Caps girls reflect on season, show promise in Wedin's first year as HC
Copy article link
Save
In Jim Wedins first year as head coach, the Oahe Capitals girls finished 7-10-1 after they were dealt losses by Brookings (3-1) and Sioux Center (7-6 in overtime) at the SDAHA Varsity State Tournament held on Mar. 3-5 at SCHEELS IcePlex in Sioux Falls.
But that win total is the best the Caps have had since 2016-17 when they won 10 games, a promising start for Oahe under Wedin.
I think our season went really well, senior Alyssa Stahl said. State did not reflect (the season) the way that we wanted it to. But I think this season was one of the most successful in the girls teams history because we won more games than we have in the past.
When looking at the 2022-23 season in its entirety, its not difficult to find the catalyst for the Caps success.
From Jan. 22 to Feb. 4, Oahe won five-straight games its longest streak since 16-17 when the Caps tallied six consecutive victories. They outscored their opponents 20-5 during that stretch, including three-straight shutouts.
Before this run, Oahe was 1-6-1 and on a four-game losing streak. Theres no doubt that this five-game stretch changed the Caps season.
(Winning five consecutive games) is something we have never experienced before for our generation of girls. That was huge, Stahl said. We almost broke the record. I think the record is seven, and that's a record our coach, Tessa Singleton, held when she was playing for the Capitals. But it was awesome It really boosted our confidence.
Perhaps Stahls most memorable moment this season came just a week later when Oahe faced Huron at Bergman Arena.
With just under 8.5 minutes into the third period, the senior Capital scored her only goal of the year, assisted by senior Sara Bierne and sophomore Brylee Kafka. That shot resulted in a 10-3 victory over the All Stars.
My teammates kind of laughed at me because I got a little teary-eyed, Stahl said. But it felt really good.
These sudden emotions derive from the fact that Stahl had recovered from an injury she had sustained while running track last May. She broke her ankle in three spots, as well as fracturing her fibula and breaking her heel.
I never thought I would skate again, Stahl said. I worked hard, and I got back and I ended up getting to play this year. And even though it was hard, I had to really persevere.
When asked what she will remember most about playing for Oahe, Stahl said the strong bond she formed with each one her teammates.
I'm a senior in high school, and some of my best friends are middle schoolers. And I know they looked up to me and Sara and Abbagail (Stewart-Fromm), Stahl added.
Kafka was the Caps primary scoring threat, as she finished with a team-best 24 goals and tallied a career-high six goals versus the Storm at the state tournament.
In her final season with Oahe, Bierne recorded the most assists for the Caps with 16.
At the net, Wedin received productive seasons from both of his goalies.
Senior Abbagail Stewart-Fromm and sophomore Sophia Peschong each played in 18 games. Stewart-Fromm, who , saved 365-of-403 (90.6 percent) shots on goal while Peschong successfully stopped 95-of-112 (84.8 percent) shots.
Stahl explained what it was like playing alongside a solid goalie tandem.
It's really nice because, as a defender, you trust your goalie. And, obviously, as defenders, we communicate with our goalies a lot, she said. They rely heavily on us.
Wedin shared his overall thoughts on how his girls performed this season.
I think that we really grew a lot as a team this year, he said. I think we really made some huge strides forward in developing the culture that we're looking for, this culture of positivity, positive reinforcement and teamwork. I think we really did a great job with that this year.
When asked more about this growth, Oahes head coach mentioned his younger and less experienced Caps, who took a big step forward this season.
We really asked a lot of those younger players, and they just did a fantastic job of stepping into the role that we asked them to play, Wedin said. I think we had five girls that were 11 or 12 years old. And asking those girls to step up and compete against girls that were substantially older than them, including the three girls that played a lot of varsity this year Those girls stepped in, and they were playing and participating in penalty kills and power plays. They just did a fantastic job there.
And Wedin knows that getting such valuable playing time early on in their careers will set them up for success in future seasons.
I'm really excited for this program over the next few years because of these younger players that we have, he said. When we look at some of these players like Dakota McEntaffer or Aubrey Stewart or Mallory Lehrkamp, you know, these are girls that are 11 years old. And they're looking at another seven years of playing at the varsity level. I think that that experience is really going to show in the years to come.
Wedin noted that losing his three seniors will be tough, but Oahes returners give the Caps a chance to be just as successful in 2023-24.
I think Emily (Nemec) will be a big help to the team next year, and I think she'll, hopefully, be on a line with me. She's got some good skills. Brylee Kafka is really good, junior Cameron Larson, who tied freshman Micah Buffalo for second in goals with five each, said. I think we still have a pretty good team. Even though we lost some good players, I think we still have a pretty solid team.
Larson also shared her personal goals for next season.
I want to teach my teammates how to be humble but hardworking and be positive on the ice and (how) we work hard for what we want. And just be a team as a whole, she said.
Wedin gave his final thoughts on his first season at the helm while sharing optimism for year two.
We basically brought in a whole new coaching staff and a whole new philosophy, both the playing style and overall culture change. And I just couldn't be more proud of how these girls embraced everything, he said. I couldn't be more proud of how they performed for us during games, how they supported each other as teammates. I'm really excited to have the opportunity to coach these girls again next year.
Was the information in this article useful?
Thanks for the feedback.
Wednesday, April 5, 2023 at 12:00 am