Nielsen sees offense in defense

By John Kovach

He will try to convert steals into goals Friday at the Chevrolet Centre.

YOUNGSTOWN — Carl Nielsen doesn’t mind being a defenseman and usually an unsung hero on the ice for the Mahoning Valley Phantoms’ hockey team.

Because every time the 20-year-old native of Avon Lake steals a puck from the opposing team, he knows it will give his team and also himself a chance to score and win games — and maybe then he also can become the hero.

That almost happened to Nielsen in Mahoning Valley’s 4-3 win in overtime over the St. Louis Bandits last Friday, in the Phantoms’ debut at the Chevrolet Centre in a North American Hockey League game.

With the score tied at 3 in the waning seconds, Nielsen managed to get the puck from the Bandits in his zone, and take it down toward the Bandits’ goal where he unleashed a shot.

But the puck hit the goaltenders’ pad and bounced back to teammate Erik Higby, who then punched in the winning goal with 46 seconds left, and became the hero.

Nielsen hopes to continue his quest Friday when the Phantoms (11-4-2) play host to the United States National Team Development Program (10-6-1), in an NAHL North Division game at 7:15 p.m. at the Chevrolet Centre.

The Phantoms are second in the North Division with 24 points behind Traverse City (28 points, 13-3-2), while the United States team is in third with 21 points.

The Phantoms and United States will play again Saturday night at the U.S. home rink, the Ann Arbor Ice, in Ann Arbor, Mich., at 7 p.m.

Nielsen, who came to the Phantoms midway through last season in a trade with the Alpena Ice Diggers of the NAHL, sees offensive possibilities in defensive play.

“I look at defense as a chance to score, because I could get the puck out to a teammate and maybe get it back myself to take a shot,” said Nielsen, who rotates with other defensemen Robert Harrison. John Houston, Dustin Hopfner, Cullen Lundholm and Trevor Shively.

“I try to keep [the opposing team] from scoring and get the puck out of our zone, and the quicker I get the puck into their zone then we will win more games, and then I know I am doing my job right.”

Although he calls himself “more of a defensive-minded player,” he still loves to shoot the puck and looks for every opportunity.

“Someone’s got to do it,” he said of playing defense. But, “I do have my chances to shoot from the point and I have scored this year a couple of times.” He has two goals and three assists for five points.

Nielsen said it takes time, practice and “trial and error” to develop a playing relationship and chemistry with his fellow defender on the ice that yields benefits to the team.

But he will be playing this Friday without his usual defensive partner, three-year veteran Robert Harrison, who suffered a broken leg in last Friday’s game and will be sidelined for about a month.

Besides playing defense, Nielsen also is a very vocal player who loves the contact.

“I definitely have a mouth on me when I am on the ice,” said Nielsen.

The son of Wendy and Carl Nielsen, he has been around hockey for 13 years. After graduating from Avon High in 2006, he played in the Central State Hockey League with the Columbus Blue Jackets Junior B team, before being traded halfway through the season to the Alpena Ice Diggers.

Although this is his final year with the Phantoms, he hopes it won’t be his final year of hockey, and that he can win a college scholarship.

“I hopefully can get to a college to further myself with an education, but if that doesn’t happen I hope to play professionally,” said Nielsen. “They [the Phantoms] have a great track record putting kids in school and I know they will give me what they have.”

The Phantoms annually place eight or nine players in college each year, and have placed 56 in all.

Nielsen loves playing in the Chevrolet Centre.

“It’s amazing. It’s so much fun. It gives us a great advantage over other teams. They play in small rinks,” said Nielsen. “It’s a big difference playing in the Ice Zone and at the Chevy Centre.”

kovach@vindy.com