(ABC 6 News) — A defender by name only, Mika Cichosz has been an attacking force from all over the ice for the Albert Lea Tigers this year.

“The younger girls, they want to be like Mika,” Tigers Head coach Mike Carlson said. “But when you see 14 goals, 14 assists, that is a solid player.”

Through 21 games, her stick has provided 28 points split evenly down the middle. Yet, all those numbers are just another day’s work for Cichosz.

“Every time I’m on the ice, it’s just relaxing,” the defenseman stated. “Your mind goes blank, you’re just having a good time.”

Cichosz’s ability to lend a helping hand on the attack is not something not all defenders can do.

“So, it’s definitely really fun, especially getting an assist,” Cichosz continued. “Say I gave a good pass, they get a snipe, it’s a great feeling.”

Cichosz’s teammates would agree. Even with a save percentage of 91 percent; goaltender Rachel Dopplehammer is grateful that her teammate can at least take some of the pressure off her shoulders.

“She will do whatever it takes to clear the puck out of the zone,” Doppelhammer assessed. “She’ll throw her whole body at it and she’ll dive, I know I can trust her.”

That attacking mindset is one of the reasons Coach Carlson named Cichosz as a captain.

“She’s earned everything she gets,” Carlson praised. “She goes out and works so hard, I can honestly tell you I don’t know if I have seen her take a stride on the ice that didnt have purpose.”

Although it may be his first year coaching the team, he has had his eye on Mika since the beginning.

“I think she was probably 8 or 9 she was playing on the U-10 and she was a waterbug,” Carlson recounted. “She was everywhere. From the beginning, I looked at her and said that girl can play.”

Don’t let the position fool you, Mika Cichosz is always attacking on the ice or off.

As the section playoffs loom, Albert Lea’s opponents would do well to remember Cichosz’s capabilities. No matter the position, she is always attacking both on the ice and off it.