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14 MINNESOTAHOCKEYJOURNAL.COM // FEBRUARY.2017 Sense Of Community Bowman and Petersen both credit Minnetonka for really sup- porting youth sports and activities in the community. "It is just a sense of community—Minnetonka. Everything you do is Minnetonka Youth Soccer Association or Minnetonka Youth Hockey Association," Petersen said. Bowman's father was an influential mentor as he coached them throughout the majority of their youth. The tools to be successful didn't start when they got to high school, but were instilled at a young age in youth hockey. "I think a ton of the success goes to the coaches that we had throughout our youth," Petersen said. "Our class, we could skate well, there was constant reinforcement of little things that played a huge role. When we got to high school we had a great coach (Eric Johnson) and they gave us the resources for us to be successful." Both are encouraged by their hometown's current success and future. "I think [our coaches] did a really good job at developing the youth program while we were there. Now it is even bigger since we have left," Bowman said. Off To College Though they were set to embark on a new adventure in a new part of the country, Amy and Laura wouldn't be alone as they headed off to Penn State. "I know that Hannah Ehresmann committed to Penn State while we were still in high school with her," Petersen said. "So it was, yeah we are all going there. … I think Kelsey Crow commit- ted when we had only been here a couple of weeks." Bowman recalled sitting in her dorm room communicating with Minnetonka Skipper Kelsey Crow on if she should commit to Penn State or not. "I remember her calling or texting me while I was sitting in my dorm. 'I need to make a decision. Tell me what you think about Penn State,'" Bowman said. "Give me the lowdown and I told her— and I think a week later she committed." How did the Nittany Lion-Minnetonka connection get started? "I think that the Penn State coaches really liked what they saw from Minnetonka," said Bowman. "I know some coaches have their tendencies to look at the same spots and I think that Minnetonka is a hub for very talented hockey players in the past couple of years and that is a testament to the youth program and all the coaches that contribute to the development of girls in Minnetonka." Home Away From Home What started out as visionary blueprints less than a decade ago became a reality with the opening of Pegula Ice Arena in 2013. "We are blessed to call this place home," Petersen said. "It is the top facility in college hockey. It is always fun to play games; always fun to be in the locker room. It gives our team a place to bond; a place for the team to hang out." Bowman remembered her visit to the future site of Pegula Ice Arena and was able to see her future home with the help of some state-of-the-art technology. LINEYS FOR LIFE • LAURA BOWMAN, Penn State • AMY PETERSEN, Penn State • HANNAH BEHOUNEK, RPI • SIDNEY MORIN, Minnesota Duluth • SYDNEY ROSSMAN, Quinnipiac Minnesotans are playing Division I women's college hockey this season, the most of any state by far. Five players from the Minnetonka Class of 2013 went on to play Division I college hockey. STAY CLASSY PHOTOS BY: PENN STATE ATHLETICS; QUINNIPIAC ATHLETICS