The Free Press, Mankato, MN

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Dangerous D-men

Here are the Western Collegiate Hockey Association’s top 10 defensman scorers:

Player, team    G-A—Pts
1. Justin Schultz, Wis.    15-24—39*
2. Jake Gardiner, Wis.    7-23—30
3. Chay Genoway, UND    6-19—30
4. Kurt Davis, MSU    8-14—22
5. Eric Olimb, UNO    1-19—20
6. Matt Donovan, Den.    6-12—18
6. David Makowski, Den.    4-14—18
8. Justin Faulk, UMD    6-11—17
8. Ben Youds, MSU    5-12—17
8. Gabe Guentzel, CC    4-13—17

* WCHA’s overall scoring leader

Related Photos

  • Minnesota State defenseman Kurt Davis (22) leads a pack of teammates after scoring a goal in a game earlier this season. Davis is tied with Todd George (1996-2000) atop the school’s Division I-era scoring list for defenseman with 91 points. Pat Christman

    MSU m hock-Davis2.jpg

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February 3, 2011

MSU defenseman Kurt Davis goes on the offensive

Senior shares Division I-era program record for denfensive scorers

By Shane Frederick Free Press Staff Writer

MANKATO — Minnesota State men’s hockey coach Troy Jutting tries not to let himself get too awed by the things defenseman Kurt Davis does every game. Mavericks senior Channing Boe has seen Davis play for so long, little he does really stuns him anymore.

“I don’t look at it and say, ‘Wow, what a great weekend,’” Jutting said. “It’s, ‘Wow, we need Kurt to do that,’ and he’s capable of it every night.”

Said Boe, Davis’ longtime defensive partner and teammate dating back to their junior-hockey days together in Green Bay, Wis.: “Nothing surprises me with Kurty. He’s an extremely skilled player. His puck skills are unbelievable.”

While his talents may be old hat to his coach and teammates, Davis is hitting milestones few defensemen have even approached at Minnesota State.

With a goal and two assists last weekend at St. Cloud State, Davis moved into a tie atop the Mavericks’ Division I-era scoring list for defensemen with 91 points (20 goals, 71 assists). One point this weekend against Bemidji State won’t just put Davis past Todd George (1996-2000) and alone atop that list, but it will place him among the top 10 scorers in the program’s D-I era.

 “He has a chance to be a 100-point college defenseman,” said Jutting, whose team has eight games remaining before playoffs begin. “There aren’t many players around anymore who can say that.”

Davis likely won’t catch the top two defensemen on the Mavericks’ all-time list, both of whom played with his dad and high school coach, Carl Davis, during the late-1970s when the Mavericks played at the Division II level. Mike Weinkauf, who scored 125 points from 1977 to 1981, and Dave Saatzer compiled 124 points from 1975 to 1979.

“It starts out by getting the opportunity,” Kurt Davis said. “The coaching staff has put me in a pretty big role to do many things. ... They give me a lot of leeway to handle the puck and make plays and just kind of take over when I have the ability to.”

Generously listed at 5-foot-9, the Plymouth native may be small for defenseman, but his best attributes have little to do with size. More often than not, he safely and smartly breaks the puck out of trouble and out of the defensive zone and has a knack for finding open teammates in all situations.

“He has a great feel for the game,” Jutting said. He has great patience and presence. He’s got a very low panic point.”

Davis led the Mavericks in scoring as a sophomore with 31 points and, this year, is tied with forward Michael Dorr for the team lead with 22 points. Davis’ eight goals this year are a career high.

“It was obviously one of my goals to be an offensive defenseman coming in here,” Davis said. “With the amount of opportunities and the amount I’ve taken advantage of, I’ve kind of taken it to the next level, and I’ve been rewarded with a lot of points.”

Jutting said there are just a handful of great offensive defensemen in the WCHA — Wisconsin’s Justin Schultz and Jake Gardiner, North Dakota’s Chay Genoway and Denver’s Matt Donovan among them. Jutting said Davis belongs on that list, as does fellow senior Ben Youds, who led the Mavericks in scoring last season.

“It’s been really fun — with (Davis) and Youds,” Jutting said.

Boe agreed.

“There are three or for times when you want to say, ‘Jeez, that was a nice play,’” he said. “But every game seems like that.”

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