Ohio State hockey recruit Paetyn Levis is elevating the girls’ hockey program at Rogers.

“Almost everything [records and awards] from our team, she’s earned,” Royals coach Joel Wesloh said.

Last season Levis led the team to its first Mississippi 8 Conference championship since the school opened in 2003. She will become the first Rogers graduate to play Division I women’s hockey.

The senior forward nearly didn’t skate for the Royals in high school. After playing as an eighth-grader for Rogers in 2013-2014, Levis considered transferring to a school with a more accomplished girls’ hockey program such as Minnetonka, winners of three state Class 2A titles.

Her connections to Rogers and the opportunity to be a key player by freshman year prompted the decision to remain a Royal.

“It really helped me develop my responsibility and stuff like that at a younger age, because I had to be one the better players that the team could rely on faster than I would at a bigger school,” Levis said.

It paid off for both Levis and Rogers. She has amassed a school record 124 goals and 185 points in her career. Rogers has won 15 or more games each of the past two seasons.

The Royals (2-1-1) have other key players back this winter, including sophomore goalie Hailey Hartlage, who won 19 games last winter. Conference defensive player of the year Courtney Johnston, a senior and Division III Bethel University recruit, pushes Levis to improve on and off the ice. They compete against each other often in one-on-one drills in practice.

“She won’t let me just get around her,” Levis said. “It’s fun because we just battle all the time in practice.”

Levis and company hope to defend their Mississippi 8 title and make a strong showing in a loaded Section 5, where Rogers has yet to get past powerhouses Blaine, Centennial and Maple Grove since joining Class 2A in 2013. Levis looks forward to the challenge of facing teams with fellow Division I-bound players, including future Buckeye teammates such as Blaine forwards Ramsey Parent and Gabby Rosenthal.

“It’s so much fun because most of the time when teams do have that, I know them from playing in the summer and stuff like that,” Levis said. “They all obviously push me, and I won’t be able to get to the net as easy as I would if they weren’t out there.”

Levis also challenges herself in the offseason playing in the Elite League and the USA U-18 hockey development program. She also branches out to play other sports at Rogers — tennis in the fall and golf in the spring.

“I think it pays off. Both sports benefit from being mentally tough and dealing with adversity when things don’t go your way,” said Wesloh, who also coaches Levis on the golf team.

Levis uses her speed to get breakaway goals, and she can hit long-range shots in addition to beating a goalie on a close shot. Her stamina also stands out in Wesloh’s mind.

“She’ll outwork people,” Wesloh said.

Levis looks forward to her next challenge after high school. Ohio State, which has yet to win a WCHA title or appear in the NCAA tournament, has a 10-2-2 record and No. 5 ranking nationally.

“I definitely want to help make a run for it my four years,” Levis said.