Game On Magazine 2017 Game On Magazine - Regular Season Edition | Page 8

GR E EN B L A D E L A W N C A R E JUNI OR PLAYE R OF TH E MON TH
G
M AT T
THIESSEN
HEIGHT 6” | WEIGHT 180 | AGE 17
GAMES 21 | GAA 2.01 | SAVE% .926
THIESSEN ACCEPTS SCHOLARSHIP OFFER FROM MAINE
Matt Thiessen started playing hockey in
Lynn Lake, Man., back when he was four
years-old. At the age of eight, his RCMP
office dad was transferred to Altona, Man.
Big things happened to Matt in Altona.
Suddenly, he was no longer a forward but a
goaltender and, just ask the Steinbach Pistons
and the University of Maine: It was the best
move he ever made. The No. 1 goalie in the
MJHL will soon be a member of the NCAA’s
University of Maine Black Bears.
“After we moved from Lynn Lake, my minor
hockey was all in Altona,” he said. “Then I played
for the Pembina Valley Hawks, RHA Nationals
last year and now I’m here in Steinbach.
“I don’t really know why I became a
goaltender. I just really liked watching the
position on TV and so I tried it one day
and I really enjoyed it. I’ve just
stuck with it ever since.
I think my dad still wonders why I’m
a goalie, not a skater, but he and my
entire family really support me. I know
they enjoy watching me play.”
He wasn’t chosen in the WHL draft, but he
was listed with the Tri-City Americans, right
after the Top 40 POE camp for Team Manitoba,
and has attended their training camp. He was
selected by the Steinbach Pistons in the MJHL
draft and started to catch the eye of the Hockey
Canada scouts when he helped Team Manitoba
bring back a silver medal from the 2016 Western
Canada Under-16 Challenge Cup in Calgary.
Now, Maine Black Bears assistant coach
Alfie Michaud is thrilled to have Thiessen’s
commitment to attend Maine in 2019-20.
For Matt Thiessen, the future is
very bright.
We first met Matt in the December
2016 edition of Game On Magazine
when he was a star with the RHA
Nationals Midgets.
.919
Had a 2.32 goals against average and
a .919 save percentage with Team
Manitoba at the 2015-16 Western
Canada Challenge Cup. Manitoba won
the silver medal.
1
At the Christmas break this year, Matt
was the No. 1 goalie in the Manitoba
Junior Hockey League with an 18-2-0
record in 21 games. He had a goals
against average of 2.01 and a save
percentage of .926.
BY SCOTT TAYLOR
Photo by Laurie Anderson
From Altona, Manitoba
8 | G AME ON | R EGU L AR SEASON ED ITION 2018