Mar. 13—KASSON — Alexa Van Straaten has three section championship medals and a state championship medal hanging in her room.
She also has one state runner-up medal and one state third-place medal.
The number of those medals the Dodge County senior defender doesn’t appreciate: zero.
“It was super amazing and I’m so grateful,” she said of finishing her high school hockey career by playing in a third consecutive state tournament. “Every year, your goal is to make it to state and play at Grand Casino Arena. It never disappoints. Our community, our student section show up and make it the coolest experience. … We played two OT games this year, just really had fun. Even though we didn’t make the championship game, I’m very proud and happy with our performance.
“I’ll never take that for granted.”
The Wildcats’ third-place finish at the Class 1A state tournament this winter was a fitting way for Van Straaten’s career to end. She’ll depart the program as one of the best defenders to put on a black-and-blue jersey, and as the 2026 Post Bulletin All-Area Player of the Year.
Van Straaten, who is committed to Division I Assumption University in Worcester, Mass., finished this season with 14 goals and 41 points, and she closed her three-year varsity career with 26 goals and 70 assists, for 96 points. She even received a shout-out in the annual “All-Hockey Hair Team” video after the state tournaments, for her peekaboo introduction prior to the state semifinals, when she flipped her ponytail over her face and pulled her hair apart. “If you want to send her fan mail, I think she lives on Peekaboo Street,” the video narrator says. (Skip ahead 3 minutes, 40 seconds into the video below to see Van Straaten’s cameo).
“She was always positive in the locker room, more of a lead-by-example and hard-working captain,” Wildcats head coach Jeremy Gunderson said. “She didn’t have any panic in her, no negativity, she never complained. When she’d speak it was always positive and direct — what can we do better, and here’s what we’re doing well.
“She lives the game day to day and is constantly trying to improve herself on her own time, away from the rink.”
That hard work away from the rink, and on the ice, was noticed by Dodge County’s opponents from around the state. Van Straaten was not only named First Team All-State, but she made program history by becoming the first-ever Wildcat to be named a finalist for the Girls Senior Defender of the Year Award, which was presented for the first time this season.
She was one of five finalists for the award that went to Northfield senior and Gophers commit Mia Miller.
“I was super grateful to be a finalist,” she said. “There are so many amazing players and defenders in the state. I’m just very grateful for the recognition. (Gunderson) had a big impact on that. I’m very thankful for that — he knows everyone in the hockey community.
“I’m just very grateful and it’s awesome that they started this award to honor defenders.”
Gunderson added: “It’s huge. It speaks volumes to where girls hockey is going as a sport, to have an award like that added. It’s another way to recognize another great category of hockey players. It shows Alexa’s development and the development of our program to have a player in that top five.”
The season didn’t start off as rosy for the senior defender. Van Straaten took a knee-to-knee hit during a game in the Upper Midwest High School Elite League last fall and suffered an injury that kept her out of all preseason workouts and the first three games of the season.
She made an instant impact upon her return, recording three assists in an 8-1 win at Hastings, and seven assists in her first three games. Van Straaten, in fact, recorded at least a point in her first seven games back.
“It took her a little time to come around, with conditioning, time and space … it took a few games for her to get back in a rhythm,” Gunderson said. “She has a really strong stick and likes to play physically. She knows how to pin players against the wall and win one-on-one battles. She doesn’t let (opponents) skate free in space, she makes them work in the corners.
“She sees the ice well, too, and anticipates plays in the neutral zone, which led to a lot of transition goals. … She has a great Hockey IQ.”
Van Straaten also finished the season strong, with four total assists in her final two games, including two in a 4-1 win against Blake in the state third-place game.
Beyond points, she did all she could to set up the team’s younger players in hopes they’ll continue the Wildcats’ run of success.
“Taking that leadership role, a lot of things were the same as being an assistant captain last year,” she said, “but it was just doing a little more. All of the girls, even the ones who didn’t wear a letter on their jersey, were leaders in their own way.”
Year Player Pos. Team
2026 Alexa Van Straaten D Dodge County
2025 Ida Huber G Dodge County
2024 Nora Carstensen F Dodge County
2023 Nora Carstensen F Dodge County
2022 McKenzie Rich F Dodge County
2021 Maggie Hanzel D Lourdes
2020 Emma Schmitz F Lourdes
2019 Clara Billings F Lourdes
2018 Taylor Heise F Red Wing
2017 Taylor Heise F Red Wing
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