Leading the women’s hockey conference in points and goals and second in assists for regular season games, it came as no surprise when senior forward Kathryn Larson was chosen as the MIAC player of the year — again.

This is the second consecutive year Larson has received the MIAC award. She believes the award reflects the hard work of not only herself, but the entire team as a whole.

“I wasn’t really expecting to get it again,” Larson said. “I just focus as a player to go out every shift and play my hardest. Getting it the second year in a row is awesome, but I think it’s also a reflection of our team as a whole. You know, we’ve been playing really strong and scoring a lot of goals, and my linemates have for sure helped me in getting that point total up.”

Larson has 122 points in 106 games in her MIAC career. Fifty-two of those games were played for the Tommies after Larson played two years for Bethel. Head coach Thomas Palkowski said that after joining the team, he saw Larson lead by example and earn the respect of her teammates.

“As we sat down and talked, I told her, ‘You know you come in as a transfer, you need to earn the respect of your teammates, especially when you’re coming in as a player from another team within our conference,’” Palkowski said. “I didn’t have to say much else because she’s certainly done that.”

Sophomore forward Leah Schwartzman said Larson’s strong presence on the ice and growth over the years is an important contribution to the team.

“She came in with me my freshman year, so we were kind of both new. So we became really close then, and ever since we both started we’ve been linemates for probably 95 percent of the time,” Schwartzman said. “Not only is she leading the conference in points, but her presence on the ice is very clear. I mean, when she’s on the ice she basically controls the game and creates a lot of opportunities.”

Larson joins three of her teammates being nominated for this year’s all-MIAC women’s hockey team for her third all-MIAC honor; Schwartzman, who was also nominated for the all-conference team, said the amount of girls on the team receiving honors this year is telling of each individual’s skill.

“It kind of just shows that we have a lot of potential,” Schwartzman said. “We have the talent and skill that, if we just come together and all work together, we can produce a lot of great things.”

As a senior, Larson is wrapping up her final year playing for St. Thomas, but Palkowski said Larson will have a lasting impact on the team even after she has graduated.

“Obviously it’s hard to replace somebody of her abilities, but you just move forward,” Palkowski said. “The biggest thing I think a player leaving can leave is some of the examples we talked about — leading, working hard all the time. And I think our girls moving forward have learned from her.”

Larson also hopes that the examples she set throughout her years as a Tommie will have a lasting effect on the team in future years.

“I’m just trying to focus on leaving a positive legacy for the girls behind me,” Larson said.

Kassie Vivant can be reached at viva0001@stthomas.edu