Seven to watch this season on the ice

BISMARCK – The puck has dropped on the 2023-24 hockey season and all seven WDA programs are looking forward to a successful campaign. Here’s a look at seven conference players expected to be leaders for their teams.

Kyndall Peterson, Dickinson

The junior forward has been among the team leaders in scoring in each of the past two seasons. She tallied 16 points as an eighth grader and 19 a season ago, including a team-high 12 goals. Peterson put in time during the offseason to work on her game and was recently voted team captain. Her compete level, skating and puck handling skills enable her to generate scoring opportunities. She is expected again to be among the WDA’s top scorers.

Alivia Frykman, Bismarck Century

The senior defenseman is expected to log a lot of minutes this season for the Patriots. A defensive-defensemen, Alivia’s strength is her work ethic and steady play on the back end. She is effective in clearing pucks out of the scoring areas and winning one-on-one puck battles in the corner. The captain has also emerged as one of the leaders over the past two seasons, often the first player on the ice and last to leave at practice. 

Olivia Sorlie, Jamestown

The senior has been steady in goal for the past two seasons for the Blue Jays. She won 12 games as a sophomore and had a solid goals against average (2.96) and save percentage (90.5) numbers. Last year Jamestown posted just four regulation wins and struggled to score goals. Despite the challenges, Sorlie still had a save percentage of 91.2. Her strengths include her rebound control and quickness in the crease to cover both sides of the net as well as tracking shots through traffic. Sorlie has been a two-year captain for the program.

Ava Krikorian, Legacy-Bismarck High

The senior forward enters her fourth year of varsity play. Krikorian helped guide the program to a state tournament appearance in its first year of play. Her skating and puck handling skills enable her to generate offense. Her 23 points was tied for the team lead and her 14 goals were the most. The all-stater has played in big games throughout her playing career with Legacy-Bismarck High and the Bismarck Blizzard. That leadership is why she was again voted a team captain

Madison Hertz, Mandan

The senior forward has netted 92 points in four seasons for the Braves and has emerged as one of the top point producers in the state. Hertz is more than a scorer, however, as she does all the little things that make her a complete player. She can block shots, win faceoffs, backcheck all the way to the net and cause turnovers with her strong puck pursuit. 

Jillian Ackerman, Minot High

The senior goaltender was among the state’s best a season ago in goals against average (1.56) and save percentage (93.9). She posted 13 victories, including seven shutouts. Her strong positional play and ability to make the big save at critical times has been a reason the squad has been competitive against the top programs in the state. The all-stater enters her third year as starting goalie and has been the backbone of the Magicians lineup. Her desire to improve her game and give an encouraging word to a teammate make her a valuable part of the program.

Emily Fuchs, Williston

The junior goalie has started the past two seasons for the Coyotes and posted solid goals against average (3.00) and save percentage (90.5 percent) numbers in 23 games in 2022-23. She was kept busy, stopping 635 shots. Her nine wins was a career-high and six times held an opponent to one or fewer goals, including a pair of shutouts. Fuchs has handled the pressures of being between the pipes well and also possess a strong work ethic to continue to improve her positional play and net coverage. Williston expects to be in the hunt for a state tournament appearance this season and Fuchs will play a big part of the Coyotes’ pursuit of it.

Photo: Emily Fuchs, Williston