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First year Austin girls head coach Sultanna Akkerman knows she is taking on a team with a lot of youth that isn’t used to winning, but she’s ready to help the Packers find their competitive edge this season.

The Packers are only in their second week of practice as they prepare for a four-month push, but Akkerman is clear with what she is hoping her team will do.

“I expect my girls to play hard and skate with passion. I want them to show up and play the hardest game that they can,” Akkerman said. “I’m super grateful to be given the chance to run such a program. I’m really glad to be able to give back to the sport that I grew up playing. I just want to give back to the girls.”

Akkerman, who is a 2010 Rochester Century grad, played against the Packers when she was a member of the Panther girls hockey team and she has brought on former Austin head coach Denny Bray, as well as Mark Austin and Sarah Jensen as her assistant coaches.

“This year we are able to run a JV and varsity and our numbers will be great,” Akkerman said. “I’m really glad to have some seniors returning and it’s great to have them merge the gap between the younger players and the ones who have been here for a long time.”

Akkerman has coached with Austin Youth Hockey and she was a volunteer coach for the AHS varsity team last season.

The Packers have a handful of upperclassmen to lead the way, but the team will still be very young. Senior captains Camille Dunlap and Peyton Squier will both take on big roles of leadership.

“We’re just focusing on becoming more of a team,” Dunlap said. “Last year we were fighting our own battles, but this year we’re trying to be more united in fighting our own struggles.”

Last season, the Packers suffered growing pains as they finished with a record of 2-21 overall. That team had a lot of inexperienced players, who now have a better idea of what it’s like to play at the varsity level.

“This year, we’re even younger. But having JV will help a lot because the girls who aren’t ready for varsity will be able to play at their own level and the better ones can be used as flex players, where they can play varsity and a little bit of JV,” Squier said. “Overall, we’ll have more numbers on varsity.”

Squier has learned to embrace her role as a mentor for the younger players and she wants to see the program grow in the future after she graduates.

“This has taught me a lot of patience and I’m learning to calm down and help (the young players) so they can get to the same level as the older players,” Squier said. “Maybe it won’t happen while I’m here, but they can grow up to be better players.”

Dunlap is hoping the team can win a few more games this season and she’s seen a lot of positivity out of Akkerman as the Packers have worked hard in early practices.

“I like that she understands that being a student comes first and if you’re having a rough day, she understands that,” Dunlap said of Akkerman. “She knows that nobody is perfect.”

Austin will open its season in Windom at 1 p.m. Nov. 18 and it will host Albert Lea at 7 p.m. on Nov. 21.