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By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – The Marshfield girls hockey program is entering its third year of existence and hopes to continue its continuous trend of improvement.
The Tigers had their first winning season a year ago, going 12-8-1, and reached the WIAA sectional semifinals after their first playoff win.
To take another step forward, and not only reach the sectional finals but the state tournament, Marshfield will likely have to beat the Central Wisconsin Storm, which has won the sectional the past three seasons.
Marshfield went 0-3 against the Storm a year ago, losing twice during its 6-5 season in the Great Northern Conference, and again, 3-0, in the sectional semfinals.
The Tigers return their entire roster from the 2009-10 season and add three newcomers to provide much-needed depth for a team that had just 12 players a year ago. Senior Chandler Roy-Peterson, who led Marshfield’s balanced attack a year ago with 26 goals, said she believes this is the Tigers’ year.
“I feel like it’s going to be a really good season,” Roy-Peterson said. “Everything seems to be falling into place pretty well. Everyone’s happy to back on the ice again and be back together.
“I think we can definitely beat them (the Storm) this year. We will definitely beat them this year.”
Marshfield had six players finish in doubles figures in goals, led by Roy-Peterson’s 26. Paige Johnson had 17 as a freshman, Abbey Besler added 16, Nicole Karl had 15, Naomi Crump had 12 and Tori Esser 11. Karl led the way with 27 assists and the Tigers averaged 6.6 goals a game in the Great Northern.
The return of all of those players gives Marshfield a potent offense that coach Nate Sparbel expects to continue to get better.
“The group of girls that we have are pretty confident in the things that they learned last year and are bringing that into this year,” Sparbel said. “The things that they have to work on are the little things, perfecting the things they learned last year.”
The added depth will also be a key for the Tigers. Marshfield had just nine skaters in its rotation at the end of last season and its lack of depth hurt the Tigers against teams like the Storm, who could throw in a dozen or more players into a game.
“I feel that with the new addition of a couple of players, that’s what’s going to give us the strength to get through,” senior defenseman Nikki Copet said. “Hopefully, we’ll all have positive attitudes and it should be a good season.”
Freshmen Melissa Alcorta and Katie Krier, and sophomore Kate Schumitsch are first-year players joining the team to give the Tigers depth at the forward position. In addition to Roy-Peterson, Karl, Esser, Belser and Crump, juniors Charlotte Tierney and Jala Zahn also return.
Joining Copet on defense will be Johnson, junior Emily Wolfe and senior Katie Wendlandt. Senior Ashley Bauer returns as the Tigers’ goalkeeper as well.
It seems a lot of things are falling in place for the 2010-11 season to be a special one for the young Marshfield girls hockey program.
“With the group we have, anything is possible,” Sparbel said. “The year before last they won a total of five games. Last year, they were 12-8-1. They have the confidence that they can play with anybody. Some of the best teams in the state really had to work their hardest to beat us.
“We definitely are ready to move on to the next level and I don’t think there is a girl on this team that doesn’t believe that we can make it to the state tournament this year.”
Marshfield opens its season with three road games in seven days, beginning with a nonconference game at Viroqua on Tuesday. The Tigers open their GNC season at Antigo against Rhinelander/Antigo on Nov. 29, a night before starting their home schedule with a game at the Marshfield Youth Ice and Recreation Center against Baraboo.
Click here for the complete Marshfield girls hockey schedule.