Together or apart, Rochester’s Aney sisters are the Yin to each other’s Yang

Katie and Jessie Aney are very much typical sisters. In some ways they are incredibly similar, but in others they are complete opposites.

What makes them atypical sisters is their skill on the ice. Last season they both scored over 100 points while leading Rochester Century to a season in which it suffered just four losses. They were the yin and the yang of the Panthers. They did it in different ways, but always competing humbly and at an extremely high level.

This season is the first time in years the sisters aren’t playing on the same line or team. Katie is a freshman on Gustavus University’s women’s hockey team where she has six goals and two assists through 19 games of her rookie year.

Jessie, on the other hand, just finished the regular season of her senior year with the Panthers leading the state in assists (52) and points (96) while her 44 goals tied for second.

It’s been a huge adjustment for the siblings who had been nearly inseparable on and off the ice.

Katie Aney (Photo courtesy of Gustavus Adolphus University Athletics / Roisen Granlund)

“We went from playing with each other and being with each other every day to just seeing each other once a month,” Katie said. “She taught me a lot and brought out the best in me as a person and a player so I just try to take what she taught me — hard work and dedication — and I try to carry that with me every day.”

“A lot of times when I get the puck I am looking for her on the back door and I realize she is not there,” Jessie revealed. “It has been fun too; I have been working with different people and it has developed my hockey IQ. I have had to think more and not just always looking for Katie.”

Just as versatile off the ice, they are both multi-sport athletes. They both play tennis and Katie also plays lacrosse. Katie is playing tennis in addition to hockey at Gustavus this year.

“I appreciate both sports more if I have to set one aside,” Katie said. “Then when I get to play it I enjoy it because I haven’t done it for a while. It is nice to have breaks from them. I think I learn a lot from both of them, they help me to continue to grow as an athlete and make me more multi-dimensional.”

Jessie will leave hockey behind after this season having committed to play tennis at North Carolina.

“Our parents always encouraged multiple sports because it is good for athletic development and if you have a bad day or a bad year in one sport you always have the other sport,” Jessie added. “It is a nice break from always hockey, hockey, hockey or tennis, tennis, tennis. I enjoy playing two sports and I didn’t want to give one up in high school.”

She did it for the dough

The hockey duo almost didn’t happen. After her first season of youth hockey younger sister Jessie wasn’t sure she wanted to play anymore. Luckily for Rochester Century there was an added benefit to go with your sister to hockey sign ups.

“She said ‘no, I don’t want to play’,” said older sister Katie, “but there was cookie dough at the sign up. She wanted to come to sign up to get the cookies. So we got there and our dad said ‘okay Jessie, this is your last chance. She said ‘I guess I’ll play’. Ever since then you haven’t been able to stop her.”

“I really like cookie dough,” Jessie quipped. “Cookie dough is pretty much the reason I play hockey.”

Rochester Century coach Dan Maidl discovered Jessie almost by chance when he stopped by the Aney home to borrow a radar gun owned by her father Tom. Tom invited Maidl to the basement shooting range he had built to meet Jessie.

“She was seven or eight years old and I am watching her thirty feet from the net,” Maidl said. “She is calling her shots out — bottom corner, five hole. I believe she was shooting 500 pucks a day. Katie shot pucks then too.”

Tom — who coaches hockey as well — also built a rink on the family’s property.

“He really coached us and motivated us to be better players,” Katie said of her father. “We would talk about hockey all the time.”

Maidl found Katie early too. Katie played on the same teams as her future coach’s daughter. It was easy to see both of the girls’ talent. The development of the sisters mirrored the development of the entire program.

Katie (L) and Jessie Aney. (Photo / Elizabeth Nida Obert – Rochester Post-Bulletin)

A program on the rise

Both the sisters and the Century program took big steps last season. Just a handful of years ago the program that was almost shut down as it struggled to get to .500. Last season, at 22-4, was the programs’ best.

Though the Aneys were a big reason behind the resurgence, they know they couldn’t have done it without the girls that came before them.

Katie recalled attending a Century game with Jessie and a couple other future Panthers teammates in their youth hockey days. The Panthers lost, a common occurrence in those days, but the girls went into the locker room to visit their heroes after the game.

“We thanked them all for playing hockey even, if they hadn’t before, to keep the team running so girls in the future could continue to play hockey for Century,” Katie said.

“Katie and I just really enjoy having the opportunity to help Century have their best seasons,” Jessie added. “Every year we would have our best season which was awesome. We would set program records all the time.”

“It was because of hard work that when they came to our program, they were the leaders right out of the blocks,” Maidl said. “They had the ability and the attitude and the tenacity to never give up.”

In addition to their obvious talent, Maidl says the Aneys play within the team concept.

“They are not selfish hockey players,” the long time hockey coach said. “Last year I can count on both hands the number of goals they scored unassisted.”

The Yin and the Yang

Though they have a mutual love for the game, their approach in the locker room is completely different. Maidl said Jessie is the more serious of the two while Katie is more of a “free spirit” who will joke with teammates and even dance around a bit.

“She is more quietly motivated,” Katie said of her sister. “I am more outwardly. So when I get excited I am more expressive to the team, but when she gets motivated she will just work her butt off.”

“We are pretty different,” Jessie agreed. “Katie is more outgoing and pumps people up. She is more of a leader. I am quiet. I work really hard but I am not going to say anything to anybody.”

But their differences don’t end with game preparation. They each bring their own unique traits to the ice.

“Jessie is like a little jitter bug. She can move the puck through anybody and score,” the coach said. “Katie is taller and has a longer reach. When she moved she looked like she was just gliding. She has great stick and puck control.”

Maidl referred to Katie as a “general on the ice” who knows where her teammates should be and their respective roles.

“Katie’s strengths are her leadership and her hockey IQ,” Maidl said of his former two-time captain. “She made my job as a coach easy.”

He said Jessie’s tenacity and skating ability are what sets her apart, especially when opponents try to slow her down with physical play.

“[Jessie] doesn’t fall down,” Maidl said about his top returning scorer. “She is so strong and she maintains control of the puck or looks for someone to pass to. She can shoot from anywhere and put a hard shot at a specific point.”

“Jessie has always been the hard worker in whatever she does,” said big sister. “She motivated me to be a better player and to work harder on the ice.”

The sum of the parts …

Jessie (#5) and Katie (#13) Aney as teammates last season. (Photo / Scott Jacobson – Rochester Post-Bulletin)

Despite their different games, they meshed perfectly for the Panthers. The years they spent playing together growing up were obvious.

“They talk to each other, but they have their own way of communicating,” Maidl observed over the years. “They tend to know where the other is on the ice — what the other is going to do. Sometimes as coaches we are standing there and we are in awe of what we are seeing. It is fun to watch.”

Not just great athletes, Maidl says they are solid in school and in the community.  The sisters’ devotion to the hockey program doesn’t stop after the season as they both help with the youth program.

“They are well-rounded kids,” Maidl said. “They are both 4.0 students in school. They are just plain old good kids, they are active in church. It is just really neat.”

“They have been great hockey ambassadors — especially in Rochester.”

Not playing together has been, and will be, a challenge, as will competing in different states. Like always, though, it will be the Aney sisters competing humbly at an extremely high level.

“They both have gotten a lot of press and stuff, but they don’t flaunt it,” Maidl said. “They could show off on the ice, but they don’t, they play the game. They are great kids.”

The post The complete package appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Lots to ‘like’ in the MIAC
The MIAC’s social media presence started two years ago, in the fall of 2010, with Facebook and Twitter accounts dedicated to the conference. This week, both MIAC social media sites hit significant milestones, as the league received its 1,000th “follow” on Twitter, and its 800th “like” on Facebook. The MIAC would like to thank its dedicated fan base for help reaching both numbers.

In addition, metro-area MIAC fans will get a chance to see conference action on TV this winter. Channel 45 plans to broadcast two hockey contests at the University of St. Thomas, one each in men’s hockey and women’s hockey. The broadcast schedule is below.

Channel 45 MIAC Hockey TV Broadcasts
• Dec. 1 – Men’s Hockey – Concordia at St. Thomas – 2:30 p.m.
• Feb. 16 – Women’s Hockey – Augsburg at St. Thomas – 2 p.m.

Bethel men’s hockey brings broomsticks to St. Peter
The Bethel University men’s hockey team went on the road Saturday night and completed the sweep of the #5 ranked Gustavus Adolphus College Gusties with a 2-0 victory at the Don Roberts Ice Rink. After an emotional and physical, and at times dominating, 3-2 win Friday night the Royals proved it was no fluke with another solid performance and a convincing victory. Bethel outshot Gustavus 24-20 and freshman Matt Rowe recorded his first career win and shutout in the net.

Gustavus’ Colleen Jacoby makes impact between the Pipes 
Less than one day removed from her first collegiate start on Saturday afternoon, Gustavus goaltender Colleen Jaboby (Muskegon, Mich.) recorded the first shutout of her career to allow the Gustavus women’s hockey team a season-opening sweep over Bethel with 3-1 and 2-0 victories.  Jacoby tallied 29 saves on the night, the most in regular-season play since Dec. 10th, 2010 when Danielle Justice `12 recorded 36 saves against UW-River Falls.  Jacoby’s 29 saves are also the most in an MIAC regular season-game since Nov. 22nd, 2002 when Anne Kautzer `05 recorded 29 saves against St. Thomas.

Hamline women’s hockey finally goes home
Nearly a month after they were allowed to start practice, the Hamline women’s hockey team finally got on their regular home ice – Warner Coliseum – Monday, November 12, for a practice. The ice hadn’t gone in at the Coliseum so the team had been practicing at Ridder Arena. As it turned out, it was a brief moment. The day after practicing at home, HU headed to Duluth for a non-conference game with St. Scholastica. The Pipers played their first three “home” games in Vadnais Heights and a fourth at Ridder. The women play their first game at Warner on November 18 against St. Olaf.

St. Catherines hockey opens MIAC season with sweep of Augsburg
After dropping it’s opening game of the season without scoring a goal, the St. Catherine University hockey team erupted this weekend, scoring three power goals Friday night in a 3-2 win over Augsburg before shutting the Auggies out 2-0 on Saturday at home. Newcomer Bailey Rasmussen scored the first goal in each contest, while Megan Killmer and Mallory Ryan each collected two points in the Friday win to lead the Wildcat attack.

MIAC Student-Athlete Spotlight

Karissa Olsen, Concordia College
Freshman, Women’s Hockey
Eden Prairie, Minn./ Eden Prairie
Major: Nursing

Why did you choose to be a Division III student-athlete? 
I couldn’t imagine not continuing playing hockey in college, and this was the perfect opportunity

If you could meet any athlete, who would it be and what one question would you ask them? 
Wayne Gretzky of course! I would ask him what was the most valuable thing he learned playing hockey

Who was your favorite childhood athlete and why? 
My brother, because I have always looked up to him as a hockey player

What is your most embarrassing sports moment?
When my breezers fell down while playing

Do you have any pregame/pre-event rituals? If so, what are they?
Eating noodles and stretching

If you have been involved in community service projects, which project has been the most rewarding and why? 
I always think going to Feed My Starving children is rewarding because it puts in perspective the difference between needs and wants.

Record Chasing: Lakeville freshman stops 64 in collegiate debut

Just one weekend after Concordia-Wisconsin’s Kaitlyn Evans put up a top-10 save performance with 54 stops, Finlandia’s Taylor Gustafson of Lakeville, Minn. posted 64 saves in a 5-1 loss on Friday, November 9.  The 64 saves is the second most all-time in NCHA history, just 5 short of the record.

Gustafson faced more than 20 shots in all three periods against visiting Marian.  Her save totals by period reads 24-21-19.

In the second game of the two-game series Gustafson made 41 more saves, good for 105 stops on the weekend.

The single-game save record is 69 and is held by Melissa Calder of Marian, who accomplished the feat on February 19, 2010 against UW-River Falls.  The record for all games (including non-conference) is 79, set by Katie Hirsch, also of Concordia-Wisconsin, in 2007.

Below is a list of the top single-game goaltender performances in NCHA history:

Most Saves – NCHA conference games

69, Melissa Calder, Marian – vs UW-River Falls, Feb 19, 2010
64 Taylor Gustafson, Finlandia – vs Marian, Nov 9, 2012
63 Sally Bevis, Lake Forest, at UW-River Falls, Mar 3, 2007 (*playoff game)
57 Britta Staudenmaier, Concordia-Wis, vs UW-Eau Claire, Nov 17, 2007
54  Jennifer DeGeorge, Concordia-Wis, vs St. Scholastica, Feb 10, 2012
54, Kaytlin Ruzicka, Marian, at Adrian, Feb 7, 2010
53 Ryann McCarthy, Lake Forest, at UW-Superior, Mar 2, 2007 (*playoff game)
53, Elyse Dowdell, Superior vs. River Falls, Dec. 13, 2003
52  Kaitlyn Evans, Concordia-Wis at St. Scholastica, Nov 2, 2012
52, Kari Hunter, Concordia-Wis., vs UW-Superior, Nov 22, 2008

The post Division III hockey notebook appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

ilia Ohio State so. forward, Taylor Kuehl (Minnetrista, MInn.), has been named WCHA Offensive Player of the Week. (Photo: WCHA.com)

With four goals and an assist last weekend to help her Ohio State Buckeyes to a sweep of visiting Bemidji State last weekend, sophomore forward, Taylor Kuehl (Minnestrista, Minn.) was named WCHA Offensive Player of the Week. Kuehl, who registered nine shots and was a +4 plus/minus in the series, is heating up now with six goals in her last four games and 10 points (8-2–10) in 10 games this season.

Minnesota defenseman Milica McMillen scored once in each game of the Gophers’ sweep at North Dakota last weekend and added an assist while helping limit UND to 40 total shots in the series. All that adds up to WCHA Rookie of the Week for the freshman from St. Paul who sits tied for second in overall scoring among WCHA defenseman with 11 points (5-6–11) through 10 games.

Wisconsin junior goaltender, Alex Rigsby was recognized as WCHA Defensive Player of the week after leading the Badgers to a sweep at home of New Hampshire by stopping 50 of 51 Wildcats’ shots.

Heading over to the polls …

After last weekend’s sweep of North Dakota in Grand Forks, Minnesota’s extended its run as U.S. College Hockey Online’s consensus No. 1 team in the nation to a fifth straight week to open the season. North Dakota drops one spot to No. 9 while Ohio State, after a one-week hiatus from the top 10, climbs back in at No. 10. Wisconsin (12) and Minnesota-Duluth (11) each received votes this week but, following a pair of losses to No. 5 Mercyhurst, Minnesota State falls from the 10th spot without receiving a vote.

USCHO’s initial Division III women’s poll finds Gustavus Adolphus ranked No. 3 in the country (one first-place vote) behind Norwich and Plattsburgh, respectively.  Concordia (Moorhead) opens the season at No. 10 with St. Thomas (5), Bethel (2), and St. Scholastica (1) also receiving votes.

Notable …

With 21 saves in Saturday’s 5-1 win over UND, Gopher goaltender Noora Räty earned her 84th career victory to become the school’s all-time leader in that category. Sunday’s win raised her overall record to 85-17-8 and leaves the Espoo, Finland native just 15 wins shy of tying the NCAA record set last season by Mercyhurst’s Hillary Pattenden (100-20-6).

Nicole Anderson’s five-point weekend (3-2–5) for Providence earns the Jordan, Minn. forward Hockey East Player of the week honors. (Photos: Hockey East)

Congratulations go out to Providence senior forward, Nicole Anderson (Jordan, Minn.), as the recipient of this week’s Hockey East Player of the Week award. According to a Hockey East press release, Anderson tallied five points on the weekend (3g,2a), including a hat trick and an assist in the 4-2 win over St. Cloud State on Sunday. During Saturday’s game she tallied an assist on the tying goal with 19.2 seconds left in the game. She finished the weekend with 14 shots on goal and a +3 plus/minus rating.

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