Josie St. Martin received the puck just above the dot in the circle and, before any action took place,  Stillwater coach Annie Cashman turned to her assistant coach to give a high five.

She knew what was about to take place.

And, sure enough, St. Martin fired the puck into the net for a goal.

It’s that type of ability that has made the senior forward such a heralded player for, really, about as long as Cashman can remember.

“I think there’s been a lot of pressure on her from a very young age,” Cashman said. “Almost since my daughter’s age — and she’s nine — we’ve been talking about Josie in Stillwater.”

And yet any bar anyone set for St. Martin as she was growing up, she has exceeded. Sure, that’s true of her on-ice play. The Ohio State commit finished with 26 goals and 39 assists while guiding the Ponies to a Suburban East Conference championship and a section final appearance this season.

All that despite the time she missed while captaining the United States’ U-18 team to a gold medal at the World Championships in Switzerland, where she potted six goals in six games.

The degree to which she can both score and create makes St. Martin the 2024 East Metro Player of the Year.

And, just two days after returning to the states, St. Martin was back in a Stillwater uniform, playing for the Ponies.

“Everyone asked me, ‘Why? Why is she playing?’ And I’m like, ‘Well, I’m not making her. She’s the one who’s driving that bus,’” Cashman said. “To me, that just says how prideful she is about playing for this town and playing for her friends. … It meant a lot that she cares so much about her teammates and cares about being a Pony.”

St. Martin is Stillwater girls hockey. She has embraced every aspect of it.

“And embracing being a Stillwater Pony, and embracing being the face of our program,” Cashman said. “But it doesn’t seem to be a burden for her, she’s embraced it. I think that is very freeing.”

The lone positive for the Ponies not playing in this week’s Class 2A state tournament is St. Martin can be there for Stillwater’s 12-U team’s district opener.

Why will she be in attendance? Well, she coaches the team. Much like she runs her own shooting sessions for youngsters.

“The (other) coaches are really understanding of my schedule, but the girls love when I’m there,” St. Martin said. “So I’m going to try to go to as many practices and games (as possible).”

Cashman knows the dads of the players on the 12-U team. They recalled a time in the locker room when they delivered a message to the girls. Soon after, they realized none of the players were paying attention. Because right after they talked, St. Martin spoke up. It was only then that all the girls perked up, sat straight and locked in.

“They’re like, ‘Yeah, we’re chopped liver when she shows up. It’s like we don’t even exist,’ ” Cashman said of the dads. “I’m like, ‘As you should be.’ ”

St. Martin loves working with the youth, and also knows she’s building toward a potential future. One day, she would love to coach hockey. There’s little doubt she would succeed. Cashman said the forward is “in the top two or three kids I’ve ever coached in terms of Hockey IQ.” Coach and captain would often sit down for “really long, thought-provoking conversations” about the state of the team.

“And it makes your job as a coach really fun, because you have someone who loves hockey as much as you do, and that’s all you want,” Cashman said.

St. Martin loves hockey with the same intensity that she loves her teammates and her community. What she enjoyed most about this senior season was the strength with which she connected with her teammates. No, the year didn’t end the way the Ponies hoped, but “I wouldn’t trade any of the things we did and accomplished the last four years for anything else.”

“I just have an endless amount of love and respect for all the girls on my team,” St. Martin said. “So it was truly amazing.”

Cashman feels it’s becoming a lost art of sorts for high school players to connect with their city and their local programs.

“It’s so sad that there’s very few kids that grow up with these dreams anymore of being in this building with their friends,” Cashman said. “To me, those are the moments that I look back on Josie and think, ‘That was special.’ ”

Essentially St. Martin’s entire family hails from Stillwater. She has countless cousins who live locally. This community, the senior noted, “has been amazing to me, and there’s nothing else i could ask for — great coaches, great family.

“Just growing up here has been the biggest blessing.”

Her legacy is certainly cemented. Jan. 18 in Stillwater was Josie St. Martin Day in the city. Her USA Hockey jersey will hang in the lobby at St. Croix Valley Recreation Center alongside those of many of Stillwater’s top men’s hockey icons. One thing St. Martin said to Cashman about the honor was, “I don’t want to be the only female up there.”

St. Martin is Stillwater’s first Ms. Hockey finalist since Chelsey Jones in 2006, the year St. Martin was born. The goal now is for it not to be another 18 years before the next St. Martin comes through the program.

St. Martin’s excellence, and her commitment to inspiring the next generation, likely ensures similar successes are indeed to come. Stillwater’s side for its section final last week at Aldrich Arena was filled to the brim. Younger girls of future generations have a clear picture they can aspire to recreate.

“This group (of seniors), led by Josie, has done so much for Stillwater,” Cashman said. “I think, really, that’s the legacy.”

Finalists

Chloe Boreen, senior forward, Hill-Murray: Tommies commit has 30 goals and 25 assists for state-bound Pioneers.

Addie Bowlby, senior forward, Lakeville North: Sacred Heart commit tallied 45 goals and 21 assists for the Panthers.

Josie Lang, senior defenseman, Stillwater: Providence commit had 50 points from the blue line while slowing down opponents’ top scorers.

Makayla Moran, junior forward, Apple Valley: Minnesota State Mankato commit logged 39 goals and 28 assists for the Eagles.

Lily Pachl, junior defenseman, South St. Paul: Harvard commit rarely leaves the ice for Packers. Recorded 27 goals and 36 assists this season.

Grace Zhan, senior goalie, Hill-Murray: Consistently mentioned as best goalie opposing coaches saw this year. Dartmouth commit stopped 95 percent of shots she faced for the Pioneers.

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