Photo by Mike Lieb

Blake junior captain Suzy Higuchi, along with linemates Ellie Morrison and Sam Broz, has played on the Bears varsity team since 7th grade.

From Japan to California to Minneapolis, Suzy Higuchi scores big

Blake junior captain dreams of state

Suzy Higuchi is a top scoring junior forward for the ninth-ranked Blake Bears. A player who stands out not only because of her skill on the ice, but also because of her unique perspective and identity in the sport of hockey. Her dedication and love for the sport have landed her a future college scholarship at one of the top schools in the country, Yale University.

But before she heads off to college, Higuchi has almost two full years of high school hockey to play, and she and her Blake teammates want to make the most of the season at hand. Blake is off to a strong, 4-2 start with impressive wins over Cretin-Derham Hall, Eden Prairie and Burnsville.

From Japan to California to Minneapolis

Suzy Higuchi started skating around age three, while her older brother practiced with her dad. After moving to California from Japan at the age of four, Suzy started her hockey career playing in boy’s leagues, and has dominated the ice ever since.

“I guess I want to show as much as I can that people of color can be good at this sport, which is something that can be lost every now and then." - Suzy Higuchi

From ages 4-10, Suzy usually found herself to be the only girl at the rink. The year she was moved down a team because of her gender, Suzy and her family packed up their things and moved to hockey-enthusiastic Minnesota, where her parents knew she would be able to play with other girls. After a few years at Minnetonka, Higuchi started attending Blake.

The close-knit Minnesota hockey community was a struggle for Suzy and her family to get used to after first moving to Minneapolis. Initially, Higuchi lacked opportunities within the local hockey community. “Not having any connections was definitely difficult,” Suzy remembers. “But also, just because Minnesota people are very welcoming, that definitely made it easier, and helped me make my way into the community.”

Luckily, her adventurous and enthusiastic parents, Tatsuko and Masahiro Higuchi, have been some of her biggest supporters throughout her hockey career. They embraced moving to California and Minnesota with their adventurous personalities, and have inspired her to work her hardest and face challenges head on. “They push me to always have a ‘making it work’ mentality,” Says Higuchi.

Honing her skills, quietly leading

Suzy’s stickhandling skills and puck control are among the great aspects of her game. Her efforts in strengthening her puck control has helped her become one of the most sought after recruits of the 2023 class.

Higuchi scoring a first period goal in a recent 6-0 win over Breck.  Photo by Mike Lieb

Her spatial awareness and knowledge of her surroundings helps her to be the best team player possible, and her acute ability to make the right choices on the ice is a direct result of this skill. Former Blake coach Shawn Reid, now at Hill Murray, says, “She's a crafty, headsy player who sees the ice well. She's a terrific kid." Though Higuchi is a smaller player, she is not afraid to practice her physicality with the bigger players, and aims to work on her shot for this upcoming season.

Her longtime linemates, junior Ellie Morrsion, who committed to Dartmouth earlier this year, and junior Sam Broz, make up the top scoring line on the Blake team, having combined for 46 points in the season’s first seven games. The trio of juniors have played together on Blake’s varsity since they were seventh graders.

Having been on the Blake varsity team since seventh grade, Higuchi has a unique perspective on previous team leaders that helped her become the captain she is today. As a junior captain along with seniors Julia Blum and Kate Kasica, Suzy doesn't aim to be the most talkative captain, but wants to inspire her teammates and make a big impact on the team mentality. “I'm not the most vocal person but I save my words for when they mean the most,” says Suzy. Her experience being a forward also plays into her leadership role this year, and whenever the other captains need advice she's there to add her input.

Coaching changes and team dynamics

The Blake team has seen a number of coaching changes over the past few years. The past three years have seen three different coaches, which has greatly impacted the team dynamics, but mostly in positive ways. This year the Bears are led by new head coach Kristi King.

The lack of a consistent coach has allowed Blake to strengthen itself as a team. “It's not like we’ve matured, but we’ve become more understanding that there's only so much you can control, so I think it's definitely helped us become closer as a team… but also to appreciate whatever the coaches tell us, and to know there's going to be ups and downs with every coach,” says Higuchi.

“The main goal is to win state for us, we definitely want to make it to the X,” says Higuchi.  Photo by Mike Lieb

The strong team bond and mentality has led to a team that has high prospects for this season. “The main goal is to win state for us, we definitely want to make it to the ‘X’,” says Suzy. To do so will be no small task. The Bears compete in Section 6AA, where they will have to prevail over metro powers such as defending state champion Edina, as well as top programs from Wayzata and Benilde-St. Margaret’s.

Ivy League dreams come true

The NCAA DI college rule that prohibits coaches from communicating with recruits before June 15th of their sophomore year was put in place just before Suzy got started with her recruitment journey. While at first this made Suzy anxious, she reflects now, saying, “It allows you to get to know yourself, and make your decision later so you're sure that's the place you want to go.”

Suzy looks back on the recruitment process with a lot of gratitude and excitement. “It has always been a dream to go to an Ivy (League) school,” says Higuchi, who committed to play hockey at Yale. Even though she took a longer time in her decision, Yale was the one school that fit all her expectations and fit her the best, not only as a hockey player, but also as a student.

Advocate for diversity

In her minimal hours not on the ice, Suzy participates on her school's Student Diversity Leadership Council, where she works on the middle school and lower school advising committee. Her committee works on spreading messages about diversity and what diversity looks like at Blake to younger students through equity labs, discussions, and presentations.

Suzy also brings a strong commitment to diversity to the rink, where she volunteers at Unbounded, a training camp for younger girls of color to be coached.“That puts a lot into perspective…how few of us there are in this sport.” Seeing the younger girls motivates Suzy to keep working hard and achieving her best.

“I really, really do just love the sport… It's brought me into this new circle of people I wouldn't have met otherwise.” Suzy’s parents often remind her of the special perspective she has of being a Japanese-born player, and how rare her experience is. Suzy is motivated by this, especially as she will become one of the few people of color playing at a college level, and wants to stand out among her fellow players.

“I guess I want to show as much as I can that people of color can be good at this sport, which is something that can be lost every now and then,” Higuchi says. “But it's definitely really important.”