s skill paid off. He became just one of 14 male golfers in school history to be named to the All-Conference team. He also was captain and sectional qualifier.

“Nick was a huge attribute to the team,” said Buccarelli. “The way he carried himself as an athlete, the other athletes followed.”

The success translated to the ice as well. In 2022, Lamberg’s hockey team PREP (a co-op between Prospect, Rolling Meadows and Elk Grove), suffered a heartbreaking loss to end their season against Wheaton West in the State Semifinals in Bensenville.

The team didn’t hang their heads. In the 2023 state championship game, PREP went 53-2-6 and overcame a 1-0 deficit, going up 3-1 in a game against its opponent Chicago North. Lamberg found his chance and scored the game-winner.

Not only did the team take the State Championship for combined varsity programs, but they also took home the 2023 Division II national championship.

“Everything we worked for, came true,” Lamberg said. “I don’t really remember when we won, so yea.”

Lamberg scored 11 goals, 6 assists (17 points) and 5 power play goals en route to dominating their opponents 35-13 in a six-game stretch, which included a 6-3 championship win over the Des Moines Oak Leafs on March 27. Elk Grove’s own Kounosuke ‘Kou’ Tsuchiya would score in the championship in addition to Lamberg scoring two.

Lamberg plans on going to University of Iowa this coming fall, majoring in sports management – and joining their hockey club.