In eighth grade, she was just along for the ride.

Now, she’s the one the younger girls look up to. A shutdown defender. A visionary puck mover. A veteran of two state championship teams.

Stillwater Senior Caitlin Hewes, a University of Connecticut recruit and one of the best defensive players in girls hockey, has explosive speed, anticipation, poise and hockey IQ.

“The way she sees the game and the way she skates — it’s on another level,” coach Tony Scheid said. “An irreplaceable player in our program for sure.”

Hewes proved her worth on the game’s grandest stage, the 2009 state championship game, where her assignment was to shut down the best forward in the state, Becky Kortum.

It was just another day at the rink for Hewes. She routinely is matched up against the opposing teams’ top threats.

“If I stop them a few times, then I feel pretty good about it,” said Hewes, who also has one goal and four assists this season. “If they get past me a couple times, then I try not to hang my head and go out in the next shift and take them again.”

Hewes is not alone in this. Any team worth its weight needs depth on defense, and the Ponies rotate six of them with confidence.

Scheid, in his ninth season, said he believes this is, top to bottom, the best defensive corps he’s ever had. The Ponies have allowed 11 goals in eight games through Wednesday.

Libby Otto, Kaitlin Johnston, Sara Bustad, Dana Almquist and Sarah Bruchu round out the defense, with Allison Pasiuk excelling as the sophomore goaltender. Pasiuk is sporting a 1.27 goals-against average and .930 save percentage.

“She’s got a poise about her that I haven’t seen in a goalie at her age,” Scheid said.

Add in some offense — the Ponies have scored 15 goals in their past two games — and Stillwater has a strong recipe for success.

Seniors Samantha Reiter, Alli O’Brien and junior Allison Eder-Zdechlik have supplied most of the firepower.

A classic power forward, Reiter is very strong with stickwork and goes hard to the net. She’s posted five goals and seven assists through seven games.

Eder-Zdechlik, a pure goal scorer and the daughter of Gophers cross-country and track Hall of Famer Jody Eder-Zdechlik, leads the Ponies with eight goals, six assists and 14 points.

O’Brien is the shifty playmaker in the middle of it all. Her puck movement and quick shot create an abundance of scoring opportunities. O’Brien had 12 points on the season after tallying a goal and three assists Tuesday.

Those three have been playing together on and off since the sixth grade. Their chemistry is outstanding, as it is throughout the Ponies locker room.

“We’re more than just a team, we’re a family,” Reiter said. “Outside of hockey we’re still best friends and we always want the best for each other.”

It was a precedent set by previous Ponies, including former Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year Chelsey Jones, who is now on the coaching staff. Jones, a 2006 graduate, was a huge part of the turnaround in Stillwater girls’ hockey, Scheid said.

“It’s the only way to play hockey and the only approach to take if you want to be successful,” Scheid said.