Feature: Playing one another brings Skarzynski family together

Author's note: This is a feature on Gopher senior Sophie Skarzynski and her family that I wrote back in early December and couldn't find a home. With Minnesota's Senior Day, honoring Skarzynski along with seven others, coming up this weekend I thought it would be a good time to post.

The feature is as written in December with the exception of updating stats and records. All photos are by Nathan Wells.

Sitting on the visiting bench, Gopher defender Sophie Skarzynski couldn’t help herself from being distracted each shift she saw number seven in the white and blue sweater.

Few things faze Skarzynski, who growing up captained her boys AAA team, when it comes to hockey. The Lake Forest, Illinois native won a national championship as a freshman. She spent the offseason between her sophomore and junior year preparing to play defense before quickly being moved to center and fitting in seamlessly all season. Regardless of the opponent, Skarzynski keeps the same pregame routine, making sure her socks are inside out, her right shoe is tied before her left shoe, her hair is straightened and that she has a peanut butter energy bar.

Away from the rink, Skarzynski socially is an icebreaker who teammates describe as, “honest and open and loud” being the life of the party. Yet there was something about facing Yale which was taking away focus.

Her younger sister Greta, a Bulldogs sophomore forward.