Editor’s note: This story is the second in a weekly series profiling “Hidden Stars” across campus. A “Hidden Star” is someone who doesn’t normally get recognized and who excels in club sports, intramurals or other recreational activities. The series will run on every Tuesday throughout the semester. If you’d like to nominate someone to be featured as a “Hidden Star,” e-mail that person’s name, phone number, e-mail address and a brief paragraph about why he or she should be recognized to [email protected].

Katie Dunn and Ashley Norris have been best friends since the first grade.

During their freshman year at Cooper High School in New Hope, Minn. Norris encouraged Dunn to try out for the girls’ hockey team.

Dunn took the advice and has been playing the rough-and-tumble sport ever since.

“She tried out for hockey in seventh grade,” Dunn said about her friend. “I was the team’s number one fan during the season and I traveled to all the away games.”

Dunn, a sophomore business major, was a figure skater at a young age. She bought her first pair of hockey skates in middle school.

“I did skate at that time, but I wasn’t very graceful,” Dunn said. “Ashley was going to try out for the all-girls team our freshman year in high school and said to me `Hey, you’re going to try out if I’m going to try out.’

“I fell in love with it right away,” Dunn said.

As a freshman at Cooper High, Dunn started on the junior varsity squad but advanced to the varsity team later in the season. The move paid dividends for Dunn, as she was named on the all-conference honorable mention team her junior and senior seasons.

During her junior year, she was honored with the coach’s award. As a senior, Dunn received the spirit award.

Even with all the accomplishments Dunn had in high school, playing hockey at Iowa State was a big transition for her.

“Hockey is huge in Minnesota – especially women’s hockey,” Dunn said. “Here in Iowa, it’s a little different because it’s not as big as in Minnesota.”

Dunn is hoping the ISU women’s hockey club can improve its 5-14 record from last season.

Dunn recorded two goals and had eight assists for the Cyclones last year.

“She knows the game very well and she’s plays her position very well,” said Blake Marshall, ISU women’s hockey head coach. “She’s not a big scorer, but she moves the puck very well and is a great set-up person for us.”

Marshall said that one of Dunn’s best qualities is her quickness.

“I expect a lot more assists from her this season,” Marshall said. “If she can clip some goals in for us, that would be great. She’s very coachable and wants to learn the game.”

Dunn said she wants to accumulate more goals this season.

“I’m not a big goal scorer, but I would like to score more than last season,” Dunn said. “I’m better at feeding the puck to my teammates.”

Despite the rough nature of hockey, Dunn said that her parents are supportive of endeavors at Iowa State.

“We had a tournament in Colorado last season and my mom flew over and watched me play,” Dunn said. “They’re happy that I’m still playing hockey and have carried it on from high school. They’re really supportive and very happy that I’m playing.”