CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. — A little over a minute into overtime of the 2A title game of the 2025 Chipotle-USA Hockey Girls Tier II 14U National Championships, Minnesota Lakers (MN) forward Caroline Keepman ripped a shot towards the net.

“I thought it was going wide,” Keepman said.

Instead, Keepman was in disbelief as her shot found the back of the net to lift the Lakers to a 2-1 win against the Boston Jr. Eagles (MA).

“Being a national champion feels amazing,” Keepman said. “It just feels like everyone is counting on you, and then you just made it; it just feels amazing.”

Molly Stedman scored in the first period for the Lakers, while Abigal Macauley tied the game in the second for the Eagles.

Barely a minute into overtime, Keepman sealed the game with her game-winning shot. Her entire team threw their gloves and helmets into the air and sprinted onto the ice and celebrated with her. 

“She's been clutch all week for us, so I was pretty confident in her making that shot,” said Nolan Sawchuk, head coach of the Lakers. “It was a great play all around; it was a great effort by all five to kind of move the puck up the ice and get in on the forechecks.”

As incredible as these moments are for the kids on the ice, their parents feel an immense amount of pride watching their children experience so much joy.

“It felt amazing just watching her all game, all year, all weekend,” said Jared Keepman, Caroline’s father. “The team came together, and she found a way to put it in the back of the net.”

Although Caroline won it all for her team, she couldn’t have done it without the help of her amazing coaches and teammates.

“I fully trusted them. I knew they had a plan for the future, and here we are, winning a national championship,” said Keepman. “That trust just put everything in its place.”

In just his first year as head coach, Sawchuk couldn't be prouder of his team for finishing out with a perfect season.

“It's always a fun reminder of how strong our depth is, and also, playing teams from across the country is a different experience for the girls, and that's something that these Tier I and Tier II programs bring for our Minnesota girls,” he concluded.

Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.