Gunderson Adjusts To Life As A Defenseman
A forward his entire career, Minnesota State freshman Ryan Gunderson has moved to a completely new position
by Dan Myers
Issue date: 11/16/06 Section: Mens Sports
In baseball, a quality utility player can make a manager's job much easier. Having a guy that can play both infield and outfield positions with any degree of success is difficult to find.
The same holds true on the ice.
Finding one person that can play on the blue line and also move up to play forward may be even more rare.
Consider the Minnesota State men's hockey team lucky. They have freshman defenseman Ryan Gunderson, who by the time he is finished at MSU may be one of the better defenseman in the WCHA. That would be quite the turnaround for someone who until last Saturday against Alaska-Anchorage, had never played a full game on the blue line in his life.
"Saturday night I was nervous," said Mavericks head coach Troy Jutting. "Not because I don't think [Gunderson] is going to be very good, but we haven't had a long time to work with him at that position and he has never played it before.
"I thought he did a fantastic job. All things considered, I think he played an extremely smart game and did everything we need him to do."
Making the transition from forward to defenseman is not as easy as one would think. The two positions have very different assignments, and Gunderson - who played wing in juniors - says it has been quite an adjustment.
"It's a different state of mind," Gunderson said. "Obviously, you have to be more defensive in the d-zone where as before, as a wing, you'd just kind of sit on the point and cover the point guys. It's more man-man down low in the defensive zone. It's been a tough transition but I think I am getting used to it now."
Gunderson may never be more valuable to his team than he is right now. With injuries sustained to Brian Kilburg and Chad Brownlee - perhaps the team's best two defensemen - Gunderson will be counted on even more to step up and play just as well as he did last Saturday. Kilburg injured his knee two weeks ago against Bemidji State. Brownlee suffered a leg injury last Friday against UAA and neither is likely to travel to Colorado College this weekend to face the Tigers.
"Those guys log a lot of time on the ice," said junior defenseman Steve Wagner, who scored a pair of goals in last Saturday's 3-2 victory. "It'll be a little different out there, but I think we are all mature enough to understand that you have to get through it in this league. Guys get hurt all the time.
"We all know what we are going to do, but it's kind of hard for a guy like Gunderson, that being his first game as a defenseman last week. I thought he did well."
Jutting knew coming in Gunderson would eventually become a defenseman for the Mavericks. With his size (6-2) and great hands, he even thought Gunderson would become a good defenseman. But even the coach was a bit surprised he played so well, so soon. Injuries aside, the Grant, Minn. native has earned the confidence of teammates and coaches.
"In seven weeks," Jutting said, "he has come far enough that he can play in a WCHA game at a position he has never played, and not just be on the ice, but done a very good job for us."
Gunderson, Wagner and the Mavericks will hit the road this weekend for their first full road trip of the season. After opening with a pair of home and home series against St. Cloud State, MSU has played host to six straight home contests. History says the Mavericks have not been the strongest starters over the years, but the schedule seemed to suggest a turnaround was in store. Coming into the season, MSU held an all-time record of 108-65-29 at Midwest Wireless Civic Center. But a 2-6-0 start at their home barn was, at times, less than inspiring.
"It would have been nice to start with a little bit of a better record at home," Wagner said. "We have to be ready to play. You can't take nights off on the road."
The Mavericks won their last road game, a 4-2 decision at conference rival SCSU four weeks ago. This weekend in Colorado Springs will present a different set of challenges. While the Huskies may have a slightly better team, the Tigers play in the rarified Rocky Mountain air, which the veteran Wagner says can have some small effects.
"I think it maybe a little bit more of a mental thing," he said. "It's not something where you say 'I can't play,' but you feel it a little bit, you get winded a little quicker. I think you can get over it though."
The trip west also delays the start time for both games an hour, as face off from World Arena is scheduled for 8:37 p.m. Friday and 8:07 p.m. Saturday.
Dan Myers is the Reporter Sports Editor