The 2025-2026 season marks the first year of the Ice Skippers.

In the past, MHS had cheerleaders for hockey games, but sophomores Delilah Wolter and Noa Simms brought an idea to coach Logan Mahoney last year for a team where skaters bring cheer stunts to ice. Coach Mahoney, having previous experience with hockey cheer as captain for the University of Minnesota team, helped them to bring this idea into reality. Wolter, ‘28, says she’s been skating for five or six years, but it had always been something kept entirely separate from her school life.

“We didn’t really have a lot of input for figure skating in our school system,” Wolter explains. “We basically already knew a lot of people that figure skated at our club. […] We were just asking around, getting input, seeing who would do it, and so we were able to reach out to them, and they were all into it.” 

Although everyone on the team had previous figure skating experience, only a few had ever cheered before. As Wolter explains, cheer-like stunts were new for most.

“It’s very counterintuitive to […] [standard skating], you want sharp motions instead of the pretty flowy ones that you often experience when you’re just skating by yourself,” says Wolter. Simms, ‘28, explains the process of bringing these skills to life, saying, “it just takes […] starting off ice [without skates], then off ice with your skates on, and then bringing it on ice.”

Still, both Wolter and Simms say that the hockey cheer team is a break from the competitive atmosphere of club skating. Mahoney explains, “I try to make the team fun. Practice is supposed to be fun, and games are supposed to be fun. Win or lose for the hockey team, we always win.”

Wolter also notes that their coach’s background as a hockey cheer captain at the U of M has inspired “[their] practice schedule and game day activities.” Mahoney first heard about this club from her old coach at Minnesota. “[Delilah and Noa] had reached out to my old coach,” Mahoney explains, “asking if she knew anyone who would be interested, and she forwarded the message along to me.” Now, Mahoney incorporates her collegiate experience into her coaching. She explains, “a lot of the material that we do [is similar to] what the Gopher cheer team does,” especially the style of skating MHS does. 

As sophomores, both Wolter and Simms hope to create a legacy before graduating MHS. Simms explains, “I hope to see a full roster every year, and also eventually be able to have a JV team, since right now we’re just varsity.”

Wolter also comments, “I’d really like to watch the team expand and just continue to draw in new people.” Hockey cheer is a growing sport, not only at the high school level but at the collegiate level, as well.

Schools like the University of Minnesota have flourishing teams that continue to inspire the next generation of skaters and hockey cheer programs, including the one that MHS students are building.