University of Minnesota Athletics
Players Mentioned
D
/ Women's Hockey
D
/ Women's Hockey
D
/ Women's Hockey
D
/ Women's Hockey
F
/ Women's Hockey
Photo by: Craig Lassig
Five Minutes with Olivia Knowles
11/20/2019 7:40:00 AM | Women's Hockey
Junior defense Olivia Knowles chatted with the Voice of Gopher Women's Hockey Dan Hamann last weekend.
MINNEAPOLIS -- Junior defense Olivia Knowles chatted with the Voice of Gopher Women's Hockey Dan Hamann last weekend.
Dan Hamann: Welcome back to Gopher Women's Hockey. We are in-between periods between the Gophers and Bemidji State. Sitting down in the hot seat with me today is defense Olivia Knowles. Olivia comes in with seven points (3g-4a) and a +15 on the ice this season. Olivia, you have to be pretty happy with how the season started, for the team and you personally, especially with the way things ended last year, right?
Olivia Knowles: This year has been really good so far. I've enjoyed playing with the new teammates we gained thus far and having the older teammates take the lead. Patti Marshall and Alex Woken have been doing a great job so far. I've really enjoyed this year and being healthy so far has been fabulous. Our team is rolling, and it's been a lot of fun.
DH: Being the number one team doesn't hurt, right? What did you take away from the Wisconsin series?
OK: I think that's the best we've played so far. We performed really well, and it was an inspiration to play well for the rest of the season. We had a lot of fun out there, and it's always a good time playing rivals because it shows our character when we're down and when we're riding the high of a win. I'm looking forward to playing them again.
DH: How did the team view the exhibition game against Hamline?
OK: We looked at it as a way to get better. It was way more fun to put on our real jerseys rather than our practice jerseys on a Tuesday. We wanted to go out there and test our skills, and I think we did just that. I think it was a good experience for Hamline to come here and challenge themselves playing at Ridder. It was also good for us to get more practice in game settings.
DH: The third period was a little interesting as people were thrust to positions they didn't normally play. Where did you end up?
OK: I played defense with different forwards, who ended up playing defense for a shift or two. It was fun getting to be with other people for a change and different from just being with Emily Brown, who is just a superstar back there. The experience allowed me to take on more of a leadership role. I took one shift on forward; I don't know if we got out of our zone. The puck was iced twice on my shift, and I changed as soon as possible.
DH: If you could choose one player, who did the best playing a position outside of their normal role?
OK: Crystalyn Hengler looked really good on forward; she was flying out there. She's got a shooter's mentality and really good hands.
DH: You have a knack to come up with big goals at big times. When do you know when to become more offensively-minded on a play versus sitting back?
OK: I try to contribute as best I can. There's definitely a sense of urgency on our bench when we're tied or down, so I try to keep my energy up and look for ways I can contribute, whether that be jumping up or staying back or changing so we can get fresh legs on the ice. It's all situational.
DH: What stat or aspect of the game do you get most satisfaction out of seeing or doing as a player?
OK: I don't look at stats too often, but the other day we were talking about blocking shots and not having as much defensive zone time this year as compared to other years, so we don't have as many blocked shots. When I look at my game and if I'm doing well as a defender, I look at how many blocked shots I've taken. While I think I'm doing well this year, we just have been very offensive-heavy this season and don't have as many shots on our goal, which is always nice. That's the only one I look at so I can see where I can contribute more, because I know if I only look at how many goals I've scores, I won't be satisfied.
DH: What aspect do you feel needs more improvement on your part?
OK: I would say becoming more offensive. We have an inside joke on our team that I don't love going below the top of the circles offensively, so I think becoming more engaged offensively and getting inside the play more is something I'm prioritizing.
DH: Now that you're a junior, how do you prepare for a game? Has that process changed?
OK: Not at all. I still have the same routines as normal, being upbeat for the majority of the time and then focusing in during the anthem. I keep it very light throughout the day before. I usually watch a comedy special before the game, like today I watched a Seth Meyers one, and try to go on a walk to get some fresh air. It's all very light until I zone in when we're standing on the blue line. I've always had fun and plan to keep it that way.
###
Dan Hamann: Welcome back to Gopher Women's Hockey. We are in-between periods between the Gophers and Bemidji State. Sitting down in the hot seat with me today is defense Olivia Knowles. Olivia comes in with seven points (3g-4a) and a +15 on the ice this season. Olivia, you have to be pretty happy with how the season started, for the team and you personally, especially with the way things ended last year, right?
Olivia Knowles: This year has been really good so far. I've enjoyed playing with the new teammates we gained thus far and having the older teammates take the lead. Patti Marshall and Alex Woken have been doing a great job so far. I've really enjoyed this year and being healthy so far has been fabulous. Our team is rolling, and it's been a lot of fun.
DH: Being the number one team doesn't hurt, right? What did you take away from the Wisconsin series?
OK: I think that's the best we've played so far. We performed really well, and it was an inspiration to play well for the rest of the season. We had a lot of fun out there, and it's always a good time playing rivals because it shows our character when we're down and when we're riding the high of a win. I'm looking forward to playing them again.
DH: How did the team view the exhibition game against Hamline?
OK: We looked at it as a way to get better. It was way more fun to put on our real jerseys rather than our practice jerseys on a Tuesday. We wanted to go out there and test our skills, and I think we did just that. I think it was a good experience for Hamline to come here and challenge themselves playing at Ridder. It was also good for us to get more practice in game settings.
DH: The third period was a little interesting as people were thrust to positions they didn't normally play. Where did you end up?
OK: I played defense with different forwards, who ended up playing defense for a shift or two. It was fun getting to be with other people for a change and different from just being with Emily Brown, who is just a superstar back there. The experience allowed me to take on more of a leadership role. I took one shift on forward; I don't know if we got out of our zone. The puck was iced twice on my shift, and I changed as soon as possible.
DH: If you could choose one player, who did the best playing a position outside of their normal role?
OK: Crystalyn Hengler looked really good on forward; she was flying out there. She's got a shooter's mentality and really good hands.
DH: You have a knack to come up with big goals at big times. When do you know when to become more offensively-minded on a play versus sitting back?
OK: I try to contribute as best I can. There's definitely a sense of urgency on our bench when we're tied or down, so I try to keep my energy up and look for ways I can contribute, whether that be jumping up or staying back or changing so we can get fresh legs on the ice. It's all situational.
DH: What stat or aspect of the game do you get most satisfaction out of seeing or doing as a player?
OK: I don't look at stats too often, but the other day we were talking about blocking shots and not having as much defensive zone time this year as compared to other years, so we don't have as many blocked shots. When I look at my game and if I'm doing well as a defender, I look at how many blocked shots I've taken. While I think I'm doing well this year, we just have been very offensive-heavy this season and don't have as many shots on our goal, which is always nice. That's the only one I look at so I can see where I can contribute more, because I know if I only look at how many goals I've scores, I won't be satisfied.
DH: What aspect do you feel needs more improvement on your part?
OK: I would say becoming more offensive. We have an inside joke on our team that I don't love going below the top of the circles offensively, so I think becoming more engaged offensively and getting inside the play more is something I'm prioritizing.
DH: Now that you're a junior, how do you prepare for a game? Has that process changed?
OK: Not at all. I still have the same routines as normal, being upbeat for the majority of the time and then focusing in during the anthem. I keep it very light throughout the day before. I usually watch a comedy special before the game, like today I watched a Seth Meyers one, and try to go on a walk to get some fresh air. It's all very light until I zone in when we're standing on the blue line. I've always had fun and plan to keep it that way.
###
Follow Women's Hockey
Women's Hockey Tickets
Experience the excitement and tradition connecting generations of Gopher fans! Create memories for a lifetime with your friends and family while you root for your Golden Gophers. Get Tickets
Support Women's Hockey
Support the University of Minnesota Women's Hockey program. Your support helps our student-athletes succeed athletically, academically, and socially. It takes just seconds to make a monthly or one-time donation. Thank you for your support! Give Now
Highlights: Gophers 5, Boston 2
Saturday, October 04
Highlights: Gophers 5, Boston 0
Friday, October 03
Highlights: Gophers 11, Boston College 0
Friday, September 26
Highlights: Gophers 7, Boston College 1
Thursday, September 25