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Q&A INTERVIEW WITH HUDSON FASCHING Hudson Fasching MHJ: Did soccer and hockey complement one another at all? Hudson Fasching: There was no burnout factor. I was able to switch between soccer, hockey, and I played tennis, so there was a lot of variety. I was just trying to become the best athlete I could be at the time. I think just that was a big help in me excelling at both sports. On the ice, soccer helped me out on edges, quickness and other stuff like that. MHJ: You've suited up with Team USA on a number of different international teams, but how were the World Junior Championships in Sweden different? HF: It was incredible to be a part of that team with so many skilled guys. We had two guys on the team who played in the NHL so it was a really high-level team to be a part of. To represent your country and be considered among those elite players is unbelievable. Obviously our result wasn't what we wanted, but it was a lot of fun. MHJ: When you got back, the Gophers went up against Ohio State in the Hockey City Classic at TCF Bank Stadium. How often did you play outdoor hockey growing up? HF: (Gopher teammate) A.J. Michaelson and I would go outside every chance we got. There was a kid on our Apple Valley team who would make a rink every year and we'd be out there literally what felt like 24/7. They had the lights so we could play into the night. There's nothing better. MHJ: How did hockey become the main focus? HF: I always had the most fun playing hockey. I played all the time and just loved it. It helped that it was kind of the sport that I was the best at, too. 20 MINNESOTAHOCKEYJOURNAL.COM // FEBRUARY.2014 Fasching grew up playing in the Apple Valley Hockey Association MHJ: Being a part of Hockey Day Minnesota for the first time must have been pretty special, too. HF: Being a part of Hockey Day Minnesota is something I've always kind of dreamed about. I watched it on TV growing up— watching all the high school games and hoping my (Apple Valley) high school team would end up there. Unfortunately that never happened (laughs). But I got to be a part of it with the Gophers. Hockey is such a tradition here in Minnesota, it's awesome to be a part of that. "There was no burnout factor. I was able to switch between soccer, hockey, and I played tennis, so there was a lot of variety. I was just trying to become the best athlete I could be at the time." PHOTO: UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA ATHLETICS H udson Fasching wanted to be more than just a hockey player. He wanted to be an all-around athlete. As a sophomore, Fasching helped Apple Valley to a boys' state soccer championship and a fourth-place finish at the state high school hockey tournament. His junior year he made the decision to go to USA Hockey's National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, Mich., but always planned to come back home. In his rookie season at the University of Minnesota, Fasching got off to a strong start with 14 points in 17 games and represented Team USA in the World Junior Championships. While preparing for the second half of the college hockey season, he found time to catch up with Minnesota Hockey Journal.