Rentmeester’s hockey career continues to reach new heights

As a freshman last year in her initial high school season, Wrightstown’s Grace Rentmeester ended the year second in the state in goals and first in assists, trailing only her Fox Cities Stars teammate McKayla Zilisch in points, totaling 65 to Zilisch’s 68.

Rentmeester also plays on the 16U Team Wisconsin hockey squad as part of USA Hockey. Her Team Wisconsin season began last September, breaking between November and January for the high school campaign and then picking back up the second week of February. Playing the first half of her season as a 15-year-old, Rentmeester finished second on Team Wisconsin - again behind Zilisch – with 17 total points (10 goals, 7 assists) in 30 games.

Now, after moving past the Wisconsin State Tournament as well as the Central District Championships, Rentmeester and Team Wisconsin will participate             in the 2021 Chipotle-USA                           Hockey High School National Championships in West Chester, PA beginning on April 29 and running through May 3.

“I think it’s really cool, something that doesn’t really happen often, not many people get to do it, ever,” Rentmeester said of the chance to  compete at the national tournament. “It’s a good opportunity.”

At the Wisconsin Area Hockey Association State Tournament, Team Wisconsin routed the Madison Capitols 9-0 and beat the Milwaukee Junior Admirals in a shootout to earn a place in the USA Hockey Central District Tier 1 Kohlman Cup Championships.

“That was really nerve-wracking,” Rentmeester said of the shootout. “But it was really exciting that we won. I thought it was really cool.

“It was the deciding factor, and it was a close shootout too. That’s why it was so nerve-wracking.”

At the Central District Championships, Rentmeester and Team Wisconsin went unbeaten with a 3-1 win over Missouri and a 2-1 win over Illinois to advance to nationals.

Girls and Women’s Section Director for USA Hockey in the Central District Andy Bradford has coached Rentmeester throughout her youth career up through 12U. “He’s been my coach all through my youth years. He’s been my coach my whole life, basically,” Rentmeester said.

Bradford explained that he has worked with Rentmeester in a few different capacities: with the Green Bay Bobcats, her youth team in the Green Bay Area Youth Hockey Organization, through 12U, in addition to his work with USA Hockey in the central district, helping her and other girls during training.

“I’ve had a lot of opportunity to work with Grace over the years,” he said.

“Grace has always been a high-energy kid and she’s always been very competitive. I would say early on Grace was always one of our better players and, certainly, I think started to come into her own at 14U. I could tell you that even from back in mites she was really competitive, but at the same time, she really was drawn to playing with the girls and that really is where she found her niche.”

Bradford said he was able to tell pretty early on that Rentmeester was going to be a special player, and although he said it’s a bit unusual to see someone her age play so well at the high school level, he wasn’t necessarily surprised at her success.

“I think Grace’s success in being a freshman and contributing on her high school team does track back to the development she had and the preparations,” Bradford said. “It’s maybe a little unusual that you have a freshman that’s able to contribute at that level.

“In that regard, being able to come in and contribute in that environment speaks to Grace’s determination and her competitiveness and how she has prepared herself to this point.”

There’s no doubt that Rentmeester’s chance to compete against the best girls in the country now at the national level will have an impact on her development as she continues to grow and improve, especially as the high school season was abbreviated this year due to the coronavirus. 

More games against better competition just mean more opportunities for her to get better.

“It’s a lot faster, you have to think a lot more,” Rentmeester said of the competition she expects to face at nationals. 

“They’re better players than high school.”

“I think anytime that you can play against, and with, top-level players, it helps,” Bradford added. “She’s earned her spot on that and has done well and I think that those experiences certainly translate into more development.”

“I’ve never been to (a national tournament), but I expect my team to show up as a team and encourage each other, on and off the bench,” Rentmeester said simply. “Some of us might get here again, but for some of us this might not happen again. So just enjoying it.”

The national tournament begins on Thursday, April 29 with the championship game scheduled for 10 a.m. on Monday, May 3.