MCI student to play Division 1 hockey

As many Canadians watch their country’s women’s hockey team battle for a gold medal, one Altona resident is sizing up her competition for next year. Melissa Klippenstein, a Grade 12 student at MCI in Gretna, has committed to play Division 1 hockey at Minnesota State University next season, where she’ll play with and against many of the women competing at the Olympics in Vancouver. MSU is a member of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, which is home to some of the best collegiate hockey talent in North America.

Klippenstein says that she’s both excited for and nervous about the opportunity, as she recognizes the level of play within the conference.

“It’s the top of where you can go as a hockey player other than the national level,” she said.

This past season Klippenstein was a standout on both the MCI Blues high school team and the Pembina Valley Female Hawks AA midget team. She scored 33 points (20 goals, 13 assists) in 14 games for the Blues and has contributed 55 points (27 goals, 28 assists) through 24 games with the Hawks.

On top of her involvement with two teams, Klippenstein was also enrolled in MCI’s Hockey Skills Academy – an accredited course offered in partnership with Hockey Canada.  In total, she was on the ice nearly 20 hours a week, which she acknowledges as a significant commitment, but one that she says has helped her game develop greatly.

Klippenstein had offers from various Canadian and American schools, but says she chose Minnesota State’s scholarship offer as it provided her the best opportunity to pursue her athletic and academic goals. She plans to study biochemistry next fall.