TRAVERSE CITY - The Traverse City Bay Reps girls hockey team is undefeated and has qualified for Nationals in only its third season as a program. This marks the second consecutive national tournament appearance for the team since head coach Erin Tschantz took over leadership of the program.
The team’s rapid rise to dominance relies on a veteran roster that includes 14 seniors this year. While the team has already secured a spot on the national stage, they are currently focused on competing for a state championship in the Michigan Girls High School Hockey League.
The large group of upperclassmen has provided the team with veteran experience during their undefeated run. Tschantz, the head coach of the Traverse City Bay Reps, said the presence of 14 seniors has been a significant factor in the program’s success during its third year.
“I think a huge piece of that is one where, you know, year three, as a program, we’ve got quite a few veterans on the team and second pieces,” Tschantz said. “We’ve got 14 seniors this year, so we’ve got a lot of great talent amongst, you know, the upperclassmen. And I think that some of those seniors are really pulling their weight and helping out the team this year.”
To prepare for a second consecutive trip to Nationals, Tschantz adjusted the team’s schedule to include opponents outside of their standard high school league. She said the move was intended to expose the players to different talent levels and higher levels of competition than they had seen previously.
“Yeah, I think it was really eye-opening the first time we went right. We’re playing teams that we’ve never seen before, much different competition,” Tschantz said. “And so I think just knowing that we’re trying to prepare our girls this season specifically, I, you know, I’ve scheduled games against teams not in our league, which has been really helpful. And just seeing different talent and whatnot outside of the high school league.”
Despite the Nationals’ qualification, the team remains focused on winning a Michigan Girls High School Hockey League state championship.
“I think, I mean, I take it one game at a time, right? So we, we tell all the girls all the time after every game, like what? What did we learn from that game and how can we apply what we learned to future games?” Tschantz said. “So I think just one game at a time. And then, you know, hopefully after the state tournament, we’re well prepared for nationals.”
The Michigan Girls High School Hockey League state tournament playoffs will begin on Feb. 26. The national tournament is scheduled to take place from March 19 through March 22.