Wisconsin High School Sports | Wisconsin Sports Network | WisSports.net

Special contribution to WSN by UW-Stevens Point communications student Rebecca Vosters

Mackenzie Torpy collected her share of honors as a sophomore. 

The standout goaltender for the Stoughton co-op girls hockey team earned a spot on the All-Badger Conference first team. She was a first-team All-Area selection by the Wisconsin State Journal. And Torpy was also one of three goalies on the Wisconsin Girls Hockey Coaches Association All-State first team.

But Torpy wants more from her junior season.

"My personal goal is to beat my stats from last season," she said. "I want to keep improving and bettering my skills to help the team. A team really struggles without a goalie, and so my main goal is to not let my team down."

Last season, Torpy averaged more than 26 saves per game. She also posted a .931 save percentage and allowed just 2.14 goals per game while notching two shutouts. Those numbers earned her the Jessie Vetter Award that is given to the state’s top goaltender each season. Torpy was selected to receive the award from a group of five finalists.

"She had such a good year last year," said Icebergs coach Mike Jochmann. "Her biggest obstacle this year will be improving her stats from last season."

Torpy is an athletic and confident player Jochmann calls the Icebergs' backbone. Jochmann also said Torpy is on the radar of several NCAA Division 1 programs.

"She’s a workaholic when it comes to getting better at her position," Jochmann said. "She's very independent and is good at getting better at things specific to her position."

Torpy has a clear vision for her team this season and wants to see improvement. 

After winning the most games in program history (16) last season and finishing third in the Badger Conference, Torpy and the Icebergs are aiming to make a run at the conference title this time around. 

"This season I want to see our team become really focused and have an 'eyes on the prize' mentality," Torpy said. "And I want to see everyone pushing each other to become the best they can be."

But the Icebergs also have bigger goal -- qualifying for the WIAA state tournament for the first time in program history. The Icebergs won their playoff opener last year before losing to the Middleton co-op in a sectional semifinal. 

Jochmann refers to a state tournament berth as the "peak of the mountain" his team must look toward throughout the season.

Torpy, meanwhile, doesn’t just work hard on the ice. Along with being a positive individual who is always encouraging her teammates to improve, she also excels in her studies at Oregon High School.

"She does well in school, too. In fact, she does so well all around that it's almost hard for her to improve," Jochmann said. "She’ll be ready when it's time for her to move on to the next level in life."