Kacie Anderson

By Shawna Carpentier
UWRF Sports Information

Junior defender Kacie Anderson of Salem, Wis., is in her third season with the Falcon hockey team. Anderson's impressive history has been an asset to the River Falls women's hockey team.

"Hockey is a game of winning small battles all over the ice, and Kacie is better at that than any player who has ever played for us," says Falcon Coach Joe Cranston. "It has been a privilege of mine to be her coach."

Anderson has been on skates since she was three years old. "It's like second nature to me." With an older brother, Dane, and sister, Katie, playing hockey, Anderson was inspired to become a hockey player herself. Coaching her brother, Anderson's father, Dane Anderson, has been influential in Anderson's hockey interest.  

Having passion is a component of hockey Anderson has found to be beneficial in her drive to succeed on the ice. Passion is something Anderson learned through mentors like her father and is an element she developed as an athlete.  

"I love [hockey] and I want to play as long as I can," explains Anderson who knew that she could not give up hockey after high school.

While attending high school prep school at Shattuck-St. Mary's, Anderson aided her team to three consecutive National appearances. Despite the absence of awards throughout her high school career, Anderson tributes Nationals as her best award ever.

As a frequent participant in Wisconsin Select Hockey Camps through the Wisconsin Amateur Hockey Association, Anderson improved her hockey skills and met the coach she would play for in the future. Anderson's experience with Cranston's coaching methods influenced her to become a Falcon during her participation in the WAHA camps.

Anderson does an excellent job on the "home side" as a defense player. Protecting the goalie is a task Anderson handles with proficiency. Speaking of Anderson's force on the ice Cranston says, "Kacie has been a huge part of our success this season and the past two seasons."

Anderson scored her first collegiate goal in the team's 3-0 win over Augsburg earlier this season. She has two goals and four points this year. She has two goals and 12 career points with the Falcons.

Ironically Anderson's quiet demeanor is deceptive of her mentality as a hockey player; "[I am] defensive minded," she says. According to Cranston, Anderson is a hard worker and a leader who defines herself through example.

"I think a good [athlete] is someone who is a leader, hard worker, leads by example and can communicate well to others," says Anderson.

Although Anderson would like to see women's hockey promoted more on campus, she still thinks it is easy to be distracted from the game. With so much going on around her, Anderson gets herself focused for every game by taking a shower and getting dressed left to right. "I sometimes eat M&Ms or Skittles too."

Hockey has been a symbolic loop to Anderson who credits hockey for her work ethic and ability to work with other people both on and off the ice.  

To other aspiring hockey players Anderson can give this advice. "Make sure you work on and off the ice." Anderson expresses that women in particular should be in the driveway stick handling when they have free time if they want to be a competitive hockey player. She recognizes that at times it can get rough and it is easy to want to give up, but Anderson believes the drive to succeed overcomes the struggle of being a collegiate athlete.

Anderson admits that being a student athlete is hard. "I take time out of my schedule and in between classes to do my homework and then I have practice at night; it's hard," she says.  

The hardship is worth it to Anderson because she gets to compete in hockey and earn a degree. She hopes her business degree will help her in her aspirations to open a hair salon after she completes college. Anderson's goals are to graduate and to "be happy in whatever I am doing."

When she is not studying or playing hockey Anderson spends her time relaxing, watching movies and Grey's Anatomy and participating in a multitude of other sports.

"I would say that I am a pretty hard worker who enjoys life both in hockey and outside with family and friends," says Anderson about herself.