University of Minnesota Athletics
Five Minutes with Nicole Schammel
1/15/2018 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
MINNEAPOLIS -- Gophers redshirt junior Nicole Schammel caught up with the voice of Gopher Women's Hockey Dan Hamann before Minnesota's game against St. Cloud State last Tuesday. Schammel reflects on playing with her linemates Grace Zumwinkle and Taylor Wente, success on the road, her hometown of Red Wing, Minn., and more.
Listen to Schammel's complete interview with Hamann.
Dan Hamann: Welcome back to Ridder Arena and Gopher women's hockey. Today my player guest is Nicole Schammel, a junior out of Red Wing, Minnesota. You've had a great year so far for the Maroon and Gold, 11 goals, 20 points, which would be Gopher highs and career highs for you, and we talked earlier this year about this being a little bit of an easier season, getting back into the swing of things after a year off. How would you say it's going?
Nicole Schammel: I'd say we had a pretty good first half, over the year, I'd say we played pretty consistently. There have been a few up and downs but going into break, I'd say we had a pretty good stretch and we're just looking to extend that stretch into the second half.
DH: At home though, the team struggled a little bit. Can you put a finger on what the issue was?
NS: No, I can't put a finger on exactly what it is. We had a few slow starts at home, which doesn't help, but that's really it.
DH: On the road, you usually want to get to .500 or a little over .500. You guys are perfect. Is it a little bit of the relaxed environment? Not playing in front of the home crowd? Or a more stringent environment, again, have you been able to figure it out?
NS: No, I don't think so. I mean, we have done really well on the road, but I couldn't really explain exactly why. That's just the way that things have gone this year.
DH: Hopefully things continue with a slight improvement here at home as you get going here with St. Cloud State, a team you saw already earlier this year. Kind of a couple interesting games earlier, a shutout win for you guys and then it seemed that you had the game there again but in the third period, they scored a couple of goals. How did you guys feel after that one?
NS: Yeah, we didn't like that we gave up those goals kind-of late in the game but overall, that weekend was a good weekend. We won 3-0 the first night and still scored four goals the second night and overall, got the sweep, which is what matters at the end of the day.
DH: Personally, you seem to have really taken off when you were put on the Wente and Zumwinkle line. Have you been seeing things better on that line, has the scoring come more plentiful? You seem to be clicking together, do you know what that magic elixir is?
NS: I've been playing with Wente most of the year, and I think we're just playing together more. We actually got thrown together in Lindenwood, and we didn't score that game but we have just been clicking. Hopefully, going forward that can continue.
DH: How does your skill set match with Taylor and Grace? All three of have been putting a lot of points on the board. How do you see your skill set match with you three?
NS: I think we all just compliment each other really well. Grace, obviously, has a really good shot. Wente sees the ice really well and just overall is a really good back and forth center. I think that I kind of contribute by seeing the ice well too but also sometimes getting in scoring areas.
DH: What do you feel is your best strength as a player overall?
NS: I'd say that I think I see the ice pretty well. I tend to have kind-of a scoring touch, but I think overall I just see the ice well. I like to consider myself kind-of a creative player.
DH: You just came off of a long break here, what did you do to unwind and get away from the University even if it was just for a bit here?
NS: Yeah, I just went home for two weeks and spent time with my family, which was fun. My parents own the local sports shop, so I went down there to help out a little bit. It's always fun to go home and see some of my old friends.
DH: Do you ever hit the ice there at your old stomping grounds in Red Wing?
NS: Yeah, we had an alumni game, which was fun, and I skated with Reagan Haley quite a bit who plays at Duluth. So, it's always fun getting back and skating together like old times.
DH: How's she doing? I know she's going through some injury struggles up in Duluth right now.
NS: Good. She redshirted last year with an injury, but this year she has been consistently in the line up and is having a good year. It's good to see.
DH: It's good to see a soon-to-be Red Wing alum, Taylor Heise, who signed to play here at the University of Minnesota. I don't know if you were really around much or played much with Taylor, but what have you heard about her?
NS: Yeah, I played with her my junior and senior year actually. When I was a senior, she was in eighth grade and she was over a head shorter than me, but now she's over a head taller than me. So, she's grown a lot over the years and it's really fun to see her grow into a really good hockey player. I'm really excited to play with her next year. That'll really be like things coming full circle for me.
DH: You'll be in an unofficial capacity, her mentor. You'll be a senior, mentoring the freshmen, is that something you look forward to doing as well?
NS: Yeah, I think it'll be fun. When she was in eighth grade and moved up to varsity at Red Wing, Paige Haley and I kind of mentored her then and it'll be fun to get her here. I mean, you can't really mentor anymore, she's an adult now but it'll still be really fun.
DH: What is your game prep like?
NS: I'm pretty superstitious, so I kind-of have a lot of different things. I like to stick handle before the games, go sit in the stands and look at the ice, I don't know, I kind of have a lot of things. I've been wearing the same pair of socks to games since maybe ninth grade, maybe that's a little weird.
DH: You have been washing them I hope.
NS: Oh yeah.
DH: Second half of this year is important to this team. Right now, this team is sitting fifth and obviously getting into the top four would be important. So, what do you and this team have to do to get there and to get home ice for the NCAA's?
NS: I think it'll just be important for us to focus on every game that's on hand. Focus tonight then reset for Vermont on Friday, reset for Vermont on Saturday, and take almost every game as a playoff game to hopefully move up in the rankings.
DH: Does it feel like the target is still on your back like it has been in past years? When you guys were ranked number one, you always got the best games from the competition, does it feel like you still have that bullseye?
NS: I think it'll always kind of be like that just because the Gophers are notoriously the best women's hockey in the state. I definitely think that most teams come in and give us their best effort, so I don't think that will be changing too much.
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