“I said, ‘you know what? When we go home, we should check out starting girls’ hockey,’” Tveit said. “I said, ‘girls’ hockey is going to explode with this Olympic win.’”

Things moved quickly, as Warroad’s arena manager set up Tveit with ice time the following week so he could gauge interest. Forty to 50 girls showed up initially. A $13,500 Mighty Kids Grant to the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission helped get the girls’ program up and running with a 15U team, two 12U teams and a house-league 10U team by the fall of 1998.

The first year, the 15U team nearly went undefeated, minus a late-season tournament game in Cloquet against Thunder Bay.

“So, we realized we could compete,” Tveit said. “And so, we jumped and made the move to varsity at that time.”

Twenty-five years later, Warroad girls’ hockey is one of the powerhouse programs in Minnesota. It’s won four Class 1A state championships, each in back-to-back fashion under current head coach David Marvin in 2010-11 and 2022-23. The Lady Warriors have appeared in 14 state tournaments and nine state title games. They’ve missed the state tournament only twice since 2009, losing to the Class 1A runner-up East Grand Forks in the section semifinal in 2014 and falling to 2015 Class 1A champion Thief River Falls in the section final that season.

Tveit led a group of girls with varying hockey abilities for four seasons, starting in 1998-99; they had six players who played squirts or peewees with the boys’ teams for a good nucleus. The rest of the team included players just sticking their skates on the hockey ice for the first time, though most players had brothers who played hockey at some level at the time. The team joined the Minnesota State High School League ranks in its second season.

One of Warroad’s standout moments was in the 2000-01 season when it played Moorhead, an opponent that was “a good measuring stick for us,” Tveit said. The Spuds were on a 19-game winning streak when Warroad went into their barn and shut them out 3-0, Tveit recalled.

“That was a huge deal for our kids,” Tveit said. “That was a big boost.”

Bruce Elson took over for two seasons before Scott Knutson was behind the bench for Warroad’s first state tournament trip in 2006.

Warroad did it right
When girls’ hockey got started in other communities, Tveit said it’s “fair to say that girls had an uphill battle, uphill struggle.” A common refrain in those early days was likely that girls’ teams took ice time away from the boys. Not so in Warroad, where the girls had “open-arm treatment,” which is an important part of the story, Tveit said.

From ice time to equipment to travel, everything was pretty much equal between the boys’ and girls’ Warroad teams.

“I have no memories of being like, ‘wow, we didn’t get this or we didn’t get that,’” Gigi Marvin said. “It was very much equal, I would say. We had as much ice as you could want.”

Added Maureen Hardwick Greiner, a member of the first Warroad team: “The boys got first-class stuff, and we got first-class stuff. From day one it was like that.”

That included Sunday nights with ice time first for the Warroad girls’ hockey team, then the boy’s team. No coaches, just shinny hockey, Gigi said.

“Until 10, 11 at night,” Gigi said. “Shutting the rink down. That’s probably the best way to explain it is you have girls and guys high school age skating together and sharing the ice and not having any issues whatsoever.”

Goaltender Amber Hasbargen Nelson, Hardwick Greiner and Gigi Marvin were some of the players who came into those first Warroad girls’ high school teams with hockey experience. They all played on boys’ teams growing up. Whether girls played hockey, everyone skates in Warroad, either in gym class, figure skating etc., Hasbargen said.

Starting a girls’ hockey team, “it wasn’t like we were starting from scratch like a lot of teams maybe were,” Hasbargen said. “Because we had girls that had played, and we had girls that had skated before and been around the game. That made for a good start for our program.”

Hasbargen was the team’s main goaltender. She was named Goaltender of the Year in Minnesota her senior season in 2002. She went on to play four seasons with North Dakota, back when it had a women’s hockey program.
In those early Warroad girls’ games, Hasbargen stood on her head and kept the team in a lot of those contests, Hardwick Greiner said.

“You could win high school girls’ hockey games back then with one or two studs and a good goalie,” Hardwick Greiner said. “You can’t do that anymore. Teams now are just too deep, and the hockey has just come so far and teams play systems.”

Then there was 2005 Ms. Hockey Gigi Marvin, who turned into a well-known name nationally and internationally, winning Olympic medals, for one thing. She played peewee hockey with the boys through seventh grade before moving to Warroad girls’ varsity.

Gigi also “had a deke move that would get me most of the time,” Hasbargen said, noting Gigi’s talent on breakaways.

Equal ice time leads to strong hockey program
From early on to the present, it’s that access to ice time and community support that separats the Lady Warriors from other programs. The open-door policy to skate with a variety of teams helped, too. Gigi remembers skating with not only her high school team but also had dad’s peewee team and her grandpa’s senior men’s program.

“We just have that ability to practice our skills, develop insanely good hockey IQ and on-ice vision because you’re at the rink all the time in so many different scenarios,” Gigi said. “In one practice you might be the best player out there and can really work on your stickhandling and some creative moves. And maybe the next ice session you go to… with a bunch of older kids that you’re skating with, you’re forced to think the game at a high level.”

That’s how you develop and get ahead of the curve, she added.

It’s the ice time, plus the support of the community when it comes to fundraisers and state tournament trips that’s helped the program, Hasbargen said.

“I think the dedication that the players put into it also is a big part of why the teams are so successful,” Hasbargen said. “The success has grown, and so the older girls make sure the younger girls know what it takes to continue to be successful, and I think that tradition just kind of continues.”

The former players love watching the program thrive, too. Early on, the team was lucky if they had three full lines, Gigi said. Those first seasons, the girls also convinced Hardwick Greiner’s sister, Meaghan, to step away from her role as a boys’ hockey cheerleader and come play girls’ hockey for her senior year.

“’Meaghan, we need bodies, you’ve gotta come and play,’” Maureen said. “We had 13 people, only 12 skaters on our high school team. So, we had a few like Meaghan who couldn’t catch a pass or handle a puck. It was a little dicey. But we just needed bodies, we needed people to field a team.”

A couple of decades into the program’s history, and the roster is not only full but full of college-level talent. Last year’s line chart for the state championship game against Orono included seven players committed to play college hockey, including a top line of DI-committed athletes in Talya Hendrickson and Kate Johnson at the wings headed to Bemidji State and center Rylee Bartz with a St. Thomas commitment.

“It speaks to the level of commitment and type of player that Warroad has right now and have been able to develop,” Gigi said.

There’s also a sense of pride for hockey players coming out of Warroad’s program, hailing from Hockeytown, USA. As Gigi said: “There’s no place like it on the planet.”

The post Girls Hockey: Warriors Turn 25 appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

The result? Just a hat trick on Hockey Day. No biggie.

“He looked like himself today,” said Hermantown coach Patrick Andrews. “I think he’s back.”

Kohanski’s first goal in the second period against Mahtomedi, ranked No. 4 in Class 1A, put the Hawks up 3-1. He scored early in the third period for another two-goal lead before registering the hat trick with a power-play goal for a 5-3 lead.

Each time the Zephyrs got close, Kohanski made it that much tougher for the opponent in the battle of Class 1A powerhouses. In one afternoon, Kohanski doubled his season goal total.  

“Obviously a difference maker, and we haven’t had him,” Andrews said. “Your whole senior year, you’re watching 90% of it, and then you get to come out on a day like this and have a day. I was really happy for him.”

Being out injured was tough, Kohanski said, adding that you can’t get the time back and he’s trying to make up for it these past few games. Playing without the wrist brace, which Andrews said limited Kohanski’s mobility, came at the right time.

“It felt really good, and I could finally shoot a little bit,” Kohanski said. “Scored a couple goals, so it felt good.”

Kade Kohanski (MHM Photo / Jeff Wegge)

Something else that felt really good for Kohanski and his Hawks teammates, ranked No. 2 in Class 1A? Recording a 6-3 victory over Mahtomedi at Polar Lakes Park. Besides the hat trick from Kohanski, Hermantown’s line of the Kauppinen brothers and Wyatt Carlson scored the other three goals. Joshua Kauppinen put the Hawks up 1-0 only 3 minutes, 13 seconds into the game. Carlson added a late empty-netter, and Matthew Kauppinen scored his second goal of the season (to go with his 15 assists) for a 2-1 lead in the second period.

Since the 2015-16 season, Hermantown is now 8-1 against Mahtomedi, including 7-0 in the regular season. The one loss for the Hawks? The 2020 Class 1A state championship game for Mahtomedi’s first state title.

“They’re obviously a big rival for us,” Matthew Kauppinen said. “Especially when we lost to them in state 2020. It’s always a battle, and they’re a good team, so it’s always fun.”

It was pretty fun for the Kauppinen brothers to play together during such a fun, outdoor event like Hockey Day Minnesota. Both Matthew Kauppinen and coach Andrews talked about the honor of Hermantown being included in the festivities.

This is Hermantown’s second time participating in Hockey Day Minnesota. The town hosted the event in 2010, on a day with freezing rain and snow, a contrast to this year’s event with single-digit temperatures that felt below zero. Andrews was coaching bantams in Hermantown at the time, a group that became the shovel crew for Hockey Day, Andrews said.

The coach used the words “gratifying” and “humbled” to describe Hermantown being chosen to play on Hockey Day this year in White Bear Lake.

“It’s really cool to see how it’s grown in 13 years,” Andrews said. “This is pretty amazing. It’s super special to be a part of. We’re just so honored that they asked us to be a part of it, and to play Mahtomedi is a great treat, too.”

The current roster of Hermantown players were pretty young, though some remember that 2010 Hockey Day. Kohanski was only 5 in 2010 but remembers watching many Hockey Days on TV since then. Matthew Kauppinen recalls skating outside before the big high school game.

“It was an honor to be a part of it,” Matthew Kauppinen said, of the 2023 Hockey Day Minnesota. “And then yesterday, we had practice. We all had a lot of fun. And then to bring it today and win, it was super awesome.

“I’ll remember this for the rest of my life.”

The post Hockey Day Hat Trick appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

What a setting for Hockey Day Minnesota, even if it made actually playing the game a bit more difficult.

“You don’t pick this,” said Kevin Gorg, who filled in as coach for Team Minnesota. “You don’t pick the snow, you don’t pick kind of climate we had tonight.

“But I will tell you that most of these kids grew up playing at some point outside when they were young.”

Liv Halvorson, Nina Rodgers and Chelsey Brodt-Rosenthal of Team Minneapolis smile at what Mother Nature delivered on Friday night. (MHM Photo / Jonny Watkins)

Indeed, Taylor Williamson played at an outdoor rink at Walnut Ridge Park near her house in Edina. Playing there until the lights went out is something she points to and credits for all the skill and creativity in her game. And one of her teammates Friday, Warroad’s Gigi Marvin, certainly is no stranger to playing in extreme-weather conditions.

“I’m used to it,” Marvin said. “I’ve done that hundreds of times up north. And actually we have way more wind up there. So it was nice not having a wind.”

Marvin and Williamson took care of the scoring for Team Minnesota as they defeated Team Minneapolis 4-3 during the exhibition game that consisted of three 15-minute, running-time periods. Sadie Lundquist gave Team Minneapolis a 2-0 lead in the first before Team Minnesota got on the board with two goals apiece from Marvin and Williamson.

Scheduled two-minute intermissions were extended a bit as crews hit the ice with shovels and snow blowers to try and clear the playing surface off as best as they could. The snow was so steady that it was tough to make out the downtown skyline view that serves as the backdrop for Hockey Day Minnesota.

“It’s definitely tough, but it’s the fun part about being a part of Hockey Day Minnesota and playing outside,” Williamson said. “So it was super fun.”

Despite the blizzard-like conditions that might have kept some hockey fans away, there were a few pockets of cheering sections for the women’s game. Williamson, a former Gophers player and current Wayzata girls’ high school hockey coach, held practice with her team earlier in the day before it was off to Parade Stadium.

“My assistant coach Blair (Parent) was on the other team,” Williamson said. “So they wanted to come and watch us play, which was awesome.”

They had plenty to cheer about with Williamson’s goals. On a night when clouds of snow shot up from the ice as the puck moved along, it was all about “just doing what you’ve got to do to get the puck to the net, for sure,” Williamson said.

The Bloomington Jefferson high school girls’ team also showed up to support two of their assistant coaches, Kelly Pannek and Kelsey Cline. They were on different teams, too, with Cline skating on the winning Team Minnesota. Some of the girls held up signs to show their support as well, with one reading: “We just hope both teams have fun.”

The teams were made up of a bunch of current Minnesota Whitecaps players, plus former Gophers women’s hockey players and plenty of Minnesota ties. Whitecaps assistant coach Laura Slominski coached Team Minneapolis. Former Park Center and Gophers standout Krissy Wendell was slated to coach the other team but was home was a sick child, so Gorg stepped in.

Marvin was bummed Wendall couldn’t be there but enjoyed her replacement, too.

“He’s hilarious,” Marvin said, of Gorg. “He had some good one-liners.”

Coach Kevin Gorg delivers and inspirational speech to his Team Minnesota players. (MHM Photo / Jonny Watkins)

Any expert coaching advice? Nah, Gorg said he just tried to stay out of the way. He was behind the bench coaching a lot of players he’s known since they were in high school, like goaltender Julie Friend and Erica McKenzie. Coaching as part of Hockey Day Minnesota was “a bonus” for Gorg, a report and hockey analyst with Fox Sports North.

“All year long we look forward to Hockey Day,” Gorg said. “Nights like tonight are really special.”

According to @HockeyDayMN on Twitter, the women’s game included 26 native Minnesotans, 17 NCAA championships, 12 Isobel Cup winners, six Ms. Hockey winners and four Minnesota state high school championships.

For the Whitecaps (10-4-2) players, they will head back indoors this weekend, taking on the Connecticut Whale (1-13-2) for a pair of afternoon games Saturday and Sunday at their home TRIA Rink in downtown St. Paul.

Marvin, who previously played in for the Boston Pride in the NWHL and is now part of the PWHPA, said the experience Friday was just a cool one all around, especially being able to reconnect with friends/teammates she hadn’t seen in a while.  

“Of course it makes all the sense in the world to not only have a men’s pro all-star game but have a women’s (all-star game),” Marvin said. “Because there’s that much talent here. There’s that much skill. 

The post Stars Shine Beneath Wintry Blanket appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

SCSU women work overtime to beat Bulldogs by a nose

St. Cloud — The St. Cloud State Huskies and the University of Minnesota Duluth women’s hockey teams enjoyed the great outdoors so much they didn’t want to leave. Sixty minutes plus overtime wasn’t enough to decide the Hockey Day Minnesota encounter, with the game not decided until the sixth round of the shootout.

SCSU captain Brittney Anderson’s goal turned out to be the game winner after Huskies’ goaltender Janine Alder stopped UMD’s Sydney Brodt to seal the 2-1 victory for the hosts on Saturday afternoon along the frozen shores of Lake George.

“You know, I always tell myself not to do it ‘cause it doesn’t work,” Anderson said. “But I always go to that so yes, I’d say that’s my go-to move. I’ll change it [now].”

Alder and fellow St. Cloud State goaltender Emma Polusny split time in the SCSU net and combined for 43 saves to stymie the Bulldogs’ offense.

St. Cloud State coach Eric Rud was very proud of his team’s effort.

Minnesota Duluth’s Naomi Rogge celebrates her goal in UMD’s 2-1 overtime loss to St. Cloud State on Hockey Day Minnesota in St. Cloud. (Photo by Tom Kolehmainen / Breakdown Sports USA)

“For our athletes it was truly a special moment,” Rud said. “We don’t get this kind of fanfare a lot and media coverage and all that. I was very proud of the way they came focused and ready to go. We were able to enjoy the experience and still play well at the same time so it was really fun.”

Sophomore Hallie Theodosopoulos opened the scoring for St. Cloud at the 4:42 mark of the first period and the Huskies held that lead heading into the first intermission.

However the Bulldogs’ offense came out firing in the second period, racking up 19 shots and eventually Naomi Rogge netted an equalizer at the 11:00 mark. After forty minutes of play, UMD chalked up 30 shots on net to just 12 by SCSU.

Rogge said after the game that the excitement of playing on Hockey Day reminded her of her youth.

“It was kind of indescribable” Rogge said. “You know you’ve always kind of dreamed of being to be able to be in Hockey Day and being able to get a goal to get our team back even. It was pretty exciting.”

The post Huskies Win Dogfight appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Minnetonka coach balances fun, competition to achieve success

When Minnetonka Skippers’ head coach Eric Johnson took over the girls’ program twelve years ago, they were in a transition period. Many girls were still playing in the boys’ program, and some girls were playing on the girls’ team. The program’s groundwork had been laid shortly before Johnson became the head coach.

“Our youth director at the time, Dan Phillips, was instrumental in getting more girls to play in the girls’ program,” said the former St. Cloud State forward. “We had kind of a ‘grassroots’ effort at recruiting kids who played soccer or other sports. We gained some traction when some of our top female hockey players made the switch from the boys’ program to the girls’.”

Johnson, who had previously coached boys at different levels, noticed early on he had to coach girls differently.

“We had to find ways to implement competition into practice,” recalled the Armstrong alumni. “They would do drills well, but incorporating more competition encourages creativity – they don’t have to follow the ‘rules’ or look to a coach to see if they’re doing the drill ‘right’.”

Balancing fun and competition is something Johnson and his staff stress to this day.

“We have an up-tempo, fun atmosphere in practice. We play music and let our players choose the playlist,” Johnson explains. “We emphasize passing, teamwork and communication. We push the pace in practice to make it feel as much like a game as possible.”

Johnson – whose program has won three state titles (2011, 2012, 2013) and finished second once (2015) in four state tournament trips since 2011 – typically ends practice with mini-competitions.

“These mini-competitions make kids think about, for example, how to win battles for the puck. We put something on the line – maybe the loser does five pushups or something. Our coaching staff aims to keep the drills and games challenging but fun.”

On and off the ice, the Skippers program has turned a tragedy into an inspiration.

“The character of our team has been largely shaped by the legacy of Kelly Phillips, an alum who was killed in a car accident in 2007,” Johnson said. “Kelly had a terrific attitude and was a great teammate. We award a player each season with the “Kelly Phillips Character Award” – which means putting the team first and making a positive difference in the time they have wearing a Minnetonka jersey. Our girls have really embraced the spirit of this award.”

Minnetonka (9-7-3) heads to Stillwater on Saturday to face the Ponies outdoors along the St. Croix River in a 5:30 p.m. game which will be televised live on Fox Sports North Plus as part of the the annual Hockey Day Minnesota event.

The Skippers bring with them a trio of players who will be playing at or near the DI level next year.

“Elizabeth Kubicek is a senior and is having a terrific season,” Johnson said. “She competes hard, communicates with her defensemen and reads the play well. Camille von Steinbergs is a strong skating defenseman with a heavy shot who is committed to Union next year. Emma Bigham is a senior forward who is committed to St. Cloud State. She is not only our leading scorer, but she is our best forechecker and leads by example.”

Those seniors have grown up in the Skippers’ program, and their willingness to continue to play the game and ability to improve encapsulates Johnson’s philosophy.

“If players have a good time they are going to continue to play the game. If a player improves, they have a good time. It goes hand and hand.”

The post Pushing The Pace appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Featured Image:
Nate Prosser skates up the ice during Minnesota’s 4-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers.
(MHM Photo/Jordan Doffing).

For a handful of players on the Minnesota Wild roster, the lyrics “I was born a child of the strong and wild,” from their anthem could not be more appropriate as they hail from the great state of hockey. Nate Prosser is one of those players and as Hockey Day in Minnesota approaches he couldn’t be a better choice to feature following the Wild’s 4-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers. The win came in front of a sold out arena of 18,037 home team fans and included Prosser’s first game-winning goal of his career, coming at 16:45 of the 2nd period, assisted by Jason Pominville. Prosser honed the skills that would lead him to the NHL – and that 2nd period goal – on the site of this weekend’s coming Hockey Day activities, “The Pit,” as it is lovingly referred to, in Elk River, MN.

Sit back and enjoy this Q&A with Nate Prosser on growing up Minnesota, High School Hockey and what being truly blessed means to him.

Q: What do you think was the best part of growing up in Minnesota as far as hockey is concerned?

A: I think the best part about growing up here for hockey is the availability of ice. “The Pit” in general is a great spot. Growing up, when we wanted to play outdoor hockey we could go there and and it was perfect. There are lights and it’s down out of the wind, it literally sits in a pit so it was kind of alike a dream setting for kids with the warming house and everything right there.

Q: Was there anything really special about Elk River specifically for you?

A: The biggest thing for me growing up in Elk River was being able to watch Paul Martin and my brother who was three years older than me. I was able to grow up watching those great players and we actually won a state tournament when I was a bantam. There have been some great teams down through there in the past ten to twenty years and I think it’s just a perfect spot to have Hockey Day with the teams that we’ve been having and the success that we’ve been having with hockey…it’s such a hockey city. We get such good fans there. The student section is down on the glass on the opposing end and the guys really got us into it. It’s just a fun city to play in.

Q: Do you have a favorite hockey memory?

A: The state tournament my sophomore year was a lot of fun at the Xcel playing Bloomington that first game and all of the road trips me and my dad and sometimes my brother would take up to Grand Rapids or Duluth or Fargo…places like that. We’d pack up the minivan and head up and play penny poker on the way up and do goofy stuff. My first high school hockey game was an experience I’ll always remember because I grew up watching and idolizing my Paul Martin when he was in high school who was such a good player and I always wanted to play for my high school team. My sophomore year our first game was against Edina and I just remember stepping on the ice that first time and it was a dream come true.

Q: Coming full circle…does it make it more special that you play in the NHL here as opposed to if you played at another NHL venue?

A: Yeah for sure. I definitely have to take a step back a lot of the time and pinch myself. I know I’m truly blessed with where I’m at and all of my family and friends are still in the local area here and I’m truly thankful to be a part of this organization. When I graduated from college I was so happy to be heading to the Xcel and being able to play in front of my friends and family…the sense of pride I had to be playing for the hometown team…words can’t even describe it.

Q: Do you think having your friends and family here makes it easier or harder to play?

A: Obviously there are pros and cons with everything, in every situation, but I think the pros definitely outweigh the cons in this situation. I’m  able to be here and be close to my family and I’m able to raise my family here. My wife is pregnant with our second child and we’re getting a big family going down here and I think it’s great to be here in Minnesota.

Q: Any plans to check out the State High School hockey tournament this year?

A: Yeah! Oh yeah!

Q: Why do you think that tournament is so popular?

A: This state just loves their high school hockey! It’s pretty incredible. I remember playing up at sectionals at the DECC in Duluth and that place would be packed full and then you come play in St. Paul and it’s packed full as well. People just love coming to watch their high school hockey and when the top eight teams get into one building, especially at the Xcel because it’s a great venue for it, everyone comes down and makes a weekend of it and just makes it a great time. I also always go to the final five because it’s just incredible as well.

Following Prosser’s big night we couldn’t help but ask him to reiterate how special it was to play in front of his friends and family. He responded with a big smile, “It’s a dream come true playing here in front of my family and friends at the Xcel. Having them here by my side and supporting me after every game is huge.”

Nate Prosser during Minnesota’s 4-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers. Photo Credit ~ Jordan Doffing.

Head coach Mike Yeo also weighed in on Prosser following the game saying, “He’s an unbelievable professional, he’s an unbelievable team guy.” He continued, “He does little things right and obviously we’re incredibly happy for him to score that goal tonight but even if he didn’t score that goal he’s going to go out and give you a great chance because of the way he plays, the way he defends and manages the puck well and he competes hard every night.”

There is no doubt Minnesotans everywhere echo Coach Yeo’s sentiments on Prosser and perhaps even smile a bit knowing the defenseman is a living representation of the spirit of hockey being instilled in kids all across the state of Minnesota.

For more information on Hockey Day in Minnesota CLICK HERE! Be sure to follow @MNhockeyMag on Twitter for all of our latest articles, updates and events as well as the author of this article @AmySnow17!

The post From “The Pit” to “The X” ~ Minnesota’s Nate Prosser appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.