“Playing for the Crowns on the Front of Your Jersey”

Learning for Life @ Gustavus

In this 50th anniversary year of Title IX’s passage, Gustavus Head Women’s Hockey Coach Michael Carroll, the winningest coach in the program’s history, and senior All-American team member Kayla Vrieze ’22 speak about their paths to hockey (along with baseball in Coach’s case) and Gustavus, the challenges COVID-19 posed for the program, what they enjoy about hockey, what it takes to be a successful student-athlete on and off the ice, the ingredients of effective coaching, the team’s outstanding 2021-22 season culminating in a cliff-hanging loss in the NCAA Division III national championship game, how athletics and academics are complementary at Gustavus, and what’s ahead for each of them and the team.