The Luverne Cardinals girls’ hockey team in 2020 reached state tournament play for the second time in program history.
With a strong core returning for the 2021 season, the Cardinals could be in store for another epic season on the ice.
Six seniors, Regan Feit, Shelby Kracht, Rylee Gee, Brynn Thier, Roz Oye and Sophie Holmberg, will lead the way for the Cardinals.
“With the whole Covid-19 pandemic, those seniors and their leadership are going to be important for us,” Luverne head coach Tony Sandbulte said.
“They really are the foundation for this team.”
The seniors will provide leadership for the Cardinals while sophomore Kamryn Van Batavia will provide the spark.
“She just brings a lot of energy all the time,” Sandbulte said. “She’s kind of our spark plug. She goes hard all the time.”
That Energizer Bunny vigor is Van Batavia’s greatest strength, Sandbulte said.
“She’s always digging and plugging away,” he said. “It’s because of that energy she ends up finding the back of the net.”
Van Batavia, daughter of David and Jessica (Christensen) Van Batavia, Luverne, started skating as soon as she learned how to walk.
“My first time on skates was when I was two years old,” she said. “My dad couldn’t wait to get me out to the rink. I loved it just as much as he did, and I was always excited to go out to skate. I have loved the sport for as long as I can remember. I’ve really been playing hockey ever since then.”
For Van Batavia, the hard work doesn’t seem like work. “I love hockey,” she said. “I love the energy in the locker room before games and especially after a win.”
Along the way, her teammates have become her friends.
“We have so many memories,” she said.
“From team suppers, captains practices, hotel nights when we have away games, the holiday tournament, and just the times when we hang out for fun. I feel so lucky to be able to play hockey with the girls on my team. They’re more than just my teammates, they’re my friends.”
Van Batavia has been playing on the varsity squad since she was a seventh-grader. During that first year she finished with a team-leading 23 goals and 37 points.
As an eighth-grader she led the Cardinals with 30 goals and 45 points. She followed with 42 goals and 67 points as a freshman.
With another year of experience under her belt, Sandbulte said, Van Batavia could be in store for an even bigger season as a sophomore.
“I feel like she’s just starting to tap into her potential,” Sandbulte said. “The sky’s the limit for her. She has a true love for hockey. We only see bigger and better things for her. I’m sure not playing is taking a toll on her.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has kept a lot of prep athletes from competing in the sports they love.
With winter sports expected to start on Jan. 4, Van Batavia has been focused on staying in game shape for the upcoming season.
“Covid has definitely taken a lot of opportunities away from a lot of players that love the game,” Van Batavia said.
“It has just made us find other ways that we can still be active and prepare for the upcoming season. I have gotten together with teammates to rollerblade, shoot pucks, and more recently skate on a friend’s outdoor rink.”
During the shutdown, Van Batavia has stayed busy working out at home where her dad has helped her prepare for her sophomore season.
“My dad has a shop where I can shoot pucks and stick handle,” she said. “He keeps me busy with hockey workouts in our basement, too.”
For Van Batavia playing in the state tournament last season is something she’s dreamed about doing since she first started skating all those years ago. It’s something that she’ll cherish forever.
“Making it to the state tournament last year was an incredible experience,” Van Batavia said. “Getting to play on the same ice that the Minnesota Wild play on was so cool. Having the support of our coaches, parents, the school and the community made it all very exciting. It really was an opportunity of a lifetime. Being able to experience the state tournament with my teammates was something that I’ll never forget.”
The Cardinals were bounced in the first round of state competition, but last season’s success fueled them to come back better and stronger in 2021.
When the season eventually starts, they have one goal in mind — to get back to the state tournament and to make some noise at the Xcel Energy Center this time around.
“The goal for our team this year will be to make it back to the state tournament,” Van Batavia said.
“We have the grit, determination, and the same dream to make it back there again. We know what we have to do differently, and when we can get back on the ice as a team again, we will work hard on the goals that we set.”