Captains Q&A: Emma Peschel
9/30/2025 10:00:00 AM | Women's Ice Hockey
Senior defender Emma Peschel is a returning All-American for the Ohio State women's hockey team and has been an anchor on the Buckeye blue line for the last three season. The Edina, Minn. native captains the Buckeyes in 2025-26.
Get to know more about Emma:
When did you start playing hockey?
I started playing in first grade. I grew up in Minnesota, so it was kind of in my bloodline. My dad played hockey, and my older brother did as well, so when ballet and dance didn’t quite work out, I got in skates and started really young. I’ve been playing ever since, and it’s been a fun journey.
What are you majoring in and why did you choose it?
I am a health science major with a minor in business and a sports communications certificate as well. I chose it because my mom is in medicine and I kind of wanted to do something in healthcare, but wasn’t sure what, so health sciences was a nice broad major that allowed me to pick a minor in business so I can have a little bit of both.
How do you manage balancing school and hockey?
A: It’s a challenge, but really just prioritizing the free time that you have. You have classes in the morning and then you get to the rink for practice, and you might have some blocks of time during the morning or early afternoon before you get to the rink, but then also practice is crucial if you have a high workload. But weekends are also nice, especially in preseason, when you’re not playing games yet. But I really try to get my work done earlier in the week so I can focus on our games that we have over the weekend.
Why did you choose Ohio State?
A: I love the city of Columbus as well as the hockey program. I committed before we won our first national championship, and I wanted to be part of a program that was growing. Muzzy told me that she would develop me, and she has thus far. It was really just the coaching staff, the hockey program itself was really competitive, and I want to win. I also kind of wanted to get away from home, while going back pretty much every single weekend with playing games in Minnesota so kind of a mix of everything but really harping on the city of Columbus.
What makes this program and being a Buckeye special to you?
I think it’s our culture. We are a very tight knit group; we love each other a lot. We hang out all the time, inside the rink and outside the rink. It’s the girls who make the place, it’s the people who make the place, so I would say definitely our teammates, as well as just the competitive culture and the winning culture that we have.
What is your favorite thing about Ohio State?
The people. It's really fun to see Buckeye fans everywhere. Going through the airport, even in Minneapolis, people are screaming O-H. Being a Buckeye is something I am extremely proud of, and I wouldn’t change anything.
What does it mean to you to be captain of this team?
It means everything. Obviously, coming in as a freshman, you see three different generations of leaders, and you learn a lot. I’m hoping to be able to lead the team just as well as they did and hopefully bring us home another national championship.
What is one thing not a lot of people know about you?
I have a twin brother.
You earned the chance to skate with the senior national team this summer, what did that mean to you? What did you learn from that experience?
“I’ve learned so much. Obviously, I’m playing with people like Hilary Knight and Megan Keller, women who have been playing for decades and I’ve been looking up to them since I was really young, and I went to go watch them play in the rivalry series. So, it’s kind of surreal being on the ice with them, but they have so much knowledge and experience, and I learn something new every single day, every time I step on the ice with them, so I am very fortunate to have the opportunity and hopefully it all works out.”
