The CCHA Reporter's Corner rolls on this week with its 45th episode, in which co-hosts Jared Rubado and Trent Singer welcome in Augustana senior defenseman Will Svenddal.

A native of Minneapolis, Svenddal served alongside teammate Ben Troumbly as an ambassador for the Vikings' program in 2022-23, a year before the team played its inaugural season. The 6-foot-1 blueliner is an alternate captain on this year's Vikings squad, which will play a home series this weekend versus Ferris State.

AU (14-6-3) is currently ranked No. 15 in both national polls and is sitting at No. 12 in the NCAA Percentage Index, which would qualify the Vikings for an at-large bid in the NCAA tournament if the season ended today.

In this episode, Svenddal discusses how he got his start in hockey, playing at the varsity level for The Blake School in Minneapolis. He talks about his experience in getting to play in the prestigious Minnesota boys hockey state tournament as well as his junior hockey days with the Minnesota Magicians.

Svenddal also dives into why he decided Augustana was the best fit for him, the early days of the Vikings' program and what it was like being a part of building a fledgling program, which is already in national contention in only its third year of existence.

What makes Josh Kotai so special? Is Christian Manz the next great Vikings goaltender? What do players like Hayden Hennen and Brett Meerman bring to the table? Svenddal breaks all of that down — and more — in this episode.

The CCHA Reporter's Corner is a weekly college hockey show that's brought to you by Rubado, Singer and producer Cordell Wright, featuring players and coaches from around the CCHA.

To watch this show and to see clips and highlights from this episode with Will Svenddal, head on over to Midwest Sports Plus, the home of The CCHA Reporter's Corner.

For the audio-only version, subscribe to The CCHA Reporter's Corner on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever podcasts are available. Follow Singer and Rubado on X — @trentsinger and @JaredRubadoBP — and throughout the week, check out their work at siouxfallslive.com and bemidjipioneer.com.