University of Minnesota Athletics
Sletta Previews Minnesota State Series
1/15/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
MINNEAPOLIS - Senior goaltender Shyler Sletta lists two national championships and an undefeated 41-0 season among the highlights of her Gopher career so far, but the teammates she's shared her time in Maroon & Gold with are equally important to the Elko New Market, Minn., native.
Sletta admits that being a goaltender isn't always easy but says it's worth it when she looks around the lockerroom at her Gopher teammates. Sletta is excited for what the rest of the season holds, beginning with this weekend's series against Minnesota State.
Gopher Sports: When you look back on your career so far, what stands out as the biggest highlights for you?
SS: One of the biggest things is getting to play with the people that I have. It's really cool to be with people like Nora, Kessel, Bozek, and Schleper, obviously, all the Olympians. It's really cool to get to practice with them every day, and really push the whole team and myself. Winning a couple national championships was huge and going 41-0 that season was definitely a highlight, too.
GS: How would you describe that your relationship with your fellow Gopher goaltenders?
SS: Sometimes I kind of feel like a mother hen, more with Mandy than with Sid. We goof around a lot, so that's always fun. Sid is my roommate, so that's probably more like a sister relationship where we push each other's buttons pretty often. We wrestle around and bug each other, but we're always good friends at the end of the day. It's really awesome to have a good connection with them, and always supporting each other is huge. We definitely have good communication both on the ice and off.
GS: How would you assess where the team is right now, heading into this weekend?
SS: Everything feels pretty good. I think the team is in great shape. Everyone is getting along with each other on and off the ice. Hanging out together in general definitely shows on the ice. One of the things that is really important is to have good connections, so I feel really good for the upcoming weeks against Minnesota State and St. Cloud State. Mankato is going to be fun because I think everyone will get to play quite a bit and some people that normally don't see the ice much will probably get to shine and see some opportunities.
GS: What are some goals for yourself and the team for the rest of the year?
SS: Some goals for me would be to continue to play well whenever I get the chance to play. Just to be solid and not let any goals in would be pretty cool. For the team, I would say to just improve and that starts defensively, which works up into the offensive zone. I don't think we have any problems in the offensive zone, so if we keep working on doing the little things right, that puts us in a position to win at the end.
GS: How did you become a goalie?
SS: I started playing hockey really young. My dad was a hockey player and my uncle had been a goalie, both at Prior Lake High School, so I just did that. Everybody sort of takes a turn playing goalie when you're young and you don't have a goalie on your team, and apparently I was pretty good at it for my age. My dad encouraged me to stick with it. For a while, I absolutely hated it, but now I'm back to liking it for the most part. Every now and then, you get hit and wonder why you're doing it, but then I look around and see this team is worth it. Playing goalie is interesting. It's definitely not always easy, but it's fun.
GS: How would you describe the atmosphere, playing here at Ridder?
SS: Playing at home is awesome. There's nothing like it. I'm super pumped to see the playoffs because it's always packed. Even when we're not playing the biggest rivals, we still get lots of fans. Sometimes it sounds like a Justin Bieber concert in there with hundreds of girls screaming. It's so fun because they really want to be there to support us, and lots of those girls want to be on this team in the future. It definitely is a great connection because I did the same thing when I was little, so I know what it feels like. It's just fun to be here now and look out and see that support.
GS: What's it like knowing you're a role model for those young hockey players?
SS: It's awesome. I love coaching, so I get to see a lot of the kids wanting to play college hockey. As the players get older, you can see them becoming more serious. That's when it gets even more fun because you can use your experience and tell goalies, for example, to always play the puck because college coaches love that. It's also fun to start out with the little ones and tell them they're all going to play for the Gophers some day and then take a look at the more serious side of them as they get older.
GS: What makes being a Gopher so special?
SS: I don't even know how to put it into words. There's a tradition and a legacy of just being the best at what you do here. Everyone is great here academically, and volunteering is such a big part of it too, to be able to give back. Doing the little things on the ice and contributing to your role help the team come together as one cohesive unit, which is what it means to be a Gopher. It's not just being good at hockey or just being good at school, it's the whole package, and I think that's what makes it special.
Sletta and the No. 2 Gophers (19-1-3, 12-1-3-1 WCHA) take on Minnesota State (2-17-1, 0-13-1-0 WCHA) in a home-and-home series this weekend. Minnesota hosts the Mavericks at 7 p.m. Friday before traveling to Mankato, Minn., to conclude the series at 4 p.m. Saturday afternoon.
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