DULUTH, Minn. - A college hockey player’s journey is filled with challenges to advance to such a high level. For some, that adversity is finding a new hockey home after your first choice of school wasn’t the best fit. For others, it can be fighting a life-threatening illness that puts the sport on the back burner in a battle for survival. Such are the stories of Minnesota Duluth goaltenders Matthew Thiessen and Zach Stejskal.

Stejskal stepped onto UMD’s campus in the shadow left by fellow Cohasset, Minn. native Hunter Shepard entering the 2020-21 season. The Bulldogs experienced unprecedented success with Shepard between the pipes, winning back-to-back national titles in 2018 and 2019 while appearing well-positioned for a three-peat in 2020 before COVID cancelled the NCAA Tournament. Shepard, now with the Washington Capitals organization, left Duluth holding school records in career goals-against average (1.94), save percentage (.922) and shutouts (17).

“Following up what Hunter did here is no easy task,” said long-time head coach Scott Sandelin. “Zach played well in juniors and he was a goalie that we felt had upside. He’s been a great inspiration to his teammates.”

With the Bulldogs’ expectations still high, Stejskal’s first collegiate season was anything but ordinary. The National Collegiate Hockey Conference opened the year with all eight teams playing the first month of the season in Omaha as part of the ‘Pod’ to minimize exposure during the COVID-19 pandemic. UMD didn’t throw Stejskal to the wolves right away, however, as it started returner Ryan Fanti for eight of the nine contests in the Pod. Stejskal made 23 saves in a 4-2 win over Miami in his lone pod appearance.

Once the games moved to campus sites, Stejskal began earning more time in the crease. He allowed two goals or fewer in six of his nine starts and finished the season with a stellar 1.84 GAA and .929 save percentage.

Stejskal's poise was recognized as he earned the starting nod in net for UMD’s NCAA regional final contest against rival North Dakota in a practical home game for the Fighting Hawks at Scheels Center in Fargo. After the Bulldogs’ 2-0 lead slipped away late in the third period, they prevailed 3-2 in an NCAA record five overtimes, with Stejskal making 57 saves. The win advanced UMD to the Frozen Four for the fourth-straight year, though it ultimately fell short of a third-straight championship when the Bulldogs suffered an overtime loss to eventual champion UMass.

“That entire game was crazy,” Stejskal said. “We were up 2-0 with about a minute left and they came back. The place erupted because of the heavy North Dakota contingent. We were weathering a pretty big storm in the first 10 minutes of overtime and got a goal in the second overtime that was disallowed. We were ecstatic when the puck went in, but then we had to get back to work. Eventually I left the game because I was cramping in the fourth overtime. I tell everyone I got my first career shutout playing a whole game in overtime without giving up a goal. Ryan Fanti stepped up in my place. When we scored, I was on the training table and didn’t know who got the goal until they came back in. We were all pretty blacked out at a certain point in that game because of how long it went. It’s the most memorable college game I’ve ever played.”

In that same season, Thiessen was cutting his teeth at the University of Maine trying to fill some equally big shoes in Orono. After spending a year as an understudy to current Boston Bruins star netminder Jeremy Swayman, who posted the second-best save percentage (.939) in a season in Black Bear history, the net was an open competition.

The Steinbach, Manitoba native was on the lighter end of a time share (five starts) with Victor Ostman, as Maine struggled to a 3-11-2 record during the 2020-21 campaign. While Thiessen saw 12 starts the following year, he saw an opportunity to move closer to home when Duluth came calling.

“Growing up in Manitoba, Duluth was always a school I had in mind growing up,” Thiessen said. “I was always familiar with the rink and city. Once they gave me an opportunity to play in a league like the NCHC, I didn’t hesitate to take the leap. The coaching staff here has been great to me and the teammates are wonderful. I’m more confident in my game than I’ve ever been and that’s thanks to coming here.

“Even though I would have liked to play more, I learned a lot from Jeremy Swayman and enjoyed my experience at Maine. I still talk to him and bounce ideas off him on how to prepare. I take all my experience from Maine and use that in Duluth.”

Stejskal spent the summer before his sophomore season preparing to take a step forward and continue to team with Fanti for a dynamic 1-2 punch in net. The 2021-22 campaign began well enough with 18 saves in a 2-2 tie at No. 15 Bemidji State. However, Stejskal’s season took a sharp turn two weeks later when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer.

With a life-changing diagnosis, Stejskal’s focus turned to beating the disease, rather than NCHC opponents. He managed to do so thanks in no small part to the hockey community, which included his teammates, coaches and the city of Duluth.

“I went into my sophomore year with a lot of confidence ready to play more games,” Stejskal said. “That summer, I started to feel very sick and was hospitalized twice before the diagnosis. We couldn’t figure out what was wrong at the time. After I played against Michigan, we held a tournament and I went to the doctor to get checked out again. I was devastated at the time, but it’s been a huge learning experience for me beating this.

“It was unbelievable how many people reached out. I couldn’t keep track of how many cards I got from people in Duluth saying that they’re fighting with me. There are things that you have to see a medical professional for, even if you think you’ll be fine and move along on your own. I was talking to the professionals when I was going through the treatments and they were amazed that I caught it early and did my due diligence. They’ve seen people who have the same cancer as me who wait a month or two and it gets progressively worse. That stuck with me. If you can save your life by going to the doctor two months early, it’s a no-brainer to me.”

Because the doctors discovered Stejskal’s disease early in the process, they were able to operate and move him toward recovery before the cancer had a chance to spread throughout his body. There was also the additional layer of protective protocol in place due to the pandemic, which made in-person visits during his healing difficult. Still, the word that he was cancer-free provided a jolt in the arm to the Bulldogs.

“We tried to see him as much as we could when he was going through his treatments,” fifth-year forward and UMD captain Luke Loheit said. “His perspective when coming back was great. When he came back, he was that much more excited to be at the rink. He brought an energy that at the time we may have lacked going through the day-to-day grind. I’ve seen a lot of change in him since he returned. He doesn’t take a day for granted on or off the ice.”

Stejskal made a triumphant return to the crease and picked up a win on Feb. 12, 2022 when he made 20 saves in relief to top Denver and hand the Pioneers their first home loss of the season. The cancer survivor made one more start in a year that can be best described as a roller coaster.

With Stejskal still rebuilding his strength following his battle with cancer and Thiessen looking for a change of scenery, Sandelin saw a fit in Duluth for the two netminders to join forces. The new location and UMD’s defensive structure proved beneficial to Thiessen as he notched a career-best 2.64 GAA and .905 save percentage last season. He also picked up eight victories after recording just one in his entire career at Maine. Thiessen’s presence also helped Stejskal return to form as he posted a 2.96 GAA and .901 save percentage in a career-high 22 appearances after playing a combined 15 games in his first two years.

“I’ve been fortunate to have great goalies to play alongside and Zach is no exception,” Thiessen said. “We do everything we can to make each other better. We pick up nuances in each other’s game and talk a lot about different things we can add to our game to give the team a chance to win. Zach is a competitor, which is the first thing you notice on the ice. He wants to be the guy making the big saves. Off the ice, he’s one of the best teammates I’ve ever played with and he’s the most genuine person that I’ve met.”

Relationships among goaltenders can be tricky to navigate at times due to the singular nature of only one person can ultimately get the call in the crease. While both Stejskal and Thiessen are as competitive as any netminder, it is a productive competition that draws the best out of each other. The two have bonded on and off the ice and draw inspiration from each other.

“I’ve always had a really good goalie partner in my life,” Stejskal said. “For Matt to come in, he is a solid guy who helped me get back on the ice and play with more confidence. It would have been difficult for me coming back from cancer and trying to be the guy in net. He created a support structure and the competition we have benefits us both. Everyone loves Matt, he has the biggest smile and brings energy every day. I’m fortunate to have been at Duluth the same time as him.”

Teamwise, Minnesota Duluth’s 10-18-5 record has been tough to stomach for a program that made four-consecutive Frozen Fours, won two national championships and finished national runner-up once from 2017-21. One constant amidst the struggle has been reliable play from both Stejskal and Thiessen, who both have save percentages around .900.

“All of our goalies that we’ve had here have been supportive of each other,” Sandelin said. “Both of them have consistently given us a chance to win, especially over the last couple months. I think that’s a great credit to the work of (assistant coach) Brant Nicklin. They make each other better and they keep us in games.”

Despite UMD’s record, the Bulldogs feel they’re gaining traction. In addition to the five ties on their ledger, Minnesota Duluth has seven one-goal losses. While it faces a tough sled ahead with a seventh-place NCHC mark of 6-14-2, UMD has three wins and two ties over top-20 opposition this season and believes they have the pieces to be a tough out in the approaching NCHC Playoffs.

“We don’t love where we are record wise, but we have learned a lot from the experience,” Thiessen said. “We’ve played a lot of close games and are focusing on doing what we can to peak at the right time, which I don’t think we’ve done yet. We have the ability to go on a run in the postseason with how closely we have played with the teams in this league.”

The Bulldogs close their regular season against in-state rival St. Cloud State in the friendly confines of AMSOIL Arena this weekend. Friday’s series opener begins at 7:07 p.m. CT and both games can be seen on NCHC.tv.

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