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MISSOULA- What would you do to pursue your dreams? Would you move away from home while you're still in high school?

Well that's exactly what most of the players on the Missoula Maulers hockey team did and Mark Holyoak went on special assignment to show you what it's like through the eyes of a Mauler from Johnstown, Pennsylvania, who's 2,100 miles from home.

It's 7:58 a.m. in Mister Owens weightlifting class at Sentinel High School and for the Maulers Corey Schafer, it's a great way to start a Tuesday. "It's pretty easy. It's what I like to do- lift weights."

Strength training helps Corey become a better hockey player, but it also helps him with his class work. "Get a good sweat going and everything from there I can stay awake because this wakes me up," he explained.

Corey is like any other student in class, taking notes, paying attention and looking to succeed, but with a different motivation.

"I'm trying to get a 3.0 now. Hockey comes first. Coaches care how we do in school. If you're not doing good in school, you don't play," Schafer pointed out.

While he seems like any other student in the hallways at Sentinel, his senior year actually began in Great Falls where he played hockey for the Americans, but he received a jolt when he got traded to Missoula.

"I had to start over with school, make friends, start over in classes, get used to teachers so I've been in three schools in my high school career, but I like where I'm at now," Schafer said.

Despite all the sacrifices, he's says he's really at home on the ice. "Sure I miss my family and friends. Missing my senior year is big, but it's worth it in the long run because I want to play hockey."

"Leaving home at 16 or 17 is not a sacrifice a lot of kids are willing to make. Kids that play for us make that," Maulers coach Marcus Baxter said.

""You gotta be mature to move away from home and start off with people you never met in your life, but now they're like family. This team is family for sure," Schafer added.

It's a family that helps point him to a future on ice. "I just want to play Division I hockey and then maybe pro somewhere- overseas or something. I just want to play hockey. It's my life and what I plan on doing until I can't," Schafer concluded.

His immediate goal is to help the Maulers win the American West Hockey League championship and go to nationals. He also signed a deal for next year with Wichita Falls of the North American Hockey League, which is a step up from Missoula.

We'll board the team bus for a trip to Bozeman to show you a behind the scenes look at how the team spends its weekends in our next report.