St. Louis Park Girls Hockey Rebuilding Tradition

While remodeling the girls hockey locker room floor, first-year coach Donnie Williams came across a discovery. A box of trophies, along with a Schwan’s Cup championship banner, lay hidden out of site.

Williams pinned the banner on the wall and lined the trophies atop the team’s hockey stick shelf. A visual aid, if you will, showing the Orioles the type of program Williams is trying to build.

“They see they were won by St. Louis Park girls, then I think it gets easier to help them understand that they can do it, too,” Williams said. “Go back to when there was some success here, because it will happen again. There’s no reason these girls can’t be part of it.”

The Orioles aim to build a program foundation in 2011-12. St. Louis Park has won three games in the past two years combined and hasn’t had more than six wins in five of the past six seasons.

This year’s squad has the energy—and the youth—to make that happen. Eleven of the team’s 16 players are seventh-graders through sophomores, meaning the Orioles will endure growing pains while gaining long-term improvement.

Having won their first game of the year, , the belief is there.

“I feel like the girls this year have more hope for success,” junior goalie Hannah Brodersen said. “This year we do have hope that we can win. The first game we won, it was kind of an eye-opener that we can compete. We can do this.”

It won’t come without dedication. Williams said the coaching staff is implementing new systems on the ice and is asking for a commitment away from the rink. Curfews are in place, and the girls are expected to earn their ice time through hard work.

“Every day is pretty much a tryout,” junior Megan Berens said. “If you don’t play well, you aren’t going to be playing much in games. So everyone comes ready to play.”

The Orioles come ready to learn, too.

Williams said the girls are learning new systems on the ice and are showing the ability to adapt when necessary. He said even in-game adjustments are being executed.

Senior forward Lauren Greenbush said it isn’t easy, but she’s seeing the team develop even in the early portion of the season.

“There are a lot of new skills, working on skills and growing,” Greenbush said. “It’s something we’re all going through at the same time.”

Wins and losses will not determine whether this season was a success, Williams said. Still, the improvement the girls are showing should translate into more victories. The goal is to improve on last year’s three-win season. Through four games this year, the Orioles are 1-3.

“They work hard. A couple breaks here and a couple breaks there, and they’ll win more games than they did last year,” Williams said. “And they are working hard, so I expect that to be better.”

It all starts with belief. The accolades of St. Louis Park’s past, prominently displayed in the locker room, are symbols of where this team is trying to go.

“It definitely helps, knowing that it’s possible,” Greenbush said. “It’s good motivation to see up there, to see that we can do anything we put our minds to through hard work.”