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08 With the spotlight now on Mittelstadt, he wants to set the right example. "I think that's the goal: be the best kid you can be. Give other kids someone to look up to," said Mittelstadt. "Obviously Rau did a really good job with that and ended up with a lot of kids who wanted to be like him. We try to carry ourselves pretty well at Eden Prairie and let the young kids follow in our path." "I Always Wanted to Be Like Her—and I Still Do" Who did Snodgrass idolize growing up? None other than Eagan's Natalie Darwitz, the face of girls' and women's hockey in Minnesota. In fifth grade, Snodgrass actually dressed up as Darwitz for Halloween. The two are connected through close family ties. "She would come to the neighborhood and show us her sticks. That was super cool," said Snodgrass. "Even having the dream of playing college hockey or the Olympics or the national team, Natalie Darwitz was my goal-setting standard. "I always wanted to be like her— and I still do." "That's Natalie Snodgrass." That's what happens, apparently, when you score the game-tying and overtime game-winning goals against Canada for a gold medal at the U18 Women's World Championships. But the welcome-home still felt pretty surreal for the Eastview star. "That is so cool to me," said Snodgrass. "I would never think that, me, that I could be someone's role model, especially at this age." But that's what Minnesota hockey is all about. It's a model built on community and opportunity. And what the numbers are telling us about Minnesota is that it's not just a model that inspires, but a model that endures and works. Follow the Leaders You may likely hear kids utter another name around the rink this season. "That's Casey Mittelstadt." The electric forward tallied 79 points in 30 games as a junior last year. He is the preseason favorite for Mr. Hockey and is committed to the Gophers. It's no surprise Kyle Rau and Nick Leddy are two of Mittelstadt's idols. Both won high school state championships at Eden Prairie. Both were named Mr. Hockey. Both played at the "U" and both realized their dreams. She started hearing young girls whisper her name at the rink last winter. "Playing in front of your own school, I think that made it so much more special." Season eview 2016-17 THE STATE OF THE STATE OF HOCKEY REPLAY Natalie Snodgrass creeps to the front of the net, anticipates the rebound and hammers it home to secure gold for Team USA. MINNESOTAHOCKEYJOURNAL.COM // OCTOBER.2016