On May 14, about two months after the end of the season, the BSM girls’ hockey team gathered to hear who would be named the captains for the 2020-2021 season. The players chosen for this revered, yet challenging task, include juniors Emma Peschel, Sophie Melsness, and Emma Hoen.

Last year, the Red Knights finished 4th in the class 2A state rankings, which was their highest ranking since 2014. Translating and expanding this success into the upcoming season is one of the main goals of the new captain group, who want to build off of their gained momentum. “Our first goal for the team is to win a 5th straight conference title, then capture the Section 6AA title and represent our school at the State Tournament.” junior captain Emma Hoen said.

Achieving this goal will take a new level of commitment and work ethic from the team. However, the captains are excited to embrace this challenge, rather than run from it. “We will be a very hard team to play against. With so many returning players who have played for three or four years on varsity; we know what to expect from the other top teams in the state, and we will be ready,” Hoen said.

Every captain has a different definition of what they suppose it means to be a leader. Some believe in the power of words, while others think actions speak the loudest. However, the captain group does have a set philosophy on how they want to lead their team. “I think we want to do whatever it takes to win and do well. We took a hard loss last year in the section final, but we want to rebound strong and come back with a bang,” junior captain Emma Peschel said.

The team’s captains are ultimately selected by Kelly Pannek and Kevin Gray, who are the head coaches. However, there is also a team vote that goes into the decision-making, with each varsity player listing their top three captain candidates. “My teammates might look up to me, so I need to be at my best always and make sure I’m the best role model I can be,” Peschel said.

The captain group has two D1 commits in Peschel, who’s going to play at the Ohio State University, and Melsness, who’s going to play at Merrimack College, and a potential third in Hoen, who is also looking to play college hockey. They have all been on the varsity roster since their freshman year, and look forward to leading the team for their last year at BSM. “I am very excited and ready for the next season. I am honored to have the opportunity to lead the team and help them succeed in all aspects,” Peschel said.