In the Spotlght

Michigan Tech's Matt Ulwelling.

Feb. 7, 2001

By P.J. Slinger

Trying to get Matt Ulwelling to discuss his recent three-goal game takes some prodding. The Michigan Tech senior forward notched his first collegiate hat trick several weeks ago against Alaska-Anchorage.

But you'd never know it if you didn't ask.

"The team always comes first with him," Tech coach Mike Sertich said.

That may be his upbringing showing through. Ulwelling is a native of Warroad, Minn., possibly the high school hockey capital of the world.

"There's not much up there to do but fish, hunt and play hockey," Ulwelling said. "It's a big hockey community and you always wanted to be like the big boys -- the Christians, the Bouchets, the Marvins. It just gets drilled into you."

Sertich, the longtime and former Minnesota-Duluth head coach, is no stranger to Warroad hockey.

"When you come out of Warroad, you have skill and heart and dedication to the team concept," Sertich said. "They are coached that way. I know (Warroad coach) Cary Eades coaches that way. And that obviously carries over into college."

No fewer than five former Warroad players have been captains on Western Collegiate Hockey Association teams, the latest being Ulwelling. Others include Larry Olimb, Jason Goulet, Wyatt Smith and Andy Fermoyle.

"That's a credit to the great hockey up there," Ulwelling said. "It's such a strong hockey community and there's great, great leadership. It just gets handed down from the older people. I grew up watching the Gophers and the Sioux. Larry Olimb is from Warroad and he played for the Gophers, so he was my idol."

Now Ulwelling knows he may be a role model for others.

"I'd like to think so," he said. "I know I'm in a position where people could look up to me, and that's not to brag, it's just the way it is here. We're the only D1 team in Houghton, so the younger kids may look up to us. It's a big hockey community here, too. They look up to Tech hockey players. It's not much different from back home."

In high school, Ulwelling went to the state hockey tournament as a sophomore, junior and senior, and his final year he was the team's MVP and a member of the State Tournament All-Tourney team.

"My senior year of high school I had a bad shoulder injury so I wasn't getting looked at by many colleges," Ulwelling said. "So I played some for the Warroad Lakers senior amateur team and then played with the Great 68, which is now the Elite 8 down in Chicago. That's where Coach (Tim) Watters saw me, and since not that many people were interested in me, when he offered me a scholarship, I jumped at the chance."

But Watters wouldn't last through Ulwelling's four-year stint with the Huskies. Michigan Tech made a change earlier this season and replaced Watters with Sertich, who semi-retired from coaching after last season with UMD.

But Ulwelling said the adjustment to a new coach wasn't a problem, not even for the seniors.

"Sertich is such a likable guy," he said. "He'll chat with everybody every day. He's very easy to talk to. It was an easy transition. Coach Watters was a great guy and he sure knew the game, but it got to the point where guys stopped playing for him. The team went in a different direction and I think we all knew it was time (for a change), but it wasn't our choice."

Ulwelling leads the Huskies this season with 23 points. As a junior, he finished with 18 points, one point out of a tie for the team lead. His highest-scoring season (so far) was the sophomore campaign when he had 26 and was named the team's most improved player.

"He's consistent," Sertich said. "You always know what you're going to get with him. He's always intense. Sure, he'll make some mistakes, but everyone does. But he'll never shortcut you."

Now, about that hat trick on Jan. 20.

"I have to give credit to my linemates Jon Pittis and Tony DeLorenzo," he said. "They're scrappers who love to work hard. But it's the whole team that contributed to that."

OK, but what about the hat trick?

"Every kid wants to get a hat trick," he added. "I was hoping to get one during college, and hopefully more than one. But as well as I played in that Saturday game, I played twice as bad Friday."

Uh, the hat trick?

"I got the second goal in the second period. And our team really needed to get at least a point that night against Anchorage, so I was more concerned about that than getting the hat trick. But it was in the back of my mind."

Finally we're getting to the hat trick.

"About midway through the third period there was a scrum around the net and the puck popped out to me, and the goalie was down and I just lifted it over the goalie. That was it. But it sure felt good."

There, that wasn't so bad, now was it?

"I'm sure his modesty comes from a humble upbringing at home," Sertich said. "Matt is all heart, heart, heart. He plays through pain. It's unconditional for him when it comes to playing."