Team USA scored the solidifying goal with only five seconds left of the game. It was at that moment in the Czech Republic, junior Lizi Norton won a gold medal against Canada at the U18 Women’s World Tournament. Lizi was one of the eleven players from Minnesota selected to compete in this tournament, according to USA Hockey Games Notes.
Like many hockey players, Norton’s dream started when she was very young. She began skating before she could hardly walk.
“Her dad would take her out on the ice on his shoulders, and she would try and do a lap with a chair,” mother Kristi Norton said.
Norton challenged herself at a young age, playing boys hockey until U12 when she began to compete with girls. She continued looking for a higher level of hockey to further develop her skills. In seventh grade, her dedication led her to leave Orono for a competitive school specializing in hockey.
Norton enrolled at what is now known as B.E. Emerson located in North St. Paul. Here, she would begin each day with a 6:00 a.m. practice followed by an hour long off ice workout. After this she would complete three hours of teacher supervised online school.
She played with the MN Revolution competing in a high level of AAA hockey. After a few years she eventually came back to Orono her sophomore year for academics. She started playing for the OHS Varsity team as soon as she became eligible.
“When I came back to Orono and started playing on the team I gained so many new friendships, I really enjoyed it,” Norton said.
In the first 17 games, Norton scored five goals and had seven assists, according to Minnesota Girls Hockey Hub.
Norton continued to challenge, and improve her skills in the summer of 2016, by participating in Minnesota’s CCM High Performance program. Through multiple different tryouts within each section of the state “CCM Minnesota Hockey High Performance … [selects] top players … to represent Minnesota Hockey at the USA Hockey National Select Festivals,” according to Minnesota Hockey.
Eventually after a long tryout process, 22 girls are selected to play at the U18 Women’s World Tournament. “The tryouts were so hard and rigorous, but I felt so accomplished when they were all done,” Norton said.
Throughout all of this, Norton continued to compete with the OHS girls varsity hockey team this winter.
“If we are losing she finds ways to score goals when most needed, and [she] pumps up the team when we don’t think we are going to win,” junior Holly Harrison said.
Despite missing a few games for the Women’s World Tournament, this season Norton has scored seven goals and eight assists as a defensemen in 22 games, according to Minnesota Girls Hockey Hub.
Throughout all of her success her character is never at fault.
“Teammates look up to her and respect her. She is the most humble person I have ever met, you would have no idea she is going to be a D1 athlete and a gold medalist,” senior Madeline Carlson said.
