Now that fall sports are coming to a close at St. Olaf, it’s time to take a look ahead at winter sports; more specifically, the St. Olaf Women’s Hockey team. Over the past few seasons, the team has worked on rebuilding under Head Coach Tracy Johnson to rank higher on the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) standings after two winless seasons in 2020. Coming into the 2021-22 season as the underdogs was a shaky start, but the rebuilding continued in the 2022-23 season with eight new players who helped the team reach the MIAC Playoffs for the first time since 2012.
The team started its 2025-26 season with two games against the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. The Oles were defeated both nights after intense play, scoring only two goals between both nights, but they beat the Pointers in shots on goal with a total of about 80 shots over both nights. Their determination to win is a testament to how much they care about the sport and love playing it.
Forward and captain Solvei Berg-Messerole ’26 told us her take on the upcoming season, as well as how much the past seasons have meant to her.
Q: What are you looking forward to the most in the upcoming season?
A: As a senior, I am honestly most looking forward to playing the sport that I love for one final year with my best friends. Hockey means so much to me, and I am so grateful that it has led me to being on the St. Olaf Women’s team. All of the seniors want to leave this program better than we found it, and we are looking forward to leaving it all on the ice, trying to make as big of an impact as possible in our final year.
Q: What’s different with this team compared to previous years?
A: We lost quite a few seniors last year who had been a huge part of rebuilding the program. They not only contributed physically, but they also were a big part of establishing our values and culture. Now that they have moved on, our team is obviously very different in terms of personnel, but we look to carry forward what they worked so hard to put in place. It’s exciting being able to see how our rebuild has progressed over the years, and I am excited to see what the 2025-2026 Ole women will do to continue that legacy.
Q: What is the team looking to achieve this year?
A: Our long-term goal is to win the MIAC championship. We want to improve each series and fine-tune our systems early in the year so that when MIAC play comes around, we are ready for it. Obviously the goal this year has been set quite high, but we believe in investing in the process and [we] know that we are capable of achieving great things this season.
Q: What does it mean for you to be named captain this year?
A: Being named captain means a lot to me. This team and these people mean so much to me and I am so honored to have the privilege of leading them through the highs and the lows of the year. For me, being a captain is about bringing energy, fire, and passion each day to get the best out of our team, encouraging everyone to be the best version they can be. I am also grateful to be able to lean on such a great class of seniors who are all also fantastic leaders for the group.
Q: What would you say are the team’s greatest strengths going into the season?
I believe that our greatest strength is our team culture. We have worked to build an extremely close team bond and we choose to nourish that on and off the ice. We all love each other as people first, hockey players second, and want to succeed as a united group. Another strength is that we are extremely deep this year. All four lines are going to be able to contribute, which will be very helpful as the season becomes more tiring.
