Bismarck Blizzard going for seven straight state titles
BISMARCK, N.D. (BVM) — It’s been a long road, but less than a week away from the start of the NDHSAA girls hockey state tournament, the Bismarck Blizzard are once again contending for a title.
“I think the kids are really grateful for the opportunity and I’m really hopeful that at the end of the season we find a way to play our best hockey,” Blizzard coach Tim Meyer said.
The Blizzard are going for their seventh straight state title. Entering the postseason as a No. 3 seed behind Fargo Davies and Fargo North-South, they know that there is a target on their back.
“We’d be lying if we said there wasn’t a little added extra pressure every single year to live up to expectations,” Meyer said.
It’s always there and in some ways it does help to push the girls. However, Meyer and his staff make sure that the girls are focused on the next game rather than any accomplishments past teams have had.
“The past is the past and all we can focus on is the present,” Meyer said.
Presently, Bismarck is doing well. It has taken time to get used to the new regulations and limited team interaction. But besides the changes due to COVID-19, the Blizzard have had to adjust their style of hockey as well.
“In years past we’ve benefited from the fact we had a couple kids that had really high point totals,” Meyer said. “You have to make adjustments when you don’t have that. You have to find ways to have balance and you need to find ways to be able to get through those squeakers. You know those 3-1 games, those 3-2 games where you have to play 51 minutes.”
The Blizzard have won most of those squeakers, but Meyers also knows that his team has yet to play a full 51 minutes in his opinion. He expects that to come as they enter the postseason.
“That’s not a problem I mean we just need to save that for the final week and if it comes out at the right time then it’s awesome,” Meyer said.
Besides not having those types of players on the roster, Meyer also attributes the change due to the growing parody in the league. As good as the Blizzard have been in recent years, teams are stepping up and going after them.
Bismarck welcomes the challenge and to combat it, the Blizzard have been emphasizing more than just playing 51 minutes. They are focusing on minimizing mistakes because they add up when you get to the end of a game.
It has been a balancing act because as much as Meyer and his staff want their team to focus on limiting mistakes, they don’t want them to become robots out on the ice. They want their girls to just play the game and know that mistakes happen. What’s important is how you respond to them.
Along with that, the Blizzard have been using a lot of different lines and moving girls around as they find what works best for them.
“One of the nicest things that I’ve seen from this group of kids is flexibility,” Meyer said.
Paige Hanson, Brenna Curl and Anne Hulst are just a few of the Blizzard players who have moved around in order to give their team the best chance to win.
“Wherever they’re needed the kids are willing to go out there and play,” Meyer said. “They just want to be a hockey player.”
The flexibility and willingness to play any position has helped raise the intensity level at practice. With everyone willing and able to play anywhere it means that each girl has to bring their best to keep their spot. It’s something that Meyer and his coaching staff have also promoted.
“Practices need to be harder than games,” Meyer said.
Their goal is to make sure that when games come around they are easier then practices and the girls can just focus on the game.
The Blizzard have done all of this in an effort to continue the legacy that has been created at Bismarck. They are still the reigning champions until proven otherwise, but above all else, this season they are just happy to be playing.
“I think the kids are really grateful for the opportunity and I’m really hopeful that at the end of the season we find a way to play our best hockey,” Meyer said.
