If the name of the college, Gustavus Adolphus, hasn't yet clued you in, take a walk around the school's campus in St Peter, Minnesota. Look closely at the names of the campus buildings. Linnaeus Arboretum, Folke Bernadotte Memorial Library, O.J Johnson Student Union, Lund Center, Alfred Nobel Hall of Science. If it still hasn't hit you, then pull up the Gustavus website on your smart phone. There you will see that the college was founded in 1862 by Swedish Americans. That in 1873 it was named Gustavus Adolphus College in honor of Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden from 1611 to 1632, who is remembered by historians as one of the greatest rulers in European history. That Gustavus Adolphus College to this day describes itself as firmly rooted in its Swedish and Lutheran heritage. Then take a look at the course studies that are offered. Yes, a student at Gustavus can major in Scandinavian Studies, which includes learning to speak, read and write the Swedish language. Finally consider that in April 1976, when the King of Sweden, Carl Gustav, visited the United States, he made a point to visit Gustavus Adolphus College. The conclusion you cannot help but come to is, of course, that Gustavus Adolphus College is indeed firmly rooted in its Swedish heritage.

It should come as no surprise then that since the introduction of the quintessential Swedish winter ice sport of Bandy into the United States in December 1980, that Gustavus Adolphus College in the ensuing 40 years has been the source of more bandy players in the US bandy league, men and women, than any other institution or entity. You haven't heard of the sport of Bandy? Neither had any Gustavus student until 1976 when then Gustavus junior Nancy Nelson spent a year studying abroad in Vasteras Sweden. Together with her host family in Vasteras, Nancy went to a bandy game in November 1976. Almost 20 years later Nelson would take charge of the US youth bandy program and open the door for thousands of Minnesota kids to begin playing bandy. Six weeks later the Gustavus men's varsity hockey team was in Sweden over the Christmas holidays. On December 20 they were in Karlstad, riding on the team bus from the hotel to the hockey rink where they would play a game against the Farjestads junior team. On the way the bus stopped so that the team could look out on a giant ice surface where the sport of bandy was being played. On that Gustavus team were two players, Chris Middlebrook and Chris Halden, who would become integral to US and international bandy. Among their accomplishments,  Halden ultimately would play in a bandy world record 253 international matches for the USA. Middlebrook would also set a record , winning 18 US Championships as a player and head coach.

If you are not familiar with the sport called Bandy you have likely never been to Sweden in the wintertime. Bandy is played on an ice surface the size and dimensions of a soccer field. There are 10 skaters and a goalie on each team, the same number of players as in soccer. All wear skates, including the goalie, who guards a net 7 feet high and 11 feet wide. The 10 skaters carry a bandy stick, shorter than a hockey stick, curved at the end, as they attempt to strike a hard plastic, cork center ball, a little smaller than a tennis ball, into the net. The players strike the bandy ball much like a golfer, with both hands together at the top of the stick. The goalie does not use a stick. He is instead, like a soccer goalie, using his hands and body to stop the bandy ball, all while on skates. The goalie can also participate in the offense by throwing the ball up the ice to his skaters. Just as in soccer international games are 90 minute games, two 45 minute halves. In recent years numerous indoor bandy arenas have been built in Scandinavia and Russia, but many  bandy games are still played outside, regardless of the weather, including extreme cold.

Bandy was introduced into Sweden from Great Britain in 1895. The first Swedish national league began in 1902 and in 1907 the first official Swedish Champion was crowned, when IFK Gavle defeated IFK Uppsala on a frozen river ice rink. Bandy ultimately grew in Sweden until every city, small town and hamlet had its own bandy club. In the process bandy became an integral part of the tradition and culture of the  long Swedish winters. In modern times bandy, in addition to being a folk, an every person's sport in Sweden, has also become a full fledged professional sport, full time athletes who are paid to play and excel in bandy. Artificially refrigerated bandy ice arenas number over 80 with 16 indoor bandy arenas already operating. The attendance record for a Swedish elite league championship is 38,000 spectators.  

Of course, it does not come as a surprise that when bandy was introduced into the United States in December 1980, the introduction took place in the Swedish state of Minnesota. It should also be no surprise that a Swede, Gunnar Fast, was chosen to be the bandy missionary. Bandy was initially played on natural ice rinks in Edina, and then also Bloomington and Rosville, Minnesota. In 1993 Roseville built an artificially refrigerated bandy/speedskating rink that has been the home to USA Bandy ever since.  The first US bandy season occurred in January and February 1981 and it is here that the 40 plus year connection with Gustavus Adolphus College comes alive. The first US champion was named the Bandolier. The Bandolier roster consisted of 5 former Gustie hockey players as skaters with the goalie, Chuck Healy, also a Gustie who had lettered in basketball at Gustavus. 40 years later, in 2020, the US bandy champion was again the Bandolier. Skating for the 2020 US bandy champions were 7 former Gusties.  From 1980 to 2021 there has been a total of 62 former Gustie men who have played bandy in the US leagues. This number includes 8 former All American hockey players, and one who was NCAA Division 3 Player of the Year in 2009.  24 Gustie men have skated for the US national team in international competitions. 8 have played at least one season overseas for Swedish teams. 2 Gusties have been head coach for the US men's national team.

The Gustie women's connection with US Bandy began later but is just as extraordinary. Gustavus women's ice hockey has been a national powerhouse for almost 20 years.  The Gustie women's hockey/USA bandy connection began in 2012 when Gustie alumni Mike Dueber, "89", an active member of the Gustavus Adolphus Mentoring Program, was speaking to a Gustavus marketing class. One of Dueber's students was Gustie hockey player and All American Kelsey Kennedy. They spoke after class and Dueber, who had begun playing bandy in the US second tier the season before, encouraged Kennedy, to play bandy after she graduated, and furthermore to bring her Gustavus teammates with her. After graduating from Gustavus in 2013 Kennedy did indeed begin playing bandy, initially bringing former teammates Jenna Christensen and then Meagan Wanecke with her. The Gustie connection was now wide open to US women's bandy and in February 2020 there were 8 former Gustie women's hockey players playing for the USA in the women's world championships in Oslo. Three were All Americans skating for Gustavus. One was the MIAC Player of the Year in 2012.

In the early 2000s a team consisting almost entirely of former Gustavus hockey players, led by Aaron Allar and Jordan Anderson, competed in the US elite league. Several years later, in the fall of 2007, 4 just graduated Gustie men's hockey players, John Arundel, Jon Keseley, Mike Hosfield and Erik Kraska, went to Sweden where they all played bandy for Stockholm team Helenelund. They came home to become 4 of the best players in US bandy history, both in the US league and in international competition, earning them the moniker, "The Four Horsemen of USA Bandy". There have been a number of Gustie/Bandy father and son combinations. Steve Arundel, a member of the original Bandolier 1981 US champions who also skated for the 1983 US national team, is the father of former national team players John and Scott Arundel. In the reverse, Dane and Evan Erickson, both current national team players, were the motivation for their dad, two time All American Gustie hockey player John Erickson, to begin playing bandy in the US Rec League. It is not, however, only Gustie hockey alumni who have had successful bandy careers. Wyatt Wenzel,"14", has played in 7 men's world championships, won 6 US championships with the Bandolier and also played one season for Ojaby in Sweden. Kevin Bowen, "83"  was a hockey player growing up in Chicago and a Gustavus varsity soccer player. In his 34 plus years of US bandy he has been a 9 time US champion with the Bandolier and has refereed in 25 international bandy tournaments including multiple men's and women's world championships across the bandy globe. John Woodburn "82" was also a Gustavus soccer player who played on several US national teams. More recent is Jack Blaney "19" who played varsity soccer and ran track at Gustavus, but also won a US bandy championship for the Bandolier in 2014 as a 16 year old, and then upon graduating from Gustavus, won the US bandy championship again in 2020.

Gustavus Adolphus College and its alumni will continue to have a big impact on US bandy into the future. The US men's national team which will compete in the 2020 World Championships in Irkutsk, Russia will have 6 Gusties on the roster, with a Gustie as Head Coach and a Gustie as Team leader. The US women's national team which will compete in in the 2021 Women's World Championships in Vetlanda, Sweden will likely have 8 Gusties on the roster and a Gustie as assistant coach. The Gustavus to US bandy pipeline, opened 41 years ago, is still flowing, while the connection with the 3 Gusties who first saw bandy back in 1976, Nancy Nelson, Chris Middlebrook and Chris Halden is forever cemented, as all 3 have been inducted into the USA Bandy Hall of Fame for their extraordinary contributions to USA Bandy over the past 4 decades. Indeed what a perfect connection, between a College founded by Swedes and still maintaining strong ties to its Swedish roots and heritage and Bandy, the quintessential sport of a Swedish winter. 

Gustavus All American Hockey Players Who Have Played Bandy

Men  (8)

Steve Hansen 78

John Erickson 81

Rick Hjelm 84

Keith Detlefson 06

Jon Keseley 07

David Martinson 09 (also NCAA D3 player of the Year)

Josh Swartout 10

Mitch Carlson 11

Ross Ring Jarvi 12

 

Women  (3)

Allie Schwab 12 (also MIAC Player of the Year)

Mollie Carroll 12

Kelsey Kennedy 13

 

Gusties who have played on US National Teams  (24)

Men

Steve Arundel 73

Chris Halden 78

Chris Middlebrook 79

Mark Molzen 81

John Woodburn 82

Kevin Bowen 83

Rick Hjelm 84

Aaron Allar 03

Jordan Anderson 03

John Arundel 07

Mike Hosfield 07

Jon Keseley 07

Erik Kraska 07

Scott Arundel 08

Andrew Hogan 08

David Martinson 10

Joe Welch 10

Sam Blaisdell 13

Dane Erickson 13 

Wyatt Wenzel 14

Michael Fabie 17

Evan Erickson 19

plus 2 who attended Gustavus but didn't graduate from there:

Jeff Arundel 75-76

Tom Lee 75-76

 

Women  (8)

Allie Schwab 12

Mollie Carroll 12

Kelsey Kennedy 13

Meaghan Wanecke 13

Jenna Christianson 13

Tam Meuwissen 13

Maddie Bergh 14

Mara Sobczak 14

 

Coaches of US National Teams

Men's (2)

Chris Halden 78

Chris Middlebrook 79

 

Women's  (1)

Chris Middlebrook 79

 

Gusties Who Have Played At Least One Season In Sweden (8)

Chris Halden 78

Chris Middlebrook 79

John Arundel 07

Mike Hosfield 07

Jon Keseley 07

Erik Kraska 07

Scott Arundel 08

Wyatt Wenzel 14

 

USA Bandy Hall of Famers  (3)

Nancy Nelson 78

Chris Halden 78

Chris Middlebrook 79

 

Complete List of Gusties who have Played Bandy

Men  (64)

Steve Arundel 72

Chuck Healy 73

Klaus Jung 75

Chris Halden 78

Steve Hansen 78

Chris Middlebrook 79

Steve Howells 79

Mike Umland 80

Steve Sullivan 80

Mark Molzen 81

John Erickson 81

Jon Anderson 81

Dean Pospesel 82

John Woodburn 82

Kevin Bowen 83

Rick Hjelm 84

Mitch Olson 86

Mike Dueber 89

Ross Pillsbury 02

Aaron Allar 03

Jordan Anderson 03

Bobby Dennis 03

Jason Rogowski 04

Sam Johnson 04

Brian Merchant 04

Justin Davis 04

Tom Awajaine 04

Reegan Rehm 05

Jon Miller 05

Joe Ulwelling 06

Keith Detlefsen 06

John Arundel 07

Mike Hosfield 07

Jon Keseley 07

Erik Kraska 07

Scott Arundel 08

Andrew Hogan 08 

Steve Strampe 08

Ian Wolff 08

Sam Idriss 08

David Martinson 10

Joe Welch 10

Cody Mossbeck 10

Josh Swartout 10

Mitch Carlson 11

Ross Ring Jarvi 12

Sam Blaisdell 13

Dane Erickson 13

Mitch Cowger 13

Wyatt Wenzel 14

Alex Eide 14

Danny Cameron 14

Austin Perkins 14

Michael Fabie 17

Isaak Tjaden 17

Tyller Robert 18

Evan Erickson 19

Jack Blaney 19

Grant Vickerman 19

Porter Haney 25

plus 4 who went to but did not graduate from Gustavus 

Jeff Arundel

Tom Lee

Adam Meyer

Niklas Almstrom

 

Women  (10)

Allie Schwab Johnson 12

Mollie Carroll 12

Kelsey Kennedy 13

Meagan Wanecke 13

Jenna Christensen 13

Tam Meuwissen 13

Maddie Bergh 14

Marah Sobczak 14

Paige Press 18

Nancy Nelson 78