Sarah: Where do you come from?

Matt: I come from Eagle River, Alaska.

Sarah: What is it like up there?

Matt: Right now it is pretty much a summer day up there. I live halfway up on a mountain and it is real wilderness. Right now there is probably about 30" of snow.

Sarah: Do you like it?

Matt: Yep. I like it a lot.

Sarah: Do you want to go back?

Matt: Yeah, sometime.

Sarah: Is hockey very big up there?

Matt: Yep. It is probably the main sport.

Sarah: Tell me about your family.

Matt: I have my older brother who is 21. His name is Nate. I have, well, my parents, Mark and Michelle.

Sarah: Can you tell me about yourself then?

Matt: Let me see. I just came here from the Lincoln Stars, part of a trade. I enjoy camping, hiking, fishing, outdoor stuff.

Sarah: Have you enjoyed Des Moines so far?

Matt: Yeah, I like it a lot here.

Sarah: What about being a Buc?

Matt: Yep. It is great. It is more than I thought it would be even.

Sarah: You are doing very good so far.

Matt: Thanks.

Sarah: What is the best thing about being a Buc?

Matt: Probably just the organization and the coaches they have here.

Sarah: Where did you play before this? Lincoln and then . . .

Matt: Right, Lincoln. And then I played back home in Alaska.

Sarah: Did you play in Lincoln then last year too?

Matt: Uh huh.

Sarah: How did you come to play for the Stars?

Matt: Well, they just watched me play. Junior hockey is kind of the next step to go onto college and be seen by all of the colleges. Lincoln was the team that protected me.

Sarah: And then how did you come here?

Matt: Well, I have watched this organization and this team and what they have done last year and this year. I wasn’t very happy with Lincoln so I asked to be traded to this team, and fortunately it worked out.

Sarah: Yeah, that is good. What do you like about Des Moines so far?

Matt: Probably the people. It certainly is a real nice place, pretty laid back.

Sarah: Yeah.

Matt: Simple town.

Sarah: I have noticed that too because I was from Omaha. And then moving up here, they just seem to be friendlier.

Matt: Uh huh.

Sarah: What do you dislike about Des Moines?

Matt: Oh, probably the danger of the people around here. I think I heard J.J. was seen driving around at probably about 80.

Sarah: What do you miss the most about home?

Matt: Probably my dog. My dog and my parents.

Sarah: What is your dog’s name?

Matt: Huskie.

Sarah: What kind of dog is it?

Matt: It is a Huskie, pretty big.

Sarah: Do you have a nickname?

Matt: Just Shas. That is pretty much it.

Sarah: Okay. What about a favorite food?

Matt: Chicken.

Sarah: Can you tell me about your most embarrassing moment?

Matt: Most embarrassing moment?

Sarah: Can you think of it?

Matt: I don’t know. I can’t really think of one. I don’t know. I don’t really have one.

Sarah: Okay, that is fine. What about a best memory?

Matt: Probably just playing street hockey out in front of my house for about three hours a day when I was younger.

Sarah: What do you want the fans to know about you?

Matt: That I plan to give everything I can to the Bucs. You know, to this organization and to them, as the fans.

Sarah: Is there anything we would be surprised to know?

Matt: Probably not.

Sarah: Okay, thanks.

Matt: Yep.