To any northland hockey fan, it goes without saying that the last name Stauber is synonymous with hockey. Tack on her current status as the lone native Duluthian on a team that thrives on geographical diversity and you have University of Minnesota Duluth junior defenseman and alternate captain Emma Stauber.
 
The 5-7 blueliner and Duluth Marshall graduate has played in 70 consecutive games for the Bulldogs over the past two seasons and is the picture of consistency. A product of the Piedmont Panthers, Stauber started playing hockey when she was four years old. She pleaded with her father James to let her play goalie like her Uncle Robb (1988 Hobey Baker winner Robb Stauber), but fortunately for her future college suitors, it fell on deaf ears.
 
"All my dad would ever say back was that I had more of a chance to make a team as a forward or a defense, so I finally gave up on playing goalie," said Stauber. "My dad used to flood the front lawn and my sister, brother, and I would play for hours and ever since then I've had a hard time staying away form the rink. When I was five, I actually told my parents I wanted to quit hockey and try dance for a year, so they let me, but you can guess how that finished up."
 
It was James who took Stauber to UMD games when she was growing up, making Sunday dates to watch the Bulldogs whenever they were in town. The exposure sparked an interest in Stauber and a belief that she, too, could someday play college hockey.
 
"Obviously, UMD was one of my top choices, but I wasn't going to be discouraged if they didn't want me to play for their program," recalled Stauber.  I visited a handful of other schools, but when it came down to making a decision, it was easy. Becoming a Bulldog and being accepted on one of the best women's hockey teams in the country is a hard opportunity to pass up. I never realized how special playing for a team meant until I finally pulled the UMD jersey on for the first time two years ago."
 
An offensive-minded defenseman for the Proctor-Hermantown-Marshall Mirage in high school, Stauber racked up a team-high 32 points her senior campaign, just a season after leading the Mirage to a state tournament berth as a junior. Playing in a rotation the previous two seasons at UMD that included blueliner scoring machines like Jessica Wong and Brigette Lacquette, Stauber has focused on the defensive side of her game. Though she collected a collegiate career-best of five points last season (one goal and four assists), Stauber's stats stand out in columns like plus/minus, where she tied for second with a +11 among all UMD players as a sophomore. She has also landed on the Bulldogs' top penalty kill unit and has earned a spot on the power play rotation this fall .
 
"Emma is a junior now and has really elevated her game to a more mature level," said head coach Shannon Miller. "She keeps her feet moving, sees the ice and makes good plays. She is a defenseman who can be counted on defensively but is starting to show up on offense as well. Emma has evolved into a team leader and is a very steady presence for our team, both on and off the ice."
 
Stauber will begin her junior season with a title just one other Duluth product has held. Like Tawni Mattila before her, Stauber will wear the "A" on the front of her jersey this season. Mattila was also a junior when the privilege was bestowed on her, and like Mattila, Stauber knows exactly what that means.
 
"I am fairly close to Tawni, and she was always someone I enjoyed watching play at UMD," said Satuber. "I always wanted to be in her place. She was such an amazing role model for me. She actually took me out for coffee to talk about committing to UMD and helped me with my decision process.  For me to be named alternate captain is such a humbling experience. I have so many people to thank for believing in me and pushing me that I don't even know where to begin."
 
Stauber knows just where to begin, however, when asked about her biggest hockey influences. She gushes about her dad but also about her brother Derek.
 
"The biggest hockey influences on my hockey career have been both my dad and my brother," said Stauber. "There's no way I can choose between the two. My dad was who got me involved with hockey when I was a young girl and I couldn't thank him enough. He has not only taught me so much about the game of hockey, but he's taught me so much about the game of life. My brother Derek has also been  a huge influence because I never realized how much he wanted my dream to come true. He had been my guide since I started playing and he led by example. All he had to do was shoot pucks, stickhandle in the garage, or do hill sprints and I'd follow; I did whatever he did."
 
One advantage Stauber has over her teammates is firsthand knowledge of UMD's past successes. She has not only watched some of the world's greatest womens hockey players hone their skills as Bulldogs, she has witnessed them come together and win on one of the sport's biggest stages.
 
"If we want to be successful then we must work for it," said Stauber. "Everything has a price. I hope that we can all embrace the diversity and the challenges we will encounter and challenges we have already encountered thus far and put them in our toolbox for the season. Preseason has already taught the returners and newcomers what kind of expectations we have for this team this season and as long as we have each other's backs and of course have fun, we will have this program back to its winning mentality."
 
A mentality that few can fully understand better than a locally grown Bulldog.