Reflecting on last week’s girls’ hockey game against Minneapolis, senior forward Katie Fredrickson said the team’s success was due to their consistency throughout the game.

“Last week we won 3-1 against Minneapolis, and we had some really good plays,” Fredrickson said. “We were a little sloppy in keeping a third girl high in the offensive zone, but we had a really good neutral zone and a good game overall.”

Coach Chris Erickson said he’s proud of the team’s improving performance.

“The season has been going very well lately. We’ve had a lot of positive things happening,” Erickson said. “I’m very happy with the way it’s gone so far.”

According to Erickson, the work the players have been doing in practice is paying off.

“We’ve had a lot of positive things happening, and the girls are working on the things that we put into (our practices) and our practice plans,” Erickson said.  “(Their skills are) transitioning into our games nicely.”

According to Fredrickson, the upcoming game against Eden Prairie will mark the start of their conference.

“It’ll be the open to Lake Conference play, so it’ll be a really great experience,” Fredrickson said. “All the Lake Conference teams are going to be playing on the same rink, so it’ll be really fun to see how everyone shows up.”

According to Erickson, the game could be very important for the seniors on the team.

“I think it’s going to be a fun event because (…) there’s a lot of college coaches there to watch the girls, so it’s a good atmosphere for the girls to play,” Erickson said. “(Eden Prairie is) exciting way to start the Lake Conference play and the adrenaline will be flowing.”

Erickson said the team prioritizes continuous improvement regardless of their opponents’ performance.

“We’ve been focusing all along on how we play and not worrying about who we’re playing or who they’ve played,” Erickson said.

According to Fredrickson, their team has a good chance of winning the game if they maintain possession of the puck.

“Our biggest goal for the next game is to keep our speed and intensity high throughout the entire game,” Fredrickson said. “We’re just going to be keeping the puck on our sticks more, which means it will hopefully be harder for them to score. They’re a very skilled team, so we need to make sure we keep the puck on our side as much as possible in order to try and put some goals in and win the game.”

Erickson said the team looks forward to their game this Saturday.

“We want our game to keep getting better each time we hit the ice, and we’re excited to have the opportunity, and it should be fun. The girls are excited to get back at it,” Erickson said.

The varsity Hopkins-Park girls’ hockey team will play against Eden Prairie at 2 p.m. Dec. 16 at the Pagel Activity Center.