Ags have high expectations for Winsa
“They play much easier hockey here,” Aggie William Winsa said. “It’s just put the puck to the boards and skate.”
Winsa, who was born and raised in Sweden, is in his first year on the USU hockey team, and his first year in the United States.
Winsa took an unusual road to the United States. His cousin found him on a relative search. He knew her for less than a year when he decided to look into moving to America.
“I always had a dream to come to the U.S. and play ice hockey,” Winsa said. “So I checked Logan out, and I saw the hockey team and I thought, ‘what the hell, I’ll give it a shot’.”
“I just think he wanted to come to America, just like we want to go overseas, just to do something new, to try something else,” teammate Nick Haase said.
Winsa said that he played a different kind of hockey in Sweden.
“In Sweden, we have more tactics and concentrate more on defense,” he said. “People are faster here and I like it when it’s fast.”
He also said that players hit a lot more here.
“It’s a little bit more physical here. The referees are a little more easier here. In Sweden, the whistle goes off all the time.”
Winsa said he played many games like last Saturday against Weber State with 99 penalty minutes.
Winsa added that he has never played in front of a crowd like the Aggies’.
“I love the audience here,” he said. “I’ve never played in front of such a big audience.”
Winsa, or “Swede” as his teammates call him, starts the season with a bit of pressure on him.
“I think they expect a lot out of me,” he said.
“I told him a few weeks ago that I expect him to be a star in this league,” head coach Jerry Crossley said. “He has the right kind of flow, tools, and sees the ice well. We’re going to try to hook him up with a couple of our better guys and I think the combination will end up in points.”
Winsa has been put on the same line as standouts Aaron Burrell and Haase.
“We all know Burrell can shoot and score and we’re finding out that Swede can too,” Haase said. “He’s a good passer and shooter. I’m a good passer. Burrell’s a good shooter. I think down the road all three on the line – we’ll play well together.”
“Swede is bad-ass,” Burrell said.
“I like Haase. I like Burrell,” Winsa said. “We find each other on the ice. We, all three, are hard workers.”
All three believe their relationship on the ice will only improve this season after they have practiced more.
“We’ve only been practicing together for one week,” Winsa said.
Haase said that what separates Winsa from other players is his ability to see the ice and to know where to be and when to be there.
“That’s always nice because he’s always open for a good pass,” he said.
Winsa said he does not know what to expect from the team because this is his first year, but his teammates are optimistic and so he is optimistic.
Winsa said, “This team went to Nationals last year and they say they’re better this year.”
“I’m just here to play hockey and have a fun time, so I’m going to go with that,” he said
-bhhinton@cc.usu.edu