Nikki Ludwigson Feature

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Nov. 28, 2011

Gopher forward Nikki Ludwigson has been busy as a four-year member of the team, but hockey is only a small portion of what she has on her plate. In addition to being a hard working student-athlete, she is busy planning a wedding for this upcoming summer.

The Bloomington, Minn. native has the opportunity to attend college and play hockey close to home. "It is great to play close to home because every weekend my parents and friends get to come and see me play. It is nice to play at Minnesota where I have always wanted to play."

Over her career, Nikki says she has developed her hockey ability a lot. When asked which aspect of her game has improved the most she said, "My overall hockey sense, I have learned a lot from our great coaches and playing with amazing teammates. They have helped in every aspect of my game."

On a game day, Nikki likes to relax in preparation for playing the best game she can. "I always get in a good breakfast. I liked to get to the rink earlier than normal because I don't want to be in a rush. We play soccer as a team before the game to stay loose." Nikki takes a lot of pride in her strong work ethic and high compete level on the defensive side of the game. "I am very hard working, especially in the defensive zone. Whether it is blocking shots or getting the puck out of the zone. I would say I am a defensive-minded forward."

It is a challenge for all student-athletes to stay on top of both their school work and their sport. Nikki is no exception, she says the key to completing all her responsibilities is to stay organized and put priority on what needs to get finished. "It takes a lot of time management, I write absolutely everything down. I need to be on top of everything to get to appointments, and practice on time. I just need to prioritize what homework needs to get done each night while still making sure I get a lot of rest. I feel like when I am tired I can't perform well in school or hockey."

Nikki is majoring in math because she likes to find solutions to problems numerically and hopes to use math after she graduates. "I plan on going to graduate school and becoming a math professor." When she gets time to take a breather after schoolwork and hockey, Ludwigson likes to hang out with her teammates. "I love watching movies or hanging out with the team, we sometimes watch movies as a team."

On top of Nikki's hard work in the classroom and on the ice, She is getting married this summer. Nikki will be marring former Gopher wrestling great, Jayson Ness, in July. Nikki and Jayson have known each other for a long time. Nikki's mom taught Jayson at Sunday school in first grade. Nikki and Jayson have spent a lot of time planning for the wedding and Nikki knows the importance of enjoying the experience. "It does add a lot of stress to this year, but we have been getting a lot done. I just want to enjoy the planning process and recognize what is all about."

Jayson Ness won an individual NCAA championship in 2010 and he was part of the university's last team national championship in 2007. When asked about joining Jayson as a collegiate national champion Nikki said, "Our team is working really hard and that is our ultimate goal. It would be nice to get a championship ring that might be as big as his."

Nikki has appreciated her time playing for her hometown Gophers and would like to thank the fans in the Twin Cities for all of their support. "I just love coming to the rink everyday and I think we have a lot of fun as a team on the ice. We are very fortunate to have great fans that produce great crowds almost every weekend."

Written by Josh Brennock

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