FARGO — Fargo North/South girls hockey is under new leadership with first-year head coach Haley Barvels. After being an assistant the last five seasons, she’s getting her shot to run the show. And so far the transition has been seamless.
“I think just the energy she brings every single practice. She’s so encouraging. I think she just really gets us on that next level and understands where we’re coming from. She’s so easy to work with, and it’s just been so great to have her on the bench,” said senior defenseman Kenleigh Fischer.
Barvels has seen a lot of hockey on the north side of town, winning three state titles as a player, and three more as an assistant coach.
Now as she leads the program, the connection between the head coach and her players is something special.
“Haley’s great. I mean, she works really well with us girls. We all respect her so much, and it’s so cool to see a woman in a leadership position. And she just reminds us every day, like, how to work hard and how she pushes us, and we know we have her back,” said senior defenseman Jada Purdy.
“Obviously, it’s a little different going from assistant to a head coach. That’s just because, you know, you’re not the good guy anymore. You’re kind of the, you know, harder and, you know, I put more pressure, I challenge him more, and it’s been going well, though, so far,” Barvels said.
Much of the early success can be attributed to seniors Fischer and Purdy, who lead the team in points.
But they’re quick to point out the boost they’ve gotten from the underclassmen.
“I think it’s really special that we have a lot of young girls, but they’ve all been so amazing in the first few games. I’ve been really impressed with the speed and the talent that all these girls bring and definitely just their hard work,” Fischer said.
And while her team is currently ranked top in the state, Barvels isn’t letting her team get too comfortable.
“But it is a long season, and you know, we have a long way to go, and you know, we’re not we don’t overlook anyone, and we just kind of focus on what we can control, and that’s just keeping our pace fast and discipline, and our work ethic,” Barvels said.
Fargo North/South’s Olivia Rotar makes a save against Grand Forks on Friday, Dec. 12, 2025, at the John E. Carlson Coliseum in Fargo.
Alyssa Goelzer / The Forum
Riley is a Moorhead, MN native and comes to WDAY after graduating from the Walter Cronkite School at Arizona State University. He most recently worked for the Minnesota Twins with the Treasure Island Baseball Network.