It was 25 hockey seasons ago that a story tip was called into the Brainerd Dispatch newsroom about a group of Brainerd High School students who were starting up an intramural girls' hockey team.
The report was accurate.
In January of 1995, about a dozen girls wearing hockey equipment and old Warrior football jerseys were practicing with coach Robin Ward at the Mill Avenue Rink. Ward had played club hockey at the University of Colorado and in a Twin Cities women's league for five seasons before moving to Crosslake.
"The first day we just worked on skating ... we didn't use sticks for the first three practices," Ward said in the 1995 story. "We had to start with the basics. Hockey is a process of years of learning and we're trying to cram it into one season."
Some of those original players were Leah Kinney, Chaycie Aylward, Karen Bartholomaus, Julie Celt, Jamie Compton, Amanda Evans, Alison Helmer, Mandi Hull, Katie Isebrand, Nicole Lein, Trisha Miller, Jenny Schmidt, Erika Statine, Marit Tretter and Jessica Woudsma.
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That first intramural season for the Brainerd girls primarily consisted of three practices a week since there were no other area or Central Lakes Conference teams. The girls stayed dedicated to the sport despite some teasing by classmates for playing hockey.
"We checked and there were no schools with girls' hockey in our conference or section," former BHS activities director Ron Stolski explained in the 1995 story. "We're hoping that through the intramural program the girls will be able to skate well enough that we could schedule some scrimmage games."
Girls' hockey was also taking off at the state level during the 1994-95 season as the Minnesota State High School League sanctioned the sport with all 24 original teams being from the Twin Cities. The first state girls' high school hockey tournament took place in February of that season.
"Next year it's possible that we'll have 40 teams," former MSHSL associated director John Bartz said in the story referring to the 1995-96 season. "We don't have any outstate teams. We do have some interest in communities like Hibbing, Duluth, Fergus Falls, Wadena and Moorhead. But we need someone to break the ice."
Brainerd was one of the outstate teams "breaking the ice" and the intramural squad eventually graduated to the varsity level for the 1997-98 season with Chuck Whalen as head coach. The Warriors finished 2-15 overall after losing to Moorhead in the section tournament.
The Warriors steadily improved in the years to come and posted 10 straight years of double-digit wins, including winning 16 games and reaching the section semifinals for the first time in 2000-01.
Brainerd's program was combined with Little Falls in 2008-09 as they formed the "Flying Warriors." The additional talent helped the team win 17 games and reach the section semifinals for a second time.
The same time that the high school program was establishing itself as a competitive girls' program, the Brainerd Youth Hockey Association 12-under and 15-under teams were also enjoying success.
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"The youth programs have been instrumental for sure," said current Brainerd Warrior head coach Jim Ernster. "Additionally, the more year-round opportunities that girls have had to build their hockey skill set and add to their hockey IQ have added to the growth of the game. You now have girls that have played hockey since Mites all the way to high school. That length of experience has increased the quality of players tenfold in the last decade."
The Warrior girls' team has peaked to become a dominant program over the past three seasons. They reached the Section 8-2A final where they lost to Roseau 4-3 in four overtimes in 2016-17. The next season, they beat Roseau 2-1 in the section final and gained the first state trip in Brainerd boys or girls varsity hockey history
With many regulars returning, the Warriors are again playing like a top section seed this season with an 18-4-1 record.
Today, high school girls hockey has grown to a combined total of 133 teams in two class levels. And the Brainerd program has advanced as far as any of the teams in 25 seasons.
"We're all grateful to the women who started the first couple years," current Warrior senior captain Olivia King said of the original intramural team. "We appreciate what they did for future generations."
King, a five-year varsity goaltender, added she's proud of the girls' hockey program's progress.
"We have players from different schools (Brainerd, Pierz and Little Falls) but we're still a close-knit group," she said. "That bond, plus great coaching, makes us successful."
