Wisconsin hockey community mourns Reedsburg 13-year-old killed at bus stop

REEDSBURG, Wis. (WMTV) - The Wisconsin hockey community is remembering middle school student Evelyn Gurney who died while boarding her school bus.

Hundreds of Wisconsin hockey players and their parents have changed their social media profile pictures to an image with the letters EV 42, in honor of Gurney, who was number 42.

The 13-year-old died after she was hit by a passing truck while getting on the school bus in the Town of Excelsior Friday morning.

Gurney played hockey for Reedsburg Wisconsin Dells Youth Hockey Coach Joe Uminski for four years.

”I think a lot of us are still in shock. It’s unimaginable, devastating and those are really the only words that come to mind,” he said. “She wasn’t a big kid but she was a spitfire and she played like she was six feet tall.”

Uminski said she would play defense, forward or any position he asked.

He said she always gave it her all and had a long term goal to play hockey in college.

Uminski believed she had her sight set on UW Madison.

As of Saturday, Gurney’s teammates are grieving but playing in her honor. They taped her name and number on their hockey sticks.

Uminski told his young athletes to channel Gurney’s spirit on the ice.

“That was my message to them and the whole group was to take that piece of her and put it in you and play like that, play like that every game in every shift and everything you do,” he said. ”We love her. She was a very bright flame and it’s been dimmed but we won’t let it go out.”

Gurney also played for teams in Tomah, Sauk Prairie and competed with teams in Chicago.

Gurney’s teammates started a GoFundMe for her family with a $1,000 goal. As of Saturday, the Goals for Gurney GoFundMe has raised over $58,000.

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