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/ Women's Hockey
Skarzynski Sisters Meet on Ice
12/6/2018 12:03:00 PM | Women's Hockey
Sophie Skarzynski faced off against her sister Greta when the Gophers played on the road at Yale last weekend.
MINNEAPOLIS -- When the Golden Gopher women's hockey team faced Yale last weekend, senior Sophie Skarzynski faced off against her sister Greta, a sophomore for the Bulldogs. The Skarzynski sisters chatted with the Voice of Gopher Women's Hockey Dan Hamann before the first game of the series.
Dan Hamann: Welcome back to Gopher Women's Hockey, as today the team takes on the Yale Bulldogs. I'm joined by a pair of sisters, this time on opposing sides. I'm talking about Sophie Skarzynski, a senior on Minnesota, and Greta Skarzynski, a sophomore at Yale. So we will start with Greta. I've gotten to know Sophie quite well over the last four years, and she can sometimes be loud and outspoken, is that the way Sophie is even away from the ice?
Greta Skarzynski: Yeah, Sophie is very loud and outgoing. I think she has a special talent, where she can walk into a room and become friends with anyone she meets. I would say she's definitely the most outgoing of all of our siblings.
DH: Sophie, how would you describe Greta to our listeners?
Sophie Skarzynski: I think Greta comes off a little introverted, but when you get to know her, she's super outgoing and goofy and funny. If you meet us together, I can sometimes speak over her, which is why people think that she's so shy, but she's really great. She's one of my favorite people in the world, a talented hockey player, and an even better person.
DH: Just being two years apart, you guys must have played on teams together when you were younger. This is probably the first time you guys have faced each other on opposite sides. Let's talk about what that's like for you, as you guys take on each other for the first time.
GS: It's going to be a little weird, because we have only been on the same team or in the same program and have never played against each other. But, I'm looking forward to it. We are both super competitive, and we are going to do whatever it takes to help our teams win.
SS: Yeah, same thing, we don't know what's going to happen, but I feel like the puck might bounce a little bit here. If we get a one-on-one situation, that would be pretty funny, especially with me being on D and she's a forward. We're both really competitive, so I think the family connection will probably be put to the side when we're playing each other and we'll both do whatever it takes to win. We are both goofy and push each other to our limits, so I think it will be pretty fun.
DH: Talking to Sophie, I get a sense that you guys are very close and part of a tight-knit family. What were some of those memories that you guys have growing up and playing together?
GS: Growing up, Sophie and I were fortunate enough to play on the same team, especially when we were younger, like u10, u12, u14 girls teams. It was so fun, especially since we won three or four state championships in a row. When we got older, she moved on and started playing with the older age groups and I was in the younger one because of the age difference, so we were in the same program, but it was still fun because we would join each other on the ice for our practices, and then we would go to tournaments together.
SS: Going off of what Greta said, we both grew up playing boys hockey, and then we would play on the girls teams together.
DH: Last year, Sophie talked about you non-stop, and I don't know if you were aware of this, but there was a little bit of an informal scoring contest, but this is when you were playing forward Sophie. I don't even know who won that contest.
GS: I usually listen to Sophie's interviews with you, and I heard that she mentioned a scoring contest between us, so I remember one weekend, she had scored I think two goals and had two assists, so she had four points, and then after my game, I texted her that I had five points, so I won.
SS: I remember that weekend.
DH: Well Sophie, right now you have six points and Greta has five, so how are you going to keep those stats in line?
SS: Yeah, I think this year is a little different, now that I'm back on defense, so it's always good when you get your name on the score sheet, but--
DH: So who's the better player?
GS: Sophie.
SS: Greta. Okay, I think Greta is faster than me, and even though I'm bigger than her on the ice and in size, she can lift way more than I can, which is impressive. During the off-season we trained with the same trainer back in Chicago, she's stronger than me for sure. Her on the ice skills are pretty obvious, she's got a great shot and good defensive shot, and then again, her speed. She's always been faster than me, even when we were little. She was eight and would always beat me in our youth drills. It was so annoying.
DH: It's been a lot of fun to talk with Sophie over the years. Greta, what can you tell our listeners about Sophie that we already don't know?
GS: She is very out there with herself, so I feel like everyone knows all about her. She's a huge softy, I have never met someone who cries more than her. We could drive by a church and see a wedding going on, and she'll start bawling her eyes out.
SS: Yeah, that's true. I always get emotional when I see people I love and care about, so whenever anyone asks about my family, I always get so excited because I love them so much. So when people ask about Greta, I get pretty emotional because I think she's pretty awesome. I think everyone knows that I'm tough and gritty, but once you get to know me, I'm pretty soft.
DH: Well this has been fun, thanks so much and good luck to both of you!
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Dan Hamann: Welcome back to Gopher Women's Hockey, as today the team takes on the Yale Bulldogs. I'm joined by a pair of sisters, this time on opposing sides. I'm talking about Sophie Skarzynski, a senior on Minnesota, and Greta Skarzynski, a sophomore at Yale. So we will start with Greta. I've gotten to know Sophie quite well over the last four years, and she can sometimes be loud and outspoken, is that the way Sophie is even away from the ice?
Greta Skarzynski: Yeah, Sophie is very loud and outgoing. I think she has a special talent, where she can walk into a room and become friends with anyone she meets. I would say she's definitely the most outgoing of all of our siblings.
DH: Sophie, how would you describe Greta to our listeners?
Sophie Skarzynski: I think Greta comes off a little introverted, but when you get to know her, she's super outgoing and goofy and funny. If you meet us together, I can sometimes speak over her, which is why people think that she's so shy, but she's really great. She's one of my favorite people in the world, a talented hockey player, and an even better person.
DH: Just being two years apart, you guys must have played on teams together when you were younger. This is probably the first time you guys have faced each other on opposite sides. Let's talk about what that's like for you, as you guys take on each other for the first time.
GS: It's going to be a little weird, because we have only been on the same team or in the same program and have never played against each other. But, I'm looking forward to it. We are both super competitive, and we are going to do whatever it takes to help our teams win.
SS: Yeah, same thing, we don't know what's going to happen, but I feel like the puck might bounce a little bit here. If we get a one-on-one situation, that would be pretty funny, especially with me being on D and she's a forward. We're both really competitive, so I think the family connection will probably be put to the side when we're playing each other and we'll both do whatever it takes to win. We are both goofy and push each other to our limits, so I think it will be pretty fun.
DH: Talking to Sophie, I get a sense that you guys are very close and part of a tight-knit family. What were some of those memories that you guys have growing up and playing together?
GS: Growing up, Sophie and I were fortunate enough to play on the same team, especially when we were younger, like u10, u12, u14 girls teams. It was so fun, especially since we won three or four state championships in a row. When we got older, she moved on and started playing with the older age groups and I was in the younger one because of the age difference, so we were in the same program, but it was still fun because we would join each other on the ice for our practices, and then we would go to tournaments together.
SS: Going off of what Greta said, we both grew up playing boys hockey, and then we would play on the girls teams together.
DH: Last year, Sophie talked about you non-stop, and I don't know if you were aware of this, but there was a little bit of an informal scoring contest, but this is when you were playing forward Sophie. I don't even know who won that contest.
GS: I usually listen to Sophie's interviews with you, and I heard that she mentioned a scoring contest between us, so I remember one weekend, she had scored I think two goals and had two assists, so she had four points, and then after my game, I texted her that I had five points, so I won.
SS: I remember that weekend.
DH: Well Sophie, right now you have six points and Greta has five, so how are you going to keep those stats in line?
SS: Yeah, I think this year is a little different, now that I'm back on defense, so it's always good when you get your name on the score sheet, but--
DH: So who's the better player?
GS: Sophie.
SS: Greta. Okay, I think Greta is faster than me, and even though I'm bigger than her on the ice and in size, she can lift way more than I can, which is impressive. During the off-season we trained with the same trainer back in Chicago, she's stronger than me for sure. Her on the ice skills are pretty obvious, she's got a great shot and good defensive shot, and then again, her speed. She's always been faster than me, even when we were little. She was eight and would always beat me in our youth drills. It was so annoying.
DH: It's been a lot of fun to talk with Sophie over the years. Greta, what can you tell our listeners about Sophie that we already don't know?
GS: She is very out there with herself, so I feel like everyone knows all about her. She's a huge softy, I have never met someone who cries more than her. We could drive by a church and see a wedding going on, and she'll start bawling her eyes out.
SS: Yeah, that's true. I always get emotional when I see people I love and care about, so whenever anyone asks about my family, I always get so excited because I love them so much. So when people ask about Greta, I get pretty emotional because I think she's pretty awesome. I think everyone knows that I'm tough and gritty, but once you get to know me, I'm pretty soft.
DH: Well this has been fun, thanks so much and good luck to both of you!
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