Dylan Steman put on his first pair of ice skates when he was 3 years old. He began playing in a midget league when he was 4 and has never stopped playing the game he loves.

"Coming from Minnesota, everybody plays hockey and I latched onto it at a really young age," he said. "It was always my No.1 sport."

Steman, now 19, is beginning his second year as a forward with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders in the United States Hockey League. He collected 11 goals and 21 assists in 58 games last season and is hoping to contribute more this year.

He'll take the ice Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. when the RoughRiders host Dubuque in a preseason game at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena.

Steman said he feels more comfortable in a RoughRiders uniform this season, because he knows the drills and knows what the USHL is all about, but he also knows you cannot relax at the Tier 1 level of amateur hockey.

"You can never really be too comfortable," he said. "It feels good to be back and know what you're doing, know the routine, know how hard it really is.

"You're not shell-shocked again. You know what to expect," he said. "I think we have a lot of guys like that this year."

RoughRiders Coach Mark Carlson likes what he's seen of Steman in preseason camp.

"I love his work ethic," said Carlson. "He's in tremendous shape. He's one of the most well-conditioned guys that we have.

"He's got great speed, he's a tenacious player. He can play both ends of the rink, he can be physical. He's real versatile."

Steman hopes to make a bigger contribution on offense this season with a year's experience in the league. "You always want to get better," he said. "I feel I am a better player. Stronger. So yeah, we'll see what can happen here."

Carlson expects good things from Steman.

"He'll definitely grow as a player," the coach said. "I'm just excited about the work he's put into it. It's really obvious how hard he worked. He's bigger, he's faster, he's more mature."

Steman, from Hanover, Minn., attended Maple Grove High School. A versatile athlete, he played football, hockey and tennis in high school at a high level and thinks being a multi-sport athlete helped him develop as a hockey player.

Nonetheless, he said there was a big jump from high school hockey to the USHL, where nearly all of the players are talented and bound for major college teams.

"It's definitely a change of pace," he said. "It's fast, it's physical, it's tough. It's a little nerve-wracking at first, but once you get going and get in the swing of things you're all right."

Steman graduated high school in 2012 and committed to Michigan Tech last summer before playing his first year with the RoughRiders. He wanted to play in the USHL again this season before enrolling in college next year.

"I just want to be overly ready. I think everybody does," he explained. "There are a lot of players on a college team and you never want to be one of the guys that's not playing.

"I want to go in ready and be able to come in and make an impact. I don't just want to be a hockey player in college. I want to make an impact."

The RoughRiders open the regular season on Friday, Sept. 27 at Lincoln. The home opener is scheduled for Saturday night, Sept. 28 against Sioux Falls.