Lone Star Brahmas’ – Sebastian Vidmar On A Mission

Sebastian Vidmar put up 25 points after joining the Lone Star Brahmas in early November last season. In 2014 he will be back for his first full campaign with the Brahmas.

The big forward from Malmo Sweden struggled out of the gate after arriving in North Texas, going 14 games without cracking the scoring sheet despite some strong play in the offensive zone. The scoring drought took its toll on Vidmar. “There was a lot of frustration and pressure that I put on myself during that time, said Vidmar. “It’s easy saying that it will loosen up with time and I should just keep playing my game, but in reality that frustration finds its way in, one way or another.” Sebastian had history to look to for encouragement; he knew he could put points on the board. In 2012/13 he was second in goals scored in the Swedish J20 SuperElit League. “I kept going at it, and when the first point came I just kept going, not loosening up and still playing my game. A big reason why I got on the right track is also because of Dan (Wildfong) and Jeff (Potter) still playing me and giving me minutes on the ice, another coach might have just sent me on my way.”

“Fans will see me doing my best to be as painful for our opponent’s defense as possible,”

Vidmar finally found the back of the net late in the first period of a game at home against the Rio Grande Killer Bees on December 14^th. He would score again with just over two minutes to go in the game to send the contest into overtime and a shootout which the Brahmas won. Once he had broken the ice, he opened up the offense down the stretch scoring 25 points in 28 games on 9G – 16A.

The Brahmas will need Vidmar to build on his success from last season. He recognizes that fact and has worked diligently on his conditioning this offseason. “Those last shifts in a game are often where a game is settled and having the right amount of energy left to give is a game changer.” If things go the way Sebastian has planned this season he will once again be one of the scoring leaders on the team. “Fans will see me doing my best to be as painful for our opponent’s defense as possible,” he said. “I will also help and give time to my teammates and hopefully set up some nice plays for them. All I know is that I’m going to give whatever it takes for the team to be successful and then hopefully the other pieces should fall into their places.”

Those teammates will also be one of the keys to Vidmar’s success in 2014. He has watched from afar as the Brahmas staff built a roster for the coming season and likes what he has seen. “A strong defense is key in almost every sport, especially in hockey. The ability to clean up our own end and then make a play to go on offense is vital, as well as following the play and get added pressure on the attack. The amount of experience and talent we have in the back this year is definitely going to be fun to go into the season with.”

Vidmar joined Alexey Solovyev in citing the opportunity to earn a D-I scholarship as his motivation for leaving Europe for hockey in the United States. “They don’t have college sports in Sweden,” he explained. Therefore, there’s no way to get an education and still advance your hockey career, but in the US you can combine them which is great. The experience of a year abroad doing what you love is also a factor that played a part in my decision last year as well as this year.”

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When asked to compare the game in Sweden to that of the NAHL, Sebastian pointed to the speed of the game due to the ice size as the major difference. “In Sweden, you have more time with the puck before you get pressure on you, while in the states you have to think a bit faster and often do the fast play.”

Sebastian’s personal goal going into the season is to earn a college commitment. Team goals have not yet been clearly defined. “With training camp starting in roughly a week we haven’t talked and set team goals yet, but I would like to believe that we should aim for the top and make small goals on the way,” was his conclusion. “We need every guy to chip in and do their work in combination with everyone moving in the same direction. If we can do that, we’re going to be a serious contender in the fall.”

Career Statistics