Seventh-ranked Minnesota Duluth’s 3-2 win Saturday at Denver marked the first time that the No. 3 Pioneers had lost at home this season, but that wasn’t what the Bulldogs were thinking about when the final horn sounded.
Sophomore goaltender Zach Stejskal had made 20 saves in relief during his first game since Oct. 15. When it was announced in November that he had been diagnosed with testicular cancer, Stejskal made a point of saying that he planned to play again this season. Picking up the victory in two periods of work Saturday, and helping UMD earn a big road split in the process, showed that he meant every word.
Stejskal had rejoined the team for on-ice activities last month, but it wasn’t until pregame Saturday at Magness Arena that he learned he might finally get back between the pipes that night.
Fellow Bulldogs goalie Ryan Fanti was scheduled to start but was suffering from a stomach bug that several other UMD players had also been experiencing. Fanti told Stejskal before the game that he wasn’t feeling well, and it was Stejskal that led the team out as the first intermission ended.
Denver led 2-1 when Shai Buium scored at 4:27 of the third period, but Kobe Roth leveled the game with a power-play goal three minutes later, and Darian Gotz netted the eventual game-winner with 4:44 left. Stejskal’s second win from four appearances this season saw him earn honorary NCHC goaltender of the week honors.
UMD coach Scott Sandelin felt the award was richly deserved.
“You don’t plan for (that kind of medical situation), and he was off to a good start,” Sandelin said of Stejskal’s first two games this season. “We were rotating those guys, and all of a sudden, he’s going through what he’s going through, and the game becomes very secondary.
“His health and wellbeing are the No. 1 thing, and the beauty of being on a team is you have a lot of support. You’ve got your family, you’ve got your friends and you’ve got your teammates, and I think our guys really did a great job of supporting him.”
UMD players raised over $11,000 late last year as part of a Movember fundraiser, and the team kept Stejskal engaged from the moment they learned of his diagnosis.
“It was obviously emotional telling them, and I kind of broke down, but everybody on my team gave me a hug and kind of supported me through that moment right there,” Stejskal said. “I knew right from the start that they had my back.
“I got diagnosed on a Tuesday, and it was the Wednesday practice and I kind of brought everyone off the ice and kept the team in the locker room and broke the news. That’s just kind of how it happened, very organically, and some tears were shed there for sure, but honestly, I was feeling better after I told everybody, just because of the support I got in the locker room.”
Seven more games dot UMD’s remaining regular-season schedule, and Stejskal could have a big say on how the Bulldogs fare down the stretch. One thing is for sure, though: He’s glad to be in a position where he can support his teammates on the ice like they have for him off it.
“It’s amazing how Zach has handled it,” Sandelin said. “He’s been awesome, and even after the diagnosis, and how he wanted to handle it, we gave him time until he was comfortable to share it with (media members), and you’ve got to respect that for those players.
“When the time was right, he did, and he has handled it great. We’re all excited to get him back and in the net, and I know he’s probably the most happy to be back in there because that’s where he’s comfortable.”
