Sophie’s Squad Joins Edina for “Pack the Stands” Event

A sellout crowd of 2128 fans packed Braemar Arena on January 10th to witness a traditional high school hockey rivalry between the Edina Hornets and the Minnetonka Skippers. While the game is always crucial in the landscape of high school hockey, this one carried extra importance. Edina High School sought to pack Braemar Arena and play to a sellout audience for the first time in the history of their girl’s hockey program. Along with their “Pack the Arena” initiative, organizers viewed the game as an opportunity to spotlight mental health awareness in youth sports. EHS teamed up with Sophie’s Squad to bring that vision to life. 

In an Edina “Hometown Heroes” feature, Laura Horton and Lindsey Sorem shared how the connection to Sophie’s Squad came about for the game. Horton and Sorem are both EHS grads and worked together to spotlight mental health awareness for the game. Horton reached out to Sorem, who has volunteered with Sophie’s Squad to reach their goals.

“The captains’ parents of this year’s team reached out to me and asked if I would connect with Sophie’s Squad … because they know I have volunteered for the organization in the past,” Sorem explained.

Lindsey Sorem is a parent to two athletes. Her experience has brought the issue of mental health in athletics to the forefront of her mind.

“As a parent of two student-athletes myself, over the years, I’ve come to really understand the importance of mental health,” Sorem reflected. “Athletes carry a lot. They work to balance training, the classroom, performing on the ice, and finding time for themselves.”

Horton, Sorem and EHS’ efforts came together to shine a vital spotlight on an important issue for their elite athletes. Sophie’s Squad was invited to host a ceremonial puck drop before the JV and Varsity games.

Edina, the defending state champs, took the ice with a 10-game winning streak. Their last loss came to Minnetonka on December 7th. The teams met again as part of the Walser Tournament on December 28th. That time, Edina skated away with a 4-0 victory. That meant Friday night’s matchup served as the rubber match between the two teams for their final meeting of the regular season.

In an intense back-and-forth affair, Minnetonka emerged victorious in a 1-0 game. Minnetonka’s senior goaltender Layla Hemp starred in the effort with a 26-save shutout. Freshman Claire Sommerfield scored the lone goal in the game. Both team’s put in a fantastic effort on a banner night in girl’s high school hockey.

While the rivalry game took center stage, the event also served as a celebration of Minnesota hockey. The always popular chuck-a-puck was held during the second intermission to benefit Sophie’s Squad. Along with the chuck-a-puck, we had tables to distribute mental health awareness materials, sell merch, and play wheel spin games. Braemer Arena hosted several exciting guests, including Virginia, Minnesota native and Olympian John Harrington. Harrington played on the gold medal-winning 1980 Miracle on Ice Olympic hockey team. 

Harrington wasn’t the only champion in attendance, though. Players from the Walter Cup Champion Minnesota Frost also appeared at the game, signed autographs, and met with excited fans. The legendary Kendall Coyne-Schofield was among Frost’s representatives. Coyne Schofield spoke to the Minnesota Star Tribune about supporting Sophie’s Squad due to her connection with co-founder Gabbie Hughes and belief in the message.

“Their message that it’s OK to not be OK is an important one to put out there,” Coyne-Schofield said. “You can’t always tell when something is bothering a person like you can if it’s something physical.”

We want to thank Edina High School for being a fantastic host of the events. Sophie’s Squad also appreciates both EHS and Minnetonka for their support of Sophie’s Squad. Of course, the event wouldn’t be possible without our fantastic volunteers. If you want to volunteer with Sophie’s Squad, visit our volunteer page. You can also check an upcoming event to visit!