When the American Collegiate Hockey Association represents the United States at the 28th Winter World University Games in Almaty, Kazakhstan later this month, MSU will have two players on the roster. The two Spartans are Kelsey Jaeckle and Maddie Wolsmann, who were selected to the national team.
“It’s a great feeling,” freshman forward Wolsmann said. “My teammates have been behind me the whole time, always pushing me to get better, so it’s a great feeling.”
In the Spartans’ 13 ACHA games this season, Wolsmann leads the team in goals with 16. Overall, she has 19 goals and 10 assists in 17 total games, including exhibition matchups.
“It’s definitely a different feeling,” Wolsmann said of being the team’s leading scorer as a freshman. “I’ve never been on a team where I was the new person coming in (and the) star, but the team has really supported me. They want me to score, want to help the team. The whole team just wants to win.”
MSU head coach Rob Blackburn said he has been thoroughly impressed by Wolsmann’s play so far this season.
“It’s fantastic to have a freshman come in and start leading the team,” Blackburn said. “She’s on the ice, off the ice and she’s one of those unique players that as a freshman coming in and being able to play as a team player, I don’t have to worry about her passing to her teammates and then looking for return passes and things like that. So it’s terrific, and that’s one of the reasons why she made the USA team.”
Blackburn, in his second season at MSU, said Wolsmann’s performance and ability to adapt to change is highly complimentary of her work ethic.
“She works hard all the time, and she came from a Minnesota high school program,” Blackburn said. “Minnesota high school is excellent hockey. They’re like our AAA in Michigan. And then, coming in here, we change the way that I run things a little bit different than she was used to. It took her a little bit of an adjustment, but she’s one of the top 10 in the league and country as a freshman. So, it’s terrific to have that and I’m looking forward to her development as a leader on this team going forward.”
Sophomore Jaeckle said being selected to represent the United States at the World Games hasn’t really set in yet.
“It’s cool to represent my country,” Jaeckle said. “I feel like right now I don’t feel anything, but once I’m there for the opening ceremony it’s going to feel really good.”
After transferring to MSU after her freshman season, Jaeckle has a total of four goals and five assists in the Spartans’ 13 ACHA games.
“It’s also another great thing to have a player with her experience too, because she played AAA with HoneyBaked (Hockey Club) program in Michigan,” Blackburn said of Kelsey. “(She) took a year off because she went to a different college and then transferred here to State as a sophomore, so this is her first year with our program. So she’s coming in having to learn all the systems and everything as well, but she’s picked everything up.”
The 5-foot-4 sophomore from St. Clair Shores, Mich. plays forward for the Spartans, but was named to the national team as a defenseman.
“It’s kind of different (making it as a defenseman),” Jaeckle said. “Everyone is shocked almost, but I feel good about it.”
Jaeckle said the transition to defense was difficult.
“It was really, really hard,” Jaeckle said. “I didn’t think I was going to make it because I was like, ‘OK, I haven’t played defense in a good three years.’ I think it’s cool though that I actually proved a few people wrong. It was nice.”
Jaeckle feels the experience she will have when she is in Kazakhstan will be something she can take back to East Lansing.
“I think (being selected to represent the United States) is very humbling and I think it kind of made me feel (good) because I’m someone that always doubts myself,” Jaeckle said. “From this experience, I’m more confident and I think going there and playing other countries will help me with my confidence especially here because I’m also younger than most of them.
“And it’s just like before, I always told myself, even with school, I’m not a very confident person, and since I actually made the team, I think this is going to help me as a person with people and being more confident and not being as afraid.”
Because of the timing of the tournament, both Wolsmann and Jaeckle will miss three of the Spartans’ regular season games.
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“It’s tough when you lose them for a couple games,” Blackburn said. “We lose them for three games, so we’ve got to have everybody else stepping up. But the experience that they’re going to have and playing with great players from around the country, they will never forget it. It’ll be something they will cherish no matter how they do over there.”
Blackburn added he believes both of his skaters are going to perform well in Kazakhstan.
“I was assistant coach on one of the USA teams that went to the World Games in 2013, so I’ve watched a number of players and know that these two players are going to do great for the USA team,” Blackburn said.
The tournament will be played from Jan. 29 to Feb. 8 at Halyk Arena.
