Delano's 1st Girls Hockey Team Off To Winning Start
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Until this year, if you wanted to play girls hockey in Delano you had to travel to nearby Buffalo and participate in a bit of a co-op.
Delano finally decided they had the numbers and the talent to field their own team.
"It's kind of always been like a distant dream," said Delano defensewoman Abby Olson. "And then last year they were like, 'Oh, you're going to get your own team!' We were like, 'What?'"
The only thing missing was a locker room, and that is where they got creative.
The team has been bonding in the "close quarters" of a trailer.
"It's actually really nice in there when we're all together, so it doesn't matter where we are," said senior Haley Kuechle.
Coach Jackie Johnson says the trailer has its perks.
"It's nice. You know, you don't have to yell too much," Jackson said. "They can hear you, it's an enclosed space here, they're all tight-knit."
Olson says it's actually nicer than they expected.
"I was kind of like, 'Oh, a trailer! What's up with that?'" Olson said. "And then it turned out to be kind of homey and really like tight, and we can all, like, JV and varsity together, we can talk and just … we have a trailer! Who else has a trailer?"
Apparently it's all working. The team started their inaugural season 8 - 0, and they have enjoyed a supportive first season.
"We've definitely gotten way more fans than we ever got at Buffalo, which is super cool. Delano is super supportive of our team, which is really nice," Kuechle said.
It all adds to a sense that they are where they should be. They are one school and one team.
"The pride factor is just been one that you can't replace," Johnson said.
And it's all made sense; a team that makes a commitment in practice turns it into success in games.
They are moving in a direction that feels good. There is ownership, and there is possibility.
"The big goal in the end would be awesome to go to state, but like we just got to keep focusing on the next thing that's coming up, the next game, the next practice," Olson said.