Sophomore Karlie Bruns tallied her fifth hat trick of the season and the Morris Benson Area girls hockey team finished second at its hosted MBA Holiday Classic Tuesday and Wednesday, Dec. 28 and 29, at the Benson Civic Center in Benson.
The Storm have tallied 40 goals on the year through 11 games, and Bruns has over half of them. Bruns leads the Storm in scoring and points this year, with 22 goals and 30 points.
Since Bruns joined varsity in seventh grade, she’s tallied 13 goals and 17 points in her first three years. She wanted to change that this past off-season.
“This summer I really worked on my shot,” Bruns said of this year’s major uptick in offensive production. “I would go out in my garage and shoot pucks. My dad put up the shooting tarp and a gym in our garage. I found my drive and my determination.”
Bruns, who has been involved with other hockey teams in the offseason for the past few years now, knows that hockey is a team sport, and she wouldn’t be as successful on the ice without her teammates and coaches.
“I love the game of hockey, the players and coaches, but the main thing is my teammates! We all play so well together,” Bruns said. “Our coach Cole moved a few players around and the new combination is working and giving me the opportunities. It is all a team effort. Coach Cole is a great asset with his knowledge of the game and has given the team confidence to succeed.”
Taryn Picht, one of two seniors on the team, has been a mentor for Bruns and a scoring leader for the Storm for the past four seasons.
“Taryn has really been a huge asset to me being successful,” Bruns said. “She’s such a great player and I’ve learned so much from her through the years.”