University of Minnesota Athletics
Five Minutes with Kippin Keller
11/9/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
MINNEAPOLIS -- Freshman Kippin Keller is already 12 games into her college career. The Minnetonka, Minn., native reflects on transitioning from the high school game to college hockey, how she chose the University of Minnesota, sibling rivalry, and more.
Gopher Sports: How have things been going for you the first two months of the season?
Kippin Keller: I think it has been going really well. So far in practice and in games the competition is so much harder and so much faster. I think I have actually gotten a lot better throughout practice and the games and getting faster. I think I have improved a lot.
GS: What do you think you've improved on most over the first two months of the season?
KK: I think mostly just coming to practice every day and working the hardest I can ever work because to get ice time here you have to work so hard every single day. You can never take a day off. In high school you would have those days where you just tired and you don't feel like going hard and you just kind of go through the motions, but I learned this year that I have to work hard every day in order to become better.
GS: Why did you choose Minnesota?
KK: I have been coming to [Minnesota women's hockey games] ever since I was little. I have lived here all my life, and I have played hockey since I was three. I came to open skates and everything… I even have a picture of me in a Gopher jersey on the ice when I was probably ten years old, so it has been a dream of mine forever. So, when they asked me to play here it was an obvious yes.
GS: How did you first start playing hockey?
KK: Well, living in Minnesota, everyone's playing hockey and we had a pond in my backyard and I have three other siblings who played hockey. I am the youngest and they all started out playing hockey and I just wanted to follow them.
GS: As the youngest sibling, did you ever have to play goalie?
KK: No, I was never interested in goalie. I love skating around… skating was probably the best thing I did. I played with my brother when I was little and I played boy's hockey all the way up until eighth grade until I played high school.
GS: How competitive were you and your siblings playing on your backyard pond?
KK: It was pretty intense. It was a lot of fun. My family is really competitive. Both my parents played sports and so we're a very competitive family and it was really fun.
GS: Did you play any other sports when you were younger?
KK: I was actually very involved in soccer. I was looking to play soccer in college, as well. That was actually pretty hard for me to decide what sport I wanted to play. There was just a lot going on for recruiting for both sports and so it was very stressful, but I think I picked the right one.
GS: What advice would you give to young athletes who are thinking about only specializing in one sport?
KK: Honestly, I think sometimes as a younger kid you tend to focus on one sport too early and I think sometimes it causes girls to get burned out a little bit easier. I actually learned a lot from playing both sports and I have different aspects from each side of sport. I had fun and made a lot of friends and learned a lot things over the years. I don't say focus on one sport too early; I think just have fun. I mean, that's why we're doing it… because it's fun. I wouldn't rush picking a sport.
Sometimes sports control your life too much and sometimes people don't understand that it is just a game and you're just supposed to have fun… the moments you remember are the moments with your teammates.
GS: What kind of classes are you taking and what career fields are you interested in?
KK: For my classes right now, I have to take a lot of freshman requirements. I haven't been able to really choose what classes I'm taking. I am also interested in elementary education, so I am in an intro to elementary education class but next semester I will be in a Kinesiology class. From there on out, I will choose which one I like better.
GS: How did you get into coaching hockey?
KK: Since I went to Minnetonka, [I played for] Coach Eric Johnson. He has a camp called Impact, and a lot of us helped him out with that. I started off doing that in the summer just helping with his camps with the little kids and being a camp counselor and dry-land leader. Then, last year in May, he had me help coach one of his Polar Bear spring teams. I started coaching them and going to their practices, and I just thought it was a lot of fun.
GS: What advice did you high school coach give you for college?
KK: I actually love him. He is a great guy. He actually made me just love hockey because every day he came to the rink, he would blast music during practice, tap his stick, and have us sing. Sometimes we would have dance competitions at the end [of practice] in the middle circle, and it was a lot of fun. This summer at Impact, he had some advice for hockey for me and told me to work on my shot and get stronger and he said I'll do well. He'll probably come to a couple of games. He was a great leader.
Keller and the Gophers have a bye this week before heading back on the road for a series against the Fighting Hawks in Grand Forks, N.D., next weekend.
Listen to Keller's complete interview hosted by the voice of Gopher women's hockey, Dan Hamann.
Keller's favorites...
Favorite food: Sushi
Favorite musician: Justin Bieber
Favorite color: Baby blue
Favorite movie: Bridesmaids
Favorite TV show: New Girl
Favorite sport other than hockey: Soccer
Favorite practice drill: Breakaway game
Favorite candy: Buncha Crunch
Favorite restaurant: Yumis
Favorite animal: Dolphin
Favorite holiday: Christmas!
Favorite thing to do in your spare time: Go on the lake
First job you had: Hockey coach
Favorite thing about the Twin Cities: So many things
Favorite super hero: Batman
Who would play you in a movie: Caitlin Reilly
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