Gustavus prepares for second consecutive Frozen Four

ST. PETER, Minn. (KEYC) - Another year, another Frozen Four for the Gustavus women’s hockey team. The Golden Gusties are one game away from another national championship game appearance, in hopes of bringing a national title back to St. Peter.

Something this team has looked forward to since last postseason after falling in the national championship game last year.

“Well last year was a different year than this year obviously but it really is something in the last year we were hoping to see if we could go on that journey again and get back,” said head coach Mike Carroll. “You know it’s a long season. A lot of ups and downs and that but we got it done at the right time and we’re really excited to go back.”

“It means everything,” says senior forward Emily Olson. “This was the whole goal we had. We have a lot of unfinished business coming back here.”

After senior Heather Olinger suffered a season-ending injury, the team has rallied around her.

“I think every single one of us is playing for Heather right now,” Olson said. “It’s her senior year and she didn’t get the chance to finish out these games. So I think all of us are playing these games for her because she can’t.”

“I think that we’re a really tight nit group,” said senior Hailey Holland. “We spend a lot of time together outside of hockey which definitely brings us closer in a lot of ways or deeper than hockey. So when we face challenges like our teammate getting injured or losing a game, we know we’re all there for each other and that we can count on each other through the ups and downs and I think that makes us an even better hockey team as well.”

If the Golden Gusties want to bring back a national championship trophy, they know they will have to be on their A-game.

“We’re just worried about Friday because we won’t have a chance to win it all if we don’t win do well Friday,” Carroll said. “We just have to give it our best effort and I think our confidence is pretty high so hopefully that will carry over.”

“I think it’s just practicing the little things and taking what we learned and just giving it everything we got at this point to play as hard as we can in the next couple of games,” said Holland.

“Every game is a new game.” Olson said. We have to bring our best energy out there and see how far we can go.”

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