Mathias Ahman
UW-Stout Graduation Year - 2019
Major- Computer Networking & Information Technology, minor – cybersecurity
Sports - Hockey
Years played – 2015-16 to 2018-19 (4 yrs)
Hometown (High School) – Härnösand, (Nolaskolan)
Currently Reside – Härnösand, Sweden
Give us a brief synopsis of your life since graduating from UW-Stout, include job and/or family.
After I graduated in May 2019 I stayed that summer in Minneapolis with one of my college roommates. I moved to Moline, Illinois, in September to start my professional hockey career. (Ahman played for the Quad City Storm of the SPHL and the Kalamazoo Wings of the ECHL). Now due to covid-19 I live back home in Sweden for the moment.
Why did you choose to be a collegiate student-athlete at UW-Stout?
When I visited the school I just felt right at home, I'm from a small town back here in Sweden so I felt like Menomonie would be a perfect fit. There were many things I liked about the school such as the major I choose, and also with the hockey program.
What did you like most about competing in collegiate athletics?
I think that every night you had to be prepared and play well otherwise you would lose. There aren't very many games during the hockey season so every game got very intense and competitive.
What is the greatest lesson you learned from being a collegiate student-athlete?
That although you are having a hard time combining athletics, school and social life you will get through it with time management and determination. And after all the hard work and long hours you put into everything you've created life-long friends and some great memories along the way.
Who was the most influential person in your athletic career and why?
I think my whole family has been the most influential people in my athletic career. Both my parents have been very supportive and helpful through good and bad times, and also my older brother who played with me in my younger days.
What is your most memorable or favorite sports moment at UW-Stout?
I think one of my favorite memory was when we put together an intramural soccer team with most of the hockey guys and was able to win it two years in a row. I was also able to score in my very first collegiate hockey game in Finlandia with a great pass from Dylan Zins. (The goal tied the game)
How would your teammates describe you as a person and a student-athlete?
I think they would describe me as a quiet kind of laid back guy who works hard and is easy to get along with. Also that I have great music taste and a positive attitude.
Mathias Ahman played with with the Kalamazoo Wings
Are you in contact with any former Blue Devil student-athletes? (If so, who?)
Yes, I'm still in contact with a lot of former Blue Devil student-athletes. I think that was one of the most valuable things to create an incredibly good network and some very close friends. For example, I got the honor to become groomsman at my roommates wedding, Joe Kleven, but unfortunately I was not able to travel due to COVID-19. Last summer I stayed at my other roommate house (Gavin Smith), and there are more student-athletes who I talk to and keep in touch with almost everyday.
Outside of athletics, what other activities were you involved in at UW-Stout?
Every year we would skate with the youth players in Menomonie. I gave tours to new CNIT (Computer Networking and Information Technology) students around our facilities and talked about the program. Also I got to show some incoming hockey players around campus and talk about the hockey program.
You were an All-American. What does that mean to an athlete from Sweden?
To be honest I didn't really know much about the prestige to be an All-American. We had a couple guys' names in our locker room and I always thought it would have been an honor to get my name up there some day. That season there was a lot of bounces that went in, but it was a great honor to get an award like that.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Mathias Ahman earned All-America honors his junior season and was a three-time All-WIAC selection. As a senior, the native of Sweden earned the WIAC Max Sparger Scholar-Athlete Award and during his All-America season was.one of the highest scoring defensemen in all of NCAA Division III, finishing the season with 11 goals and 11 assists for 22 points, ranking 16th nationally, averaging 0.85 points, a mark that led the WIAC.
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