Hard-hitting, fast-paced hockey at the collegiate level is quite a jump for those who have finished their high school careers. Dave Landau Jr, just completed bridging that gap with a ladder-climbing stint through junior hockey — one in which his skills on and off ice have left a big impression on his coach and others in the game.

The 20-year-old defenseman from Newtown, this month, finished his second season in the Junior A level Minnesota Junior Hockey League, a college preparatory league, and is ready to make the move to college hockey beginning this coming fall.

Landau, who served as captain of the Wisconsin Rapids Riverkings, played in all 43 regular-season games and proved to be quite an offensive defenseman, scoring 25 goals, and assisting on 39 others for 64 points. His better than a point per game total made him third on the roster in total points despite the fact he’s a blue liner. The 6-foot-2, 205-pounder also contributed a handful of assists in four playoff games.

Landau, who played two seasons at Newtown High School, as well as a couple of campaigns with the Brewster Bulldogs, a bantam level team, out of New York, got a taste of junior hockey locally, with the Hartford Wolf Pack junior team and the Norwalk-based Connecticut Oilers. He moved to New Mexico to play for the Junior B level Renegades of the Western States Hockey League in the 2012-13 campaign before advancing to lace up the skates in the Minnesota league.

“That was a big turning point in my career,” Landau says of bringing his game to New Mexico and suddenly playing in a league in which players wear half shields and fighting is permitted, after wearing a full cage in no-fighting leagues for his entire career.

“It’s bigger, faster, stronger” is how Landau describes the step up from high school hockey to juniors. And he’s anticipating a similar upgrade in talent and skill at the collegiate level.

Landau has committed to play at Morrisville (N.Y.) State College in Morrisville after being recruited to play for the Division III school. He considers the junior hockey portion of his career to be a nice stepping stone to begin his collegiate career.

“It gives you another couple of years to develop. It prepares you more,” Landau said.

He notes that college hockey teams include the top junior players and he’s expecting to have to elevate his game even more to continue his on-ice success.

“Its’ more physical — it’s faster,” he said in anticipation. “I’m very excited. It’s a whole new game making the step from juniors to college hockey.”

Marty Quarters, his head coach with the Riverkings, and also general manager of the team, expects that Landau will have no problems acclimating to the game at the collegiate level, noting that his biggest adjustment will likely be in getting back to juggling school work and hockey for the first time in a couple of years. Quarters speaks very highly of Landau’s locker room and on-ice presence.

“He’s the first guy on the ice every day and the last guy off the ice every day,” said the coach, adding that Landau, because of his care for teammates and attitude on the ice, is “probably the most respected player in the league.” Quarters adds: “It makes my job as coach a lot easier.”

Quarters adds that he was recruited by numerous schools. He decided on Morrisville because his family has an upstate New York home.

Knowing his game play on the ice was being evaluated by scouts might have been a bit nerve-wracking, but Landau points out that “you can’t really think about it when you’re on the ice.”

Landau grew up playing youth hockey in leagues through the Danbury Ice Arena, where his dad currently plays in weekly men’s leagues. Since first putting on the pads and hitting the ice at the age of 6 or 7, Landau has had a great appreciation for the game.

Working his way toward a college career has taken quite a commitment and sacrifice. In addition to about five hours of hockey-related activity daily, including practice time, watching film, and workouts, Landau is away from his familiar home setting. During his season in New Mexico, road trips were 12 to 20 hours; in the Minnesota league, the longest trip is about a dozen hours.

“It’s a lot of being on the road — living away from home,” notes Landau, adding that he has enjoyed the opportunity participation in various leagues has brought about.

“I love traveling; I love being able to go all over the country,” said the defenseman, who has suited up in Utah, Texas, Arizona, Las Vegas, and many other states and cities for regular-season contests as well as tournaments.

The toughest part of playing junior hockey, for Landau, wasn’t the road trips, the battles on the ice (including an occasional scrap), or the hard work in practices. It’s maintaining a clear mind and keeping focused throughout the entire September through March season.

“It’s hard. It’s a long season,” said the 20-year-old, referring to it as what many in hockey circles call “the grind.”

For junior players, it actually starts in August with training camp, meaning he and teammates were on the ice on a regular basis for eight straight months. Not to mention, there are offseason workouts and getting on the ice to stay sharp and in shape. The junior players have to pay for housing and, in fact, to play. They work part-time jobs to make ends meet; Landau works at a golf course called The Ridges, doing everything from setting up and cleaning the banquet rooms to moving golf carts around, and working on equipment in the pro shop, to mowing the fairways.

Given the choice, Landau would do it all over again.

The next step after college, Landau hopes, is playing in a semiprofessional league, perhaps working his way toward the National Hockey League. Quarters expects that Landau, given his size, shot power and accuracy, and presence on the ice, will play at some professional level or another once he’s through college hockey.

“That’s definitely a goal of mine — it always has been,” Landau said.