Old School

Minnesota State senior defenseman Carter Foguth is in his
second year as team captain with the Mavericks

Minnesota State has racked up 94 wins, won a pair of MacNaughton Cups, claimed a pair of Broadmoor Trophies and made two trips to the NCAA tournament during Carter Foguth’s time in Mankato.

Take a closer look at the type of game that the senior defenseman plays and the more appreciation you gain for the role he’s played in the success the Mavericks have enjoyed the last four seasons.

Foguth, a Fenton, Mich., native, is Minnesota State’s active career games played leader and while he’s closing in on 140 appearances, it’s not his career goals (4), assists (17) or points total (21) that make your eyes pop.  A “stay-at-home” defenseman, Foguth has led the Mavericks in blocked shots the last three years and has ranked amongst the team’s plus-minus leaders every season during the course of his career. And while those numbers are impressive, it is his physical presence that certainly is noticeable to the opposition as head coach Mike Hastings likes to point out.

“Scoring goals, setting up goals, those are the things that get people out of their seats,” said Hastings. “Carter does a lot of the unappreciated things as a player. If you were go around and ask around the WCHA, who’s one of the harder guys to play against, there will be a lot of coaches that would say they’re not going to miss Carter not being in the lineup. We definitely do miss him if he’s not there. He defends, he keeps players away from the net, he’s the guy who says “you’re not going get another whack at the puck” and if you’re coming between the dots you’re going to pay a price. He’s been one of the best defensive defensemen in the league in the last three years.”

Building on that, Hastings, who is in his fifth year as head coach of the Mavericks, is quick to add another characteristic Foguth brings to the table that is difficult to quantify.  The characteristic of leadership.

“Carter’s been a guy that you are comfortable with being in charge of your team. He leads by example and he does things that are admirable. He’s honest and truthful. He’s a great self-evaluator.  And those are qualities that are sometimes hard to find in people. He has a lot of qualities that you look for if you are going to build somebody as a leader. We were hoping he would end up being that type of player for us when we recruited him and he’s done that and more. Unquestionably he’s a leader and those types of people are hard to find.”

The soft-spoken Foguth, a two-time team captain who is slated to graduate with a law enforcement degree this spring, says his role with the team and as a captain specifically, has grown during the course of his career.

“I’ve learned a lot along the way. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve taken being a captain more seriously. Both on the ice and off the ice.  As I’ve gotten to know Coach Hastings and having had other guys as captains my first two years, it’s been one of those deals where you learn expectations. I first served as an alternate captain as a sophomore, then becoming a captain the next year was the biggest change for me as it meant a different level of responsibility. One of the most important things is communicating the message from the coaches to the players and vice versa. That’s part of what I’ve learned and it’s important to be transparent with the guys.”

And relative what the expectations are as a player, Foguth harbors no illusions.

“It’s nice to score a goal every now and then, but that’s not my game. I take a lot of pride in shutting down the other teams’ offense. As a younger player, at first it was making sure to get into position, getting in that lane, being physical and having a good stick. But sometimes it seems that shots just seem to gravitate toward me in the defensive zone, but it’s positioning and anticipation.”

Again, as Hastings has said, nothing fancy. “As a person he’s five stars as far as I’m concerned. We put a lot of responsibility on him and he’s done a great job. He had a history of being  to handle himself before he came here as a junior hockey player. And he’s expanded on that as a member of our program here. He plays hard, he’s mentally tough and he cares for others. I’m not sure you could ask any more of a player and of one who is expected to be a leader for your team.”