Senior spotlight: Emelia Edmondson brings speed, experience to Central Wisconsin Storm
WAUSAU - Emelia Edmondson scored one of the biggest goals in the Central Wisconsin Storm's postseason run last season, and her offensive leadership has been a key for the girls hockey co-op program this year.
Edmondson had the game-tying goal late in the third period of the WIAA state championship game, and the Storm went on to win in overtime. She is the only one of the team's five leading scorers from 2016-17 who is back this year.
The Wausau East senior, who has been a member of the varsity team since her freshman year, has provided some veteran experience for the defending state champions. She entered Thursday with six goals and 14 points and is the team's second-leading scorer.
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"She's arguably our fastest skater and has learned how to use her speed to her advantage," said Storm coach Pete Susens, whose team has won five straight games and has a 10-7 record overall. "She is able to put the puck through defensemen's skates and sticks and create (scoring) opportunities for herself and she is finishing them.
"But it's not just what she does offensively," said Susens, who called Edmondson a skilled forward who can also play physical when she needs to. "She uses that speed defensively to break up team's (offensive) rush just as well. It's been fun to watch her develop over the past few years."
Edmondson is one of Central Wisconsin's four captains and is headed to St. Norbert College next fall. She recently sat down with USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin to talk about the Storm's season to this point, her role with the team and her post graduation plans, among other topics.
Do you have a certain nickname your friends/teammates or family members call you?
My entire team calls me "Millie." It's been that way since my freshman year.
What has been the most memorable moment of your athletic career?
Winning the state tournament (last year) was the top moment for me, especially being on the ice when (the title-winning goal) happened.
Outside of the hockey rink and school, what is something people might not know about you?
I built a computer between my sophomore and junior year.
The Storm got off to a slow start this season, but talk about the growth of the team over the winter to the current winning streak.
We've had a lot of growth. I think our senior class has come together and we've been working really hard to make this team work. We've really been on an upswing since the beginning of the season. We're all working together and things are coming together. Our passing is getting a lot better and we're getting a lot more tight-knit as a team. We're just doing the right things now.
Was there any concern when things weren't going well early on (a 1-3 start)?
Yeah. It was a little bit of a rough start. We hadn't experienced the couple losses at the beginning of the season like that before. Most of our team had been so used to winning all of the time. It was different.
You are one of four captains this year. What does that role mean to you?
Before (this year) all of the captains had been assistants before, so this is new year and a change to that. I think all four of us — me, Erin (Gruber), Emma (Kysely) and Chloe (Westberg) have been good captains for this team and are all working really well together.
You are playing hockey at the next level. What is it about St. Norbert which made it the the right program for you?
Just the whole thing. It's close to home, a traditional and well-known program and it's a tight-knit community. Everything about it is what I liked.
What do you plan on studying there?
Computer science.
FAVORITES
Sport: Hockey.
Pro or college athlete: One of my favorite players is (Arizona Coyotes defenseman) Niklas Hjalmarsson. He is not like a standout (player) but he always does the right things, almost like an unsung player.
Movie: "Miracle."
Music group or artist: The Lumineers and Foster the People.
Food or meal: Mac and cheese.