Colorful Players

Four former players provide color commentary for broadcasts at their WCHA alma mater

By Glen Andresen

“These broadcasters are such homers!”

Well, yeah. If you’re listening to a college hockey broadcast on the opposition’s station, they’re supposed to be. That’s their team out there.

In Minnesota, a college hockey broadcast featuring St. Cloud State, Minnesota Duluth, Minnesota State, Mankato or Minnesota, is going to feature announcers that are a bit more boisterous when the hometown team scores.  

Whether the average fan thinks he’s supposed to or not, Jeff Saterdalen is going to get more pumped up when Nate Dey scores a game-winner for the St. Cloud State Huskies than he would if the Huskies just lost because of a goal by Wisconsin’s Ross Carlson.

Fortunately, Saterdalen, who is in his first year as the St. Cloud Huskies’ television color analyst through Charter Communications, was instructed by Husky head coach Bob Motzko to be a “homer” whenever possible.

“(Motzko) basically said, ‘I want you to be a homer,’” recalled Saterdalen.

Even if he weren’t so instructed by the head coach, Saterdalen would still raise his voice for a St. Cloud goal, because not so long ago, Saterdalen was one of the guys scoring the goals for the black and red clad team in the early nineties.

Saterdalen is one of several former WCHA players now working as a color commentator on the television or radio broadcast for their former team.

Of course, most hockey fans are familiar with Doug Woog, the former Gopher All-American who went on to an illustrious coaching career for his alma mater and now works as an analyst alongside Frank Mazzocco during Gopher hockey broadcasts on FSN North.

Working for smaller schools with less broadcast reach, but just as much presence on the Internet are Steve Carroll in Mankato, Judd Medak in Duluth, and Saterdalen in St. Cloud.

These guys have more in common than having worn the same sweaters as the team they cover. They all take great pride in being able to work with teams that have meant so much in their lives, and they all jumped at the chance to do it.

Of course, there are a few differences.

For example, Carroll has an extensive background in broadcasting, having worked as a sportscaster for KARE 11 in the Twin Cities for over a decade. When Mankato’s local cable station needed a color analyst, the two-time All American was a natural fit, and a willing participant.

Steve Carroll, right, interviews Maverick forward Kurtis Kisio between periods of a recent WCHA game.


“(Mankato) contacted me to see what my interest level was on getting back involved,” said Carroll, Mankato’s television color man. “I was very excited to get involved where I went to college, and getting back to men’s hockey for a program that meant so much to me through the years.”

Medak followed a different path. The Vancouver native was perfectly happy with his position as a credit analyst for U.S. Bank in Duluth. The extent of his media training was answering a few post-game questions from a local beat writer during his playing days from 1998 to 2002.

While sitting at his desk this past October, he received a surprising phone call from UMD Bulldog radio play-by-play voice, Bruce Ciskie.

Ciskie said Medak’s name was brought up as a candidate for the role of radio color commentator for Bulldog home games on AM 610 KDAL. The only problem was that the first home game of the season was the very next day against Lakehead University.

“At first I chuckled,” recalled Medak. “My name wouldn’t have just come up because I have a good radio voice or anything like that. I called him back the next morning, and the next thing you know, I was on the air that night.”

Medak didn’t have a lot of time to prepare, but he knew he wanted to keep it simple and not to pretend to be someone he wasn’t.

“I try to tell fans about what a player or coach might be thinking as far as a certain play on the ice, or even off the ice, about a guy’s preparation for the game,” he said.

In addition to a player’s perspective, these analysts have a familiarity with their team’s respective coaches that can go a long way to providing further insight. Medak played for UMD head coach Scott Sandelin, and Carroll wrapped up his playing career just as current Maverick head coach Troy Jutting began his college career in Mankato.

“It’s obviously more comfortable for a member of the coaching staff to talk to a former player,” said Carroll. “I know the history of the program. I was part of the history of the program. I can share the history of the program with a TV viewer.”

Added Medak, “I know all of the coaches well, and I know their philosophies.

There are a lot of times when something happens on the ice, and I’ll make a comment that those types of mistakes drive Coach Sandelin nuts. I think it’s neat for listeners to get that from somebody who has been through it as opposed to someone who has been trained in broadcasting, but might not have that experience.”

You won’t hear Carroll, Medak or Saterdalen complaining about losing a few weekend nights because of work. All three consider themselves lucky to be doing what they’re doing.

“I’ve always looked for a way to give back to St. Cloud and get involved with the program,” said Saterdalen. “You always think about what opportunities are out there, so when the opportunity came, I jumped all over it.”

In fact, the only drawback for Saterdalen is that he wishes he could be back out there on the ice and taking part in the action.

“During the Duluth series, there was a 6-5 hockey game that St. Cloud won in the final minute, and after I was done announcing, it felt like I had played a hockey game. I was that emotionally involved,” he laughed.

What a homer!