Hello everyone I am posting a feature story about Anders and Magnus
Lundback that appeared in today's Maine Campus.
 
 
        It has been 12 years since Dire Straits released the successful ballad
"Brothers In Arms," but in just under three months, the University of
Maine men's hockey program has released a version of their own.
        Being twins, Magnus and Anders Lundback share a special and unique
relationship.
Whether it is kicking a soccer ball around, emulating their favorite
NHL stars or just looking for a shoulder to lean on, the two encounter
all of life's twists and turns in unison.
"We did everything together," freshman Anders Lundback said. "Magnus
and I are extremely close. If either one of us has a bad game the other
guy is their for support."
"It's nice to have someone to talk too," Magnus Lundback said. "When
you're down and you're not doing so well either on the rink or in
school, it's really nice to have someone to talk too."
Growing up in Lulea, Sweden, Anders and Magnus divulged themselves in a
world saturated with sports and recreational activities.
"We went fishing quite a bit," Anders said. "We work out all the time
during the summers, talk to each other, and help us improve."
"We have this cottage out next to this lake and we'll live their during
the summers," Magnus said. "We'll do a lot of fishing."
Fishing not only provided the Lundbacks with immeasurable moments spent
together, it consolidated one of Anders' favorite memories from their
youth.
"One time when I was out fishing with my grandfather when I was seven
or eight years old, I caught this giant pike that weighed maybe 30
pounds," he said. "It was the biggest fish I had ever caught and my
grandfather was pretty proud."
However, life wasn't always about casting the fishing line and leisure
times spent in the dangling Swedish sun. After high school, both
brothers traded in their rods for a military uniform to fulfill their
obligation for their country.
Anders and Magnus were in the same platoon and the lessons of life
extracted from their difficult ordeal are infinite in nature.
"It was tough," Magnus said. "We were attacked by other platoons in the
middle of the night. They would fire at us with blanks. We did a lot of
different drills and mostly self-defense."
One of the toughest exercises they grappled with was the ultimate
survival test. After being dropped off into the wilderness away from
base, the platoon had to learn how to survive on what they had.
"We camped out in the woods and learned how to survive," Anders said.
"It was very tough but it was fun. We had to find roots we could eat
and cook. We put up tents every day and they basically told us to
survive."
"We got mentally stronger," Magnus said. "We learned how to overcome
difficulties."
The Lundbacks said that becoming mentally stronger was directly
absorbed into their hockey veins.
"I learned never to give up and you can do a lot more than what you
think you can do," Anders said. "I applied that to the ice."
Anders and Magnus are two of the team's six Europeans who have crossed
paths in Orono. Of those six, four are Swedes. Forward Marcus
Gustafsson and defenseman Robert Ek all hail from the country that
boasts 33 current NHL players.
Traveling overseas to attend a foreign school can raise the anxiety
levels to new heights, but for the Lundbacks, they were greeted by one
of their oldest friends.
"I have known Robert (Ek) for at least 10 years," Anders said. "We do a
lot of things together during the summer. We work out all the time
together."
"Robert is the greatest friend," Magnus said. "We've known him for
years and he is such a great guy."
Ek said that the two are similar to any other twins in what they share
with each other.
"They are two typical twins," he said. "They rely on each other a lot
and they are really close. They are two good guys who are confident in
themselves. I've played hockey with them since we were in like
fourth-grade."
Although Anders and Magnus didn't meet Gustafsson until their arrival
in Maine, they found an instant friendship that was molded from their
commonalties.
"The friendship is growing and they are two really good guys,"
Gustafsson said. "We'll get together and just sit around and talk.
We've become really good friends."
One the of the greatest assets of the friendship that Ek and Gustafsson
have helped the two freshmen with is the transition to college life in
America.
"We get together a lot of the times and we try to make them feel at
home," Gustafsson said. "We'll make Swedish food two or three times a
week. We try to take them away from the dining commons."
"We'll eat dinner a lot and we take care of each other," Ek said.
On the ice, Anders has showed some spark for the Bears, scoring two
goals and adding three assists in eight games. Although Magnus has yet
to make his debut in a Black Bear uniform, head coach Shawn Walsh said
that his opportunity is getting closer.
"Magnus has shown flashes of a highly skilled player and he is close to
getting his opportunity," Walsh said. "Anders is a little stronger on
the ice and has solid defensive instincts."
Although he has seen what each can do on the ice in practice, Walsh
admits having trouble identifying who is who.
"I can't tell the difference between them," joked Walsh. "They are real
quality, classy guys and are very humble."