It’s no secret that Minnesota is a hockey-crazy state. The “Land of 10,000 Lakes” lives and breathes hockey, and St. Olaf College is no different. Many students at St. Olaf grew up around the winter sport. Plenty of students will jokingly say that they could skate before they could walk. With such a large portion of the student population familiar with the sport, many students seek a way to continue playing hockey on campus. The St. Olaf club hockey team is an excellent way for students to do so.
The St. Olaf club hockey team has a rich history at St. Olaf. The team competes in a few games every year against other regional schools such as Carleton College and University of Wisconsin- Stout. Over the past two years, the team has lain dormant due to lack of student interest. However, this year the team has been revived and has four competitive games scheduled. “The history of club hockey in the last four years has been less competitive than others. Years ago, the club hockey team had annual fundraiser games with Carleton, which drew a lot of fans, and supported great causes, which is what we hope to start again this year!” Siri Lindell ‘23 said. The game against Carleton serves as a marquee matchup for the club.
Carleton does not have a varsity hockey team so the club game serves as the only opportunity for St. Olaf to battle their fierce rival in Minnesota’s favorite sport. “I am looking forward to the game against the Carleton men’s team the most. It has a pretty mean reputation, and should be a really fun rivalry game to play in,” Lindell stated. The two teams will compete twice this year, first against Carleton’s women’s team on Jan. 24 before taking on the men’s team on Feb. 19.
St. Olaf fields a co-ed team but they compete against men’s teams and women’s teams, in addition to other co-ed teams. The team is always looking for new members who are interested in returning to a sport they love or looking to learn a new sport. “Club hockey is accessible to all skill levels. If you have played hockey in the past, our practices and drills can be done by a wide range of skill sets. Most of our players have played hockey in high school, but no matter how many years you have played, we’d love to have you,” Lindell added.
The club has four games scheduled so far. Their first game takes place on Dec. 10th versus UW-Stout at St. Olaf Ice Arena. Besides cheering on the team in person, students can also support the club’s candy gram fundraiser. The club is selling candy grams on Dec. 9th from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. in Buntrock Commons. Students who are interested in joining the club or have any questions should email Siri Lindell, Bekki Antonelli, or Arzu Pahl.
