Student athletes battle an unexpected opponent — a storm — to make it to state
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According to Amber Prange, head coach of Mankato East's girls’ hockey team, her players focused on one thing this season: making it to the state tournament in St. Paul.
And they did.
“We just won a playoff game to like go to the state tournament last Thursday,” she said. “So we've had three or four days of practice, specific to playing in the state tournament.”
But last Thursday they didn't know about the other challenge they would face: a monster storm forecast to hit the Twin Cities — the same day as the opening games of the state championships.
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Despite the wintry blast, Minnesota State High School League is pushing forward with the competition. It's a big deal event and hard to reschedule. Prange says her team — like many others — has been working hard towards this weekend all season. And they are proud to still be skating in a competition that started with more than 100 teams.
“At the end of the day, you're one of 16 teams that are still playing,” she said. “So thousands of girls that aren't playing hockey anymore at this season. And we're lucky enough to be 20 of the girls that are still playing.”
This is Mankato East's fourth year qualifying for the tournament since 2000.
For the girls on the gymnastics team at Hopkins High School, this is their first trip to state in 15 years. Head coach Meghan Kumpf said her team has performed well.
“We have gone undefeated the entire regular season,” she said. “And then we also had to conquer the defending state champions, Wayzata High School, in order to qualify to make it the state. So making it to state is kind of a cherry on top."
Fewer fans in the stands?
Due to the storm, Kumpf said they aren't bringing their fan buses along with them to the competition.
“It will be a little disappointing to not have as much energy in the stands. But since this is our first time to state with this specific team, I think we’ll be pretty excited to be there, regardless of how many fans can make it out.”
Most teams planned for the weather and began traveling into St. Paul early to beat the snow.
Tom Lill, head coach of Fergus Falls High School's girls’ hockey team called in from the bus to St Paul just outside Alexandria, Minn. He says his players have been preparing for this trip for years.
“These kids have been watching the state tournament ever since they were six, seven years old.”
He says the current players traveled down to St. Paul to watch earlier teams compete.
“So it's really amazing that they're getting a chance to do it now. And they know what it's all about in the state of Minnesota,” Lill said.
Even a snowstorm isn't going to stop them from going to play in the hockey tournament. Lill says their first game is against the powerhouse South St. Paul team. It’ll be a challenge, but he says they are just excited to be going to state.
“You know, the pressure’s kind of off now. It's just, it's gravy. We're going down here, we're gonna have a good time, we'll skate hard and against seven of the other best teams in the state. And we'll see where we land. We got here, and we'll represent as well as we can and take what it gives us.”
Of course, if that means riding home through the snow with a title for the first time in five years, they'd be OK with that too.