Neal: Katy Knoll’s career is speeding along with Frost, but that’s no surprise

Katy Knoll scored one regular-season goal in 2024-25, her rookie campaign in the Professional Women’s Hockey League. But now the Frost forward is emptying her bag of tricks on opponents.

Midway through the second period on Sunday, Jan. 25, Knoll got the puck on near the right faceoff circle, cut to her left, toe dragged the puck around a New York defender and wristed a shot past goaltender Kayle Osborne for a very entertaining goal in front of an announced crowd of 7,752 at Grand Casino Arena.

It was the first of two goals for Knoll as the Frost sailed to a 6-2 victory over the Sirens, their first regulation win against New York since the second half of the 2023-24 season.

“It was pretty fun,” Frost coach Ken Klee said of Knoll’s move. “It’s not something I would have in my repertoire, that’s for sure. So I was impressed.

“To me, it was how quick she got it off. She beat somebody, and then she got it off before the goalie could get set, which greatly improves your chances to score.”

Knoll, whose second goal against New York was an empty netter, has six goals on the season and has two multigoal games. For a Frost team that already has plenty of firepower, Knoll finding her offensive game will make Minnesota even tougher to play against. There’s a growing confidence in her game, going back to last season’s playoffs when she scored twice, including the winning goal in the third overtime against Ottawa in Game 3 of the PWHL Finals.

“Her confidence level, her overall game, she can play in the D zone,” Klee said. “She’s very reliable. She can play offense. It’s just been great to see her develop as a second-year player, which you hope players will be more confident here, too. But it doesn’t always happen.”

But Knoll has always liked going fast.

Before she began focusing on hockey at age 16, Knoll was all-in on a family full of racers. It goes back to grandfather, Danny Knoll Sr.; her father, Danny Jr.; her brother, Danny III; and her sister, Kristen, all participating in some form of racing while growing up in Amherst, N.Y.

“I think I was 5 when I got started,” Katy Knoll said. “It was just the little go carts.

“Always a fun way to spend time. My siblings all did it, too. So there was one point where all three of us had our little karts and we were racing in different divisions. We called it summer family bonding.”

Knoll was racing micro sprints when she decided to focus on hockey while her father was an established veteran modified racer. At 62, Danny Knoll Jr. is looking to get back in a race car.

Knoll suffered a broken tailbone. And there were complications following surgery. He spent the next eight weeks in a hospital or rehab center.

“He wasn’t able to race this past summer,” Katy Knoll said. “This summer, I think he will.”

When she found out about the accident, she wanted to leave the Frost and be with the family. But her mother and grandmother convinced her to stay in Minnesota. Danny Knoll Jr. was out of surgery, and there wasn’t much she could do. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to win a championship, they told her.

“I listened to them, because I didn’t want to make things harder for them,” Katy Knoll said. “And I stayed with the team.”

She felt she was playing for her teammates as well as her family, who would have traveled to watch her play in person under different circumstances. Instead, her family sat in the hospital monitoring playoff games from afar.

“They were, like, watching the game on an iPad, and I ended up scoring,” Knoll said. “And my mom was like, ‘I screamed so loud, someone came in and thought something was wrong with your dad. I was breaking some rules, maybe by staying a little late, but everyone kind of understood.’”

The Frost ended up winning a second consecutive Walter Cup. Knoll ended the season confident about how her game progressed and used that to prepare for this season.

Now the Frost aim for a three-peat behind the league’s top offense, of which Knoll is a growing part.

This time, Knoll is hoping a title run can take place with her family in the stands. Maybe she can pull out the toe drag for them.