St. Cloud State University's Matt Hendricks
SCSU sophomore forward Matt Hendricks |
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Feb. 13, 2002
By Marty Sundvall
The ice level floor of St. Cloud State University's National Hockey Center is starting to buzz this Tuesday afternoon as the #1/2 ranked St. Cloud State men's hockey hockey team gears up for meetings and practices. Women's team players, half dressed in hockey gear, emerge from lockerrooms then head back inside. Trainers are busy training. A single red Zamboni circles the ice, preparing the surface for countless skating strides.
Meanwhile, on the players' bench, SCSU sophomore forward Matt Hendricks talks about what he likes to do when he isn't playing hockey. Discussion turns to ice fishing, which he's done since he was 8, to fishing the Whiteface Chain north of Duluth in the summer, to catching a pound-and-a-half crappie he called a "slab." A big smile finds his face as he makes a foot-diameter circle with his hands.
At that point the Zamboni is cruising down the far boards as it normally does on its resurfacing journey, only this time it makes an unexpected loop right across the big "C" at center ice before continuing down the far side, much like a whimsical child who circles the light pole before heading back down the sidewalk.
"Never seen that one before," Hendricks laughs as the conversation turns back to hockey.
This season college hockey fans are starting to see the kind of player Hendricks was before he came to St. Cloud State, the type of dominating player he was at Blaine High School, and the type of player the Nashville Predators think he will be. (Hendricks is a draft pick of Nashville of the NHL.) Hendricks only scored three goals as a freshman last year, but this season has found the back of the net 17 times while skating with Nate DiCasmirro and Mark Hartigan on the Huskies' top-scoring line.
"The thing I've found out is hockey is played up here," Hendricks said, pointing to the cap covering his head. "Last year I just wanted to go and play as hard and physical and tough as I could. But hockey is 90 percent mental and 10 percent physical. This season I'm reading the plays better and trying to be in the right spot at the right time."
Patience. Being in the right spot. And having the skill and adeptness to finish the play. Much like the angler who finds that elusive pocket of hungry bass or crappies just under the log lining the shore, he's got to get them on the stringer. Talk turns back to fishing.
"Fishing is a great way to get away from life sometimes. But, it has the same kind of thrills," Hendricks said. "One time we were on Horseshoe Lake in the Boudary Waters (Canoe Area east of Ely) and I caught a 28-and-three-quarter-inch walleye. Ended up being over 10 pounds. That's something I don't think I'll ever forget. One time on Little Pelican I caught a pound and a half crappie. When it hits, you don't know what it is. The rod is all bent over and line is going out. I'll never forget that one either.
"Sometimes," Hendricks said, "fishing can be just as exciting as hockey."
In a different realm, of course. The thrill of landing that lunker fish can infuse someone with a rush unlike any other. On the same token, on Dec. 9, 2000, Hendricks felt an excitement that few will ever feel: he took a centering pass and scored his first goal at the National Hockey Center.
"I was thinking 'It's about time' after I scored," Hendricks said of the goal. "I can still see the play: Keith Anderson had the puck on the end boards and he got it to me and I hit the upper corner. It was against Wisconsin and there's 7,000 people in here going nuts. I was thinking, 'I have to do this more often.'"
And he has. His conference point total ranks among the Western Collegiate Hockey Association's top 13, but his 15-goal WCHA total is second in the league only to linemate Hartigan.
"Hartigan has been a role model of mine. He has taught me what to do and what I need to do to make myself a better hockey player," Hendricks said. "He tells me that I have the talent to be a really good hockey player, and that feels good to hear."
Training has also played a part in Hendricks' emergence as a scoring threat this season. Last summer he and Hartigan trained at a pro camp with players like Bret Hedican and Mark Parrish, both SCSU alumni and current NHL players.
"It helps your confidence so much to have them tell you you can be a great hockey player. It makes you believe it all the more," Hendricks said. "But I also saw how hard they work and how dedicated they are in the offseason to making themselves better hockey players. They said I have a good shot, so they said just keep shooting and you'll score goals."
In a metaphoric way, Hendricks and the Huskies are fishing for a big goal as the regular season winds down. But unlike fishing where it seems like you have no control over what happens after you throw a line in the water, the Huskies literally control their own fate in the race for the regular-season-WCHA title and the McNaughton Cup. Should the Huskies win the remining six games, they win the league title.
This weekend contains the first two of those games. The University of Alaska Anchorage enters the series as one of the more-improved teams of the season. However, the following weekend brings a series at Denver, who currently leads the Huskies by a single point.
"We know in the back of our minds that Denver is coming up, but right
now that doesn't matter," Hendricks said. "If we don't get four points
this weekend, then we can forget about winning the McNaughton Cup."
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