With a record of 20 wins and three losses, the HHS girls varsity hockey team has put together a winning season with a combination of offensive power and a stingy defense.

The team is led by the top line, which consists of Corbin Boyd, junior, Nina Rodgers, senior captain, and Jillaine DeYoung, senior. The trio has combined for 66 goals, 81 assists, and 147 points this season.

“Corbin, Nina, and Jillaine are super important to winning our games because they’re our top scorers,” said Grace Bizal, junior. “Corbin has really good moves and has perfect shot placement, Nina is strong with the puck, and Jillaine brings speed to that line. They work well together.”

Another reason that the team is winning consistently is their defense, led by starting goaltender, Erin O’Neil, senior captain. O’Neil has a .948 save percentage, 17 wins, a goals against average of 1.23, and six shutouts.

“It’s really nice to have Erin in net because it takes the stress off the rest of the team just to know that you can depend on her no matter what,” DeYoung said.

While conference rivals are trying to catch up to the team in the standings, there is something, Boyd argues, that separates them from their competitors.

“We have a good work ethic and go in to every game thinking the other team can beat us, so we try to win,” Boyd said.

The state of Minnesota has realized that HHS is slowly emerging as a hockey school because of the girls’ season so far. The team is ranked number  in class 2A, according to Minnesota Girls Hockey Hub. Class 2A includes other teams such as the rest of the Lake Conference, Benilde-St. Margaret’s, and Hill-Murray.

“We are really changing the environment. [Critics] are mentioning us more in the top now,” said Laura Clemens, senior.

As the season comes to a close, the team’s mindset has shifted from what it originally was at the beginning of the season. Games count towards building momentum for the postseason.

“Every game that we play is really important because we want to be number one in our conference, and with our number one seed in our conference, it will make us the top seed in our section,” Clemens said. “We try to win every game so that we can get that top seed.”

Since the first puck drop, fans are excited about the potential of the team winning a state championship.

“They’re [fans] excited because we keep getting more and more people to our games, and we keep going up in the standings,” Bizal said.

On February 22nd, the class 2A state champion will be crowned at the Xcel Energy Center. If Hopkins ends up winning the title, it would be a dream come true for the players.

“It would be amazing, and I know all of the girls are working really hard towards it, including myself,” Clemens said.