Idaho Junior Steelheads' left-winger Victor Karlsson had beaten the two Valencia Flyers' defensemen just as the puck came around the boards. With a flick of the wrist, Karlsson backhanded a shot over the Valencia goalie's shoulder into the net to score and give Idaho a 2-1 lead over the Flyers. "It was actually one of the nicest goals I've had since coming here," Karlsson said after the Junior Steelheads defeated Valencia, 8-2, on Saturday at Manchester Ice and Event Centre in McCall.

This is Karlsson's third season playing hockey "here" in the United States. Minnesota to Texas, the Stockholm, Sweden native began his hockey career around age 6 and was 17 years old when his family supported Karlsson's decision to come to the U.S., where he played hockey for Cloquet High School in Minnesota. "I always wanted to come to America for the high school experience and I was lucky enough to play for one of the top high school hockey teams in the country," he said. Before becoming an Idaho Junior Steelhead, Karlsson played in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) for the Wichita Falls Wildcats in Texas.

Now 20 years old, the 6-foot-1 import is one of the Western States Hockey League's (WSHL) top 20 players who's about to attain a goal of his own - to play college hockey. "Victor's had a great year, and he's got the well-deserved attention from schools; he's going to be a good college hockey player," Junior Steelheads head coach John Olver said. "Victor's had some NCAA Division III schools make him some offers, so right now he's in the process of trying to decide where he's going to go," Olver said. McCall Mountaineers hockey player Christian Widen and his family billet Karlsson when Idaho plays in McCall.

Smart on the Ice, Widen, a McCall resident who also hails from a small town outside Stockholm, says he's impressed with Karlsson's maturity and intelligence on the ice. "He makes decisions that are good for the team, and he's mature in the sense that he doesn't have a big head about his own game," Widen said. Karlsson also is has strong puck-handling skills, which is unusual for someone of his size, Widen said. Karlsson brings a lot of finesse with his game, Olver said. "Along the boards and in the corner, he just always seems to come up with the puck - always," Olver said. Many Swedish hockey players stay home and work their way up the European leagues before moving on to the NHL, but Karlsson's personal goals are clear. "I want to go to college, play hockey and do well, and then after that, maybe play pro somewhere in Europe," he said. Until then, he's content to stay in the U.S. "I don't regret anything - I've come here and I love it," Karlsson said.