She was a senior in high school the last time the NCAA Frozen Four came to Duluth, Minnesota, and she watched on tv as UMD celebrated the title. Now a senior captain for the Bulldogs with a ring of her own, Kacy Ambroz is determined to make history repeat itself.
“I got to watch UMD win the national championship when I was a senior,” remembered Ambroz. “This made me even more proud than I already was to be entering into this program and motivated me even more that summer before my freshman year to meet the expectations of such an amazing team.”
While UMD had no problem attracting the New Prague, Minn. native's attention in high school, Ambroz made sure the Bulldogs noticed her. A four-time All-State honorable mention player for New Prague High School, Ambroz scored 47 goals and added 34 assists for an impressive 81 points for the Trojans as a senior.
“UMD caught my attention because it was one of the best teams in the nation,” recalls Ambroz. “I always knew I wanted to play in the WCHA because it was the best league. My dream was to win a national championship and I knew if I came here my chances would be good. Talking to Coach Miller on the phone and visiting UMD made me realize this was a great environment to be in. The fact that it is close to home was just a bonus.”
There is no short irony to Ambroz's keen awareness of UMD's hockey history. Ambroz played her freshmen season as a teammate to another Minnesota native and hometown favorite Tawni Mattila, and Amrboz instantly drew comparisons to Duluth's heralded daughter when she stepped on the DECC ice back in 2008. Both Ambroz and Mattila are blue collar, hard-working players who give everything they have on the ice. Mattila's Clydesdale-like legacy in the eyes of Bulldog fans is one that Ambroz most certainly has paralled during her career at UMD. Ambroz has currently played in every possible game over her career as a Bulldog, which has added up to a program-best 122 games consecutive games played so far.
“It has meant a lot to me to be a part of this program,” said Ambroz. “There have been a lot of talented and hardworking individuals who have made this program what it is today. I am proud to always be a Bulldog, and when Bulldog fans think of me I hope they see me as a hard worker who loves the game.”
Ambroz hails from one of Minnesota's premier hockey families, sandwiched between two hockey playing brothers . Her older brother Matt played his college hockey for the University of Nebraska-Omaha and currently plays for the Alaska Aces of the ECHL. Ambroz's younger brother Seth is a freshman this season at the University of Minnesota and was the 128th pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft by the Columbus Bluejackets. Ambroz doesn't hesitate to credit her family with her development as a player growing up.
“Growing up with two brothers who played hockey has made me the player I am today,” said Ambroz. “I would always play with them at the outdoor rink and open hockey and they never seemed to take it easy on me. They also presented me with opportunities to join camps they were in and practice with their summer teams to push me past comfort. I have always looked up to my older brother and learned from both of them. They have been and continue to be a big support system for me. Let's just say when the UMD and Minnesota men's team play it is a stressful weekend for me.”
The strides Ambroz has made as a Bulldog, however, are immeasurable. The senior in high school who watched UMD win the 2008 NCAA title has become the Bulldogs' leader. Ambroz is one of only two native Minnesotans to wear the “C” on her sweater.
“Kacy was chosen as one of the captains for this season, her senior year, because she role models for all the players on a daily basis,” said head coach Shannon Miller. “Good habits are extremely important and they are developed slowly from day to day. Kacy listens, works hard, makes sacrifices for the team and has good habits in practice and games. Kacy has a great attitude, is a good leader and is a pleasure to coach.”
Ambroz was only a sophomore when UMD won the program's fifth NCAA title in 2010, a triple overtime thriller against Cornell in Ridder Arena. With an assist in the regional game against New Hampshire to punch UMD's Frozen Four ticket, a more mature Ambroz had already emerged as a leader among a young squad. Winning the NCAA championship was just icing on the cake for Ambroz, who liked her chances of earning a ring from the minute she stepped on the UMD campus.
“Words can't describe the feeling of winning a national championship,” said Ambroz. “I can say it was the best day in my life and that bond between the whole team was at a peak. It is in that moment that you feel as if all the hard work has paid off. All of the 6:00 a.m. workouts as a team, the long hours at the rink and in video sessions, the highs and lows throughout the year, the lessons learned, sticking to the game plans, everything became so worth it and paid off in that moment.”
Earning an NCAA championship ring may have been the highlight of Ambroz's career, but it didn't breed complacency in the fiesty forward. There is nothing that the senior wants more in the last season of her Bulldog career then another chance at the title.
“I want that moment back and that inspires me every day to know that we can win it all at home this year,” said Ambroz. “Hosting the Frozen Four is an honor because it is such an important tournament. It is putting a good pressure on our team because the two times UMD hosted prior, they have won. We want to keep that tradition alive and I know we have the squad to do it this year.”
Ambroz wants nothing more than to end her career basking in the glory of AMSOIL Arena, but she is also reflective looking back over her Bulldog experience thus far.
“My goal as a senior this year is to win a national championship,” said Ambroz. “I feel that I have matured a lot over my years here at UMD, both as a hockey player and an individual. I feel I understand the game from so many different angles now. The experiences I have had on this team have educated me on so many levels and this is something that can't be taken away.”
One more season to attempt to repeat history and leave future Bulldogs watching Ambroz achieve a feat only UMD has ever accomplished -- claiming a NCAA title on its own rink.
