Ever since junior forward J.J. Dennstedt joined a recreational soccer team at age five, he’s been a scoring threat to his opponents and an admirable leader to his teammates.
Dennstedt, a mechanical engineering major from Rochester, N.Y., banked 34 goals and 22 assists in his four years at Victor Senior High School. He was an All-State Player, two-time All Greater Rochester Player and Section V Finger Lakes Player of the Year.
Here at UR, Dennstedt has proved he can make it at the collegiate level, too. This season, he has scored seven goals and made three assists his 17 points thus far lead the team.
What’s your favorite movie?
‘A Night at the Roxbury.”
You’ve been playing soccer since you were 5. If you had to give advice to beginning soccer players, what would you say?
Do what you like. If you like soccer, then just stick with it.
Why do you wear No. 20?
I wore it for 10 years now so I just stay with it.
What do you think is the most admirable quality of an athlete?
Physical ability is an important thing to have. You could train other things, like mental toughness, but you can’t instantly learn to have the right build and the right speed for a sport.
How has playing on the men’s team affected your overall experience at UR?
I’ve met a lot of people through the team, and they’ve become a great group of friends for me. And soccer got me into college in the first place.
In all your successes in high school and college soccer, which has been the most special?
Probably the trip to Spain that I took with the team in the spring. Every four years, there is a foreign trip. On our trip, we played three games in Barcelona and saw the FC Barcelona stadium, which was so big. It was the most memorable experience in my entire life.
Kravitz is a member of the class of 2012.
