Sioux lineman to make impact after breaking leg

• Seth Stanchik

Seth Stanchik

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GRAND FORKS — In the University of North Dakota’s 2010 homecoming game against Southern Utah, Sioux defensive lineman Seth Stanchik had a shot at taking down the Thunderbirds’ quarterback Brad Sorenson.

“It was one of the first plays of the second half,” Stanchik recalled. “I was almost to the quarterback and I just got hit in the leg. I was flipped over. It didn’t hurt at first. It just felt like a huge dead leg. Then I got up and knew something was wrong right away.”

Stanchik fell to the Alerus Center turf. His season was over as he suffered a broken fibula and tibia. The severity of the injury also left UND wondering whether Stanchik’s career was over.

“It was a nasty injury,” UND coach Chris Mussman said. “Those are the types of injury in which you wonder if a kid can recover not only physically but psychologically as well.”

But Stanchik is back and is in line to be a major contributor on the Sioux defensive line in the fall.

Stanchik, a 6-foot-4, 265-pound junior from Hudson, Wis., did make it back last season but saw limited action as he suffered a setback in fall camp. He played in five games in 2011, registering a solo tackle and a pass breakup.

“I wasn’t healthy until a couple of games into last season,” Stanchik said. “Now, it feels perfect.”

His recovery days in 2010 were long.

His typical recovery day? “I went into the training room for about two hours a day, just doing different exercises and icing,” Stanchik said. “For a while, I was doing that about two times a day.”

So far in spring ball, Stanchik has taken a lot of reps and figures to see extensive playing time when UND launches the 2012 season — its first as a Big Sky Conference member.

“He’s done very well in the weight room,” Mussman said. “He’s strong. He still has a ways to go but I’ve been impressed with him from the time we came back from the Christmas break.

“For as much as we rotate guys in and out of the defensive line, we’re going to need him.”

Stanchik and the rest of his defensive teammates enjoyed a dominating day at Monday’s practice session at Memorial Stadium.

UND’s offense, meanwhile, drew the wrath of UND’s coaches.

“The practice was awful offensively,” Mussman said. “We had a bunch of guys go home (for the weekend) and they rolled in at noon with meetings at noon. That’s not conducive to a good practice.”

Even though UND held its first scrimmage of the spring season Saturday, the Sioux went live again toward the end of Monday’s practice. The defense dominated.

Nelson is the sports editor of the

Grand Forks Herald, which is owned by Forum Communications Co.

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