Randie Jelinski Anchors SCSU Defense
Jan. 25, 2006
by Ben Birnell/SCSU Athletic Media Relations
Still dressed in her red practice jersey and full pads long after practice had ended last week, St. Cloud State senior captain Randie Jelinski recalled the game she said would be engrained in her mind for the rest of her life.
Sure, her team had just upset a No. 1 ranked St. Lawrence team Jan. 7 in overtime, but this win she talked about, just by watching her think about it with such delight, a person could easily tell was more important to the Regina, Saskatchewan native.
"It is definitely the game when we beat Duluth," said Jelinski, whose team picked up a 4-3 come-from-behind win over then-No. 2 ranked University of Minnesota-Duluth last February. "That will be the one game I remember forever."
And rightfully so.
The Bulldogs, who ironically return to the National Hockey Center this weekend for a big two-game WCHA series tilt, took a 3-1 lead early in the second period before the Huskies charted three goals in less than two and a half minutes near the end of the second period. SCSU held off UMD in the third period to garner what many hockey gurus have called "one of the biggest upsets in women's college hockey history."
Not bad for a program that has been in existence for eight years and has one winning season to its credit.
Also impressive is the fact that Jelinski, one of nine freshmen to play for the Huskies in 2002-03 under then-newly appointed head coach Jason Lesteberg, remains as one of four seniors left with teammates Ashley and Kelly Stewart and Rachel Solgon.
"Every year, we get great recruits," said Jelinski, who has a streak of 125 consecutive games played to her credit. "Now that I'm leaving, it is kind of sad because we've improved so much. It is going to be an unreal program in the next couple of years.
"To see me go when we are finally taking those big steps is sad. We have improved 100 percent every year. There's more and more depth to this team. We've gone from one line that can produce goals to four lines that can produce goals."
Jelinski said the relationship with her senior teammates, especially Kristy Oonincx, who transferred to SCSU after being released by the University of Minnesota, is something she will cherish.
Jelinski and the Stewart sisters lived together as freshmen through last year, becoming what the defenseman calls "inseparable" through that time, helping their friendship become stronger. She freely admits her friendship with Solgon isn't as tight like it is with the Stewarts, but said taking political science classes together recently have made the two closer.
"It makes things so much easier (on the ice)," said Jelinski, who is also fluent in French. "It makes it so much easier when you make a mistake, to go and talk to that person. Just being approachable about your mistakes and telling you what you did wrong, you're more receiving to them than someone your not as close with."
Needless to say, advice probably comes easiest from Oonincx. Jelinski and the Huskies leading scorer have been friends since Jelinski "was a little tyke." Moose Jaw, Sask., where Oonincx is from, is about 45 minutes straight east of Regina.
The duo played together for the Notre Dame Hounds, a school widely known and regarded for its hockey exploits. The pair helped Notre Dame win the Western Shield in 2002 and also helped guide the team to the Canada Nationals in 2001 and 2002.
"I chose (Notre Dame) completely because it is a hockey factory," Jelinski said. "They have great publicity, so it draws in a lot of scouts. I went there to play hockey and get a scholarship. The experience there is like college. It prepares you 100 percent for college life. You don't have parents telling you when to do your homework. You have hockey every single day. So, when I came here it was like nothing changed."
After Oonincx was released from the Gophers in February 2003, Jelinski was the first person that received a phone call relaying her plans on playing for SCSU.
"We were good friends in high school and stayed in touch when I played at Minnesota," Oonincx said. "It has just been a huge comfort for me having known her for so long. We know every thing about each other.
"She's very outgoing and she's a very bubbly person," Oonincx said. "She makes everyone feel comfortable and she creates a fun atmosphere with her personality. We know that she's there for every one of us."
Those personality traits are a possible motivation as to why Jelinski was named an alternate captain last year and then was voted to have the "C" stitched on her No. 12 jersey this season.
"She knew what my expectations were from day one when we started talking about (this) year," Lesteberg said. "She's been a great leader for us. The team saw that when they voted for captains last year. Players are pretty smart. They are not going to vote someone captain who doesn't possess those abilities. Randie has that and she's done a fantastic job."
Also helping her cause is the growth Jelinski has shown in her time with the Huskies. As a freshman, her all-important plus/minus rating was at a minus-30. This season, she's a plus-3. She went from three points in first year to 11 this season.
"Randie is a stay at home defender," Lesteberg said. "The main thing that I think describes Randie is that she's steady. She's not a flashy player, she's more of a steady player that you can count on."
Oonincx has seen Jelinski grow too.
"Even just talking to her in her first couple years here, she's grown a lot," Oonincx said. "She's a very mature person and very dedicated both academically and athletically. She's an inspiration for us."
Not bad for a player who didn't pick up hockey when some players her age had already been playing for a good amount of time. Before playing hockey, Jelinski played a sport that is widely popular north of the border called Ringette. A Google search turns up more than 300,000 hits relating to the sport that is similar to hockey, only the stick is bladeless and it is played with a ring.
"Oh, I was old. I was in grade seven my first year I played hockey and that was because I played Ringette too," said Jelinski, who also had offers from four other schools to play college hockey. "I played soccer and softball too. You name it, I played it. But, once I hit high school, hockey was the only sport I played."
With her hockey career winding down, Jelinski is looking forward to a career in criminal justice after she graduates. The past two summers, she had an internship with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, working for the Merchants Against Money Laundering Program, which is a public awareness campaign teaching banks, real estate agencies and car dealers about financial reporting. Jelinski said the job is comparable to the FBI in the U.S.
"I'd like to go to law school for criminal law," said Jelinski, who will graduate from SCSU next fall. "I'd like to go back to Canada."
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