Ryan Schwalbe of Anchorage is a center by trade, but as a freshman at Minnesota State-Mankato he has also played some left wing and right wing, and most notably, a whole bunch of defense.
"The only thing we haven't done is put the pads on him,'' said Mavericks bench boss Mike Hastings.
While Schwalbe has been listed as a forward for the majority of the games he's played this season – 17 of 28 – injuries on the Mavericks' blue line have prompted him to be listed at defense 11 times. Schwalbe skated at defense Thursday afternoon when the Mavericks practiced at Sullivan Arena ahead of this weekend's Western Collegiate Hockey Association series against UAA.
"Just take any opportunity I can to get in the lineup and help out the team,'' Schwalbe said. "I'm trying to be versatile.''
Schwalbe, whose younger sister Taylor is a freshman forward at Rensselaer, said he has embraced playing defense as a challenge instead of a chore.
"I tackled it and had fun with it,'' he said. "The coaches let me play my game and didn't put too much pressure on me.''
As a center, Schwalbe is accustomed to working down low in his own zone, as defensemen do – wingers rarely retreat deep into the defensive zone – and he said that experience has helped him adapt. It also helped, Schwalbe said, that he's spent time paired with an experienced defenseman in senior Jon Jutzi.
Still, Hastings said he hasn't had to shelter Schwalbe at defense – that is, grant him only modest ice time and keep him away from other teams' most potent offensive players.
"There's no anxiety to him,'' Hastings said. "He just goes out and plays.''
Schwalbe, 21, has furnished three assists in 28 games. Hastings said Schwalbe's versatility has allowed him to use the freshman for regular shifts on defense and also employ him at forward as a penalty-killer.
The league-leading Mavericks are trying to repeat as WCHA regular-season champions and eventually get to the NCAA tournament for the fourth straight season, so this is a business trip of sorts for Schwalbe.
Schwalbe possesses a postseason pedigree. He won two national championships at Shattuck-St. Mary's, the Minnesota school he attended for four years, and last season helped captain the Sioux Falls Stampede to the Clark Cup as USHL champions.
Hastings said Schwalbe has been what the freshman's previous coaches said he would be -- a reliable player who pays attention to detail.
"His value's not in the numbers he produces, but in all the little things – digging the ditches, blocking shots, winning faceoffs,'' Hastings said.
Reach Doyle Woody at dwoody@alaskadispatch.com, check out his blog at adn.com/hockeyblog and follow him on Twitter at @JaromirBlagr