The intensity of hockey is fueled, not by raw attitude and encouragement, but by a graceful dance of coordination between feet and ice. Idaho defenseman Matt Case understands this very well. ?He (Case) is an unbelievable skater,? said Steelheads head coach Hardy Sauter. ?It?s one if his strengths and he does a great job of utilizing it.? Throughout his amateur hockey career and into his second year with the Steelheads, Case has worked to master the dance of grace and grit. ?It?s something that has always been a big focus for the teams I?ve played with,? Case mentioned. ?I always wanted to be a good skater because it improves every aspect of your game.? After finishing his college career at Ferris State and a brief stint with the Norfolk Admirals of the AHL and the Gwinnett Gladiators of the ECHL, Case found himself in Boise. ?I love Boise,? Case said. ?It?s a great place to play and I?m a big outdoors guy so I enjoy the chances to go fishing or hunting.? In 31 games for the Steelheads during the 2010-11 season, Case tallied seven points (1 G, 6 A) with a plus-5 rating, a performance that earned him a 2011 training camp spot with the Texas Stars, Idaho?s AHL affiliate. ?It was a great experience,? Case recalled. ?You?re at a higher speed so it fine tunes your game. You?re moving the puck faster and making faster decisions.? Armed with knowledge of how to improve, Case returned to Boise with a renewed drive. In Idaho?s first seven games, he is plus-4 with seven penalty minutes. He picked up his first assist of the season with a perfect pass to Ondrej Roman following a splendid move at the blue line Saturday night in Stockton.?He is much more confident this year,? Sauter said. ?He has a lot of natural ability and I think when he catches up to his ability he will be an extremely good player.? Case is using his experience in the Gem State, not only to improve his game, but also help his teammates as Idaho begins its quest for a return to the Kelly Cup Championships. ?I want to be a leader as much as I can,? Case said. ?I just want to come and work hard every day and do whatever needs to be done to help this team succeed.? (Story written by Media Relations intern Jake Drzayich)
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