This season, girls hockey will be graduating 13 seniors. There is one main goal for the team, and that is to win a state championship title. With new coaching staff added to the program, there are high expectations for the girls, and everyone knows how hard they must work to win a championship. All of the girls thrive to become the best player they can be and express what WE WILL means to the team.
WE WILL is a saying that every pony girls hockey player knows. It is a statement that describes the teamwork, dedication, discipline and family that has been created in the rink.
Most of the girls who play on the high school team grew up and found their passion for hockey here. Whether that be on the backyard rink, or simply trying open skate, the rink is a spot that all of the girls know as there second home.
“I think everyone on the team has just grown up together, well not me, but the the girls have had a lot of success when they were younger,” senior Josie Lang explained. She thinks they are “especially passionate to prove that we’re still good,” at the high school level.
The Rec Center is a place where they are able to turn a team into a family. Everyone at the rink is positive and welcoming to not only the team, but the community as a whole. The atmosphere is something that is unmatched.
I just think it’s something that like you go out there and try your hardest because as a team we will win, we will go through adversity and like it’s kind of just something like everyone goes through it and just working together as a team.
— Ashlyn Hoff
“The atmosphere is always so positive and fun and everyone is so welcoming to me. It is truly a family that cannot be replaced. All of us are best friends and that makes it so special,” senior Olivia Williams explained.
Lang has been named captain for the 23-24 season. She is a strong leader who embodies the importance of what it means to be a teammate, and what the culture is like playing for Stillwater girls hockey.
“I think our team culture is very close. We are very passionate and competitive, and I’d say it’s mostly a positive culture,” Lang explained.
Another member of the team is senior Ashlyn Hoff. She is a powerhouse forward who sees the girls more like her sisters than her teammates.
She explained how the girls are like her sisters and they can always talk to each other if they need anything on or off the ice, and that they are always there for each other.
Lang will do everything and anything to win the state title her senior year. She is determined to buy into systems and do what it takes to make a great team dynamic.
“I think we’re really going to have to commit to each other and buy into the little things, and making sure we’re doing everything we possibly can. Especially like on the ice, make sure we’re doing our four check and back check and really committing to our systems,” Lang explained.
There are high hopes for this determined team in the near future. The girls high school state hockey tournament will be held on Feb. 21-24, and the girls hockey team is working hard to take home the state title. The team knows that it will not ever come easy, but the dedication that they poor into endless hours of training will eventually pay off.
Amelia Strong • Feb 6, 2024 at 9:09 am
This article caught my attention because I am intrigued by how the girls hockey team is doing. I liked how Mady set up her paragraphs and quotes structure. I also liked how Mady put WE WILL in all caps in her first paragraph because that made me feel like I am apart of them and their spirit. I liked how their was a lot of quotes from the players to make you feel like you want them to succeed as well.