Katie Kotlowski glides off the ice, the weight of her jersey heavier than ever as she wears it for the final time. As the anthem echoes, fear quietly rises; this could be the end of everything she’s known.

But it’s 2026, and for Kotlowski, the story doesn’t stop at the final buzzer. Instead, it shifts. Now behind the bench, she’s still chasing the same dream, just from a different angle.

Kotlowski was raised in La Crosse, Wisconsin, growing as a person and athlete under her hockey superfan father.

“Growing up, my dad was my biggest advocate for hockey,” says Kotlowski. “The 1980s' Miracle on Ice was his spark back into the hockey role, and that really influenced my siblings and me when we were young.”

But growing up in a small town isn’t always simple, especially for girls wanting to play hockey. Kotlowski often found herself playing with the boys because of the lack of girls' hockey programs in the La Crosse area. But Kotlowski has those boys' programs to thank, crediting them as key to her level of success today.

After years of playing with boys, Kotlowski made a life-changing decision. At just 13 years old, she left La Crosse to pursue her dream, moving to “Hockeytown USA,” Warroad, Minnesota, to play for its high school team.

“I still don’t know how I did it, and to do that at 13 is crazy, but I was so committed to my dream that I made this big sacrifice,” Kotlowski says.

The move not only elevated her game but also helped her grow off the ice, allowing her to form lasting relationships and develop a stronger sense of independence and identity.

After making a life-changing decision at 13, Kotlowski's childhood dream finally came true.

“I remember calling my mom when it happened, and saying, ‘Mom, I’m committed,’ and she just yelled, ‘OH MY GOD,’ I remember that like it was yesterday,” Kotlowski said. It was a big success not only for her but also for her family. “My parents sacrificed a lot, you know, not just for me, but for my siblings too, so it was super cool to see it all pay off,”

Shortly after Kotlowski graduated from Warroad High School, she finally began her journey as a Wisconsin Badger. But the transition wasn’t easy; Kotlowski had to adjust to the higher level of play, and playing under the legacy coach, former Olympian Mark Johnson.

“The transition was tough, you know, just to that high-level competition, and you’re playing with some of the best players in the world,” Kotlowski said. “Your freshman year is just so scary, trying to figure out how to balance school, work, and obviously being an athlete, but it’s all worth it because this is what I have been working for my entire life.”

Shifting from only playing on boys teams to now playing for the most decorated NCAA Women’s Hockey team in college sports was the adjustment that Kotlowski needed, especially to help represent girls hockey. “You grow up looking up to the players, and now I’m the player these girls look up to; they’re really big shoes to fill,” said Kotlowski. Her biggest goal in her time at Wisconsin was to let little Katie live her dreams, and that is exactly what she did.

“It was just really cool getting to play on the big stage, and the fan base is so engaged and so supportive. I really couldn’t have asked for anything better than this.”

But the biggest thing she took from her time as a Badger wasn’t the three national championships she won, but the meaningful words and advice from Mark Johnson. “He is a man of few words, but he always said the right ones, and that is what always stuck with me,” Kotlowski said.

“It’s all about trusting the process,” said Kotlowski. Coming to college is always a battle, but Kotlowski learned how to balance her social life, schoolwork, and, of course, hockey. When playing against the top players in the nation, it can be a struggle to uphold these standards, but Kotlowski learned to thrive in these conditions.

“Things aren’t always going to go your way, but you have to embrace your role. No matter if you’re a big-time player, you’re scoring a lot, you’re a power player, or if you’re a player whose role is to just lift people up, you have to accept your role through and through; that’s what makes a good team,” said Kotlowski. “You can't ever be complacent, and that has always stuck with me.”

Kotlowski never imagined her time as a Badger would end with three national championships, but she knew the hard work she put in would pay off, and it did. “I mean, the first one hit hard; it really brought what it means to be a Badger to reality. I realized that everything I sacrificed was worth it just to wear that W on my chest,” Kotlowski said.

But as her college hockey career ended, she knew her time on the rink wasn’t done just yet. She always knew she wanted to be a coach and have the ability to share the coaching styles that worked for her with other, younger athletes. “Having a coach like Mark Johnson really sparked my interest in coaching at the college level. I just never expected to be coaching this soon after graduation,” Kotlowski said.

After graduation, Kotlowski wanted to “go with the flow.” She graduated with a degree in rehabilitation psychology. Initially, she worked at an Applied Behavior Analysis clinic, serving children with autism. Still, soon after she saw the job posting for assistant women's hockey coach at Marian University in Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin, she realized that her time on the rink wasn’t over yet.

“I do really miss hockey, and I would’ve felt dumb if I didn’t take this opportunity,” said Kotlowksi.

Kotlowski started coaching Women's Hockey at Marian University in November 2025, and her main goal was to be the coach her players want to look up to. “Being here as a coach and being able to be the coach I’ve always wanted to look up to has been really rewarding, and I wanted to give that opportunity to the girls on the team,” Kotlowski said. “It’s a hockey town, it reminds me of Warroad in a sense, but obviously the Wisconsin version,”

Getting to share her prior knowledge and story has been the highlight for her as a coach so far, and being able to give her players the coach she always wanted hits close to home. “They look up to me with, like, so much respect because they’re giving their whole heart out there on the ice, and it just really is the reason I wanted to become a coach.”

Along with her coaching job, Kotlowski secured her master's in sports leadership in 2025. She now awaits what the future of her coaching career holds, and maybe even hopes to return to UW-Madison to coach with Mark Johnson.

“If I were given the chance to coach at Wisconsin, I would go in a heartbeat; it would be such an honor,” said Kotlowski.

But her biggest aspiration in the hockey world is to be a role model to those young girls who may play hockey or are thinking about playing hockey.

“My advice to young girls and young players is just enjoy the present and not look into the future. I mean, it’s so cliche, but it is so important. Everybody has their own path, but it is important to stay the course in your own and grow, grow your love for the game, grow the confidence you have in yourself, and appreciate all the hard work you have put in, because it will take you somewhere, whether with hockey or not, you will do great things.”