The Aberdeen Cougar girls’ hockey team will once again look to make some noise this weekend at the State Hockey Tournament, which takes place in Watertown Friday through Sunday.

Aberdeen lost in the championship game last season to Brookings and has played in the title game in eight of the past nine years, winning the state championship six times, most recently in 2021.

The second-seeded Cougars will face seventh-seeded Sioux Center in the opening round at 11:30 a.m. Friday.

The two squads met early in the season and Aberdeen coach Rob Weinmeister says he has seen immense improvement from his team since that time.

“The big thing would be developing trust in each other,” Weinmeister said. “Trusting that each person is going to do their job and that they, as an individual, do their responsibilities, and then as a collective, that whole unit is out there working together.”

In those regular season contests, the Cougars picked up convincing 5-0 and 7-0 wins at the Odde Ice Center, and also defeated Sioux Center at a tournament in Brookings.

If the Cougars play their style of game, Weinmeister says he likes his team’s chances in the first-round game.

“If we use our speed and we move the puck, we’ll be in a good position,” Weinmeister said. “Just because I think we have a little better depth across the board, especially running three lines.”

In addition to speed and puck movement, Weinmeister noted there will be several other keys to making a deep run this weekend, including playing as a team, using a strong forecheck, and making the game difficult for each opponent the Cougars face.

“Defensively, we need to challenge every shot (and) really put pressure on people to do something with the puck before they’re ready,” Weinmeister said.

Last weekend, the Cougars traveled to Minnesota where they played a trio of squads that gave them much needed experience heading into the state tournament, something Weinmeister was glad his team received late in the season.

“The whole objective there was to play some good, fast teams and make our decision-making quicker and the speed of the game that we play quicker, which is going to help us,” Weinmeister said.

The team has also been focusing on those aspects in practice this week, which Weinmeister hopes will give his team more confidence before the tournament gets under way. He also pointed out that the Cougars will need to be prepared for each opponent as the tournament field features eight teams that can each win on any given night.

“Going into it, I think it’s wide-open,” Weinmeister said. “You have to be prepared to play your best game, because if you overlook somebody, you could easily be losing that game.”

While the Cougars have worked hard all season to get to this point, Weinmeister noted that every girl on the team has contributed in some way. With that in mind, he knows that his team is prepared for what lies ahead this weekend.

“They all do contribute, so they’re invested in what’s going on, which will make it a (more fun) experience for them, regardless of the outcome,” Weinmeister said. “But you just hope that you’re playing your best game this time of year.”