The women’s ice hockey team is poised for a big turn-around this season after a disappointing campaign last year, when the squad finished 4-16-4. After failing to qualify for the NESCAC playoffs in each of the past two seasons, the Cardinals are ready to improve and make a playoff run this year.

The change will start at the top. First year Head Coach Jodi McKenna has begun to instill a winning attitude in the team. This is evident from the demanding pre-season practices to start the season.

“So far she’s designed really good practices with lots of flow drills,” said Julia Cohen ’09. McKenna, a graduate of Brown University and most recently an assistant coach at St. Lawrence, impressed and inspired this team immediately upon arriving on campus. “As a certified personal trainer, she designed a great off-season program for us that got us going early,” Cohen said. “Coach has been pushing us to constantly compete in practice,” added Hannah Jackson ’09.

With this strong new leadership at the top comes a host of talent ready to make Wesleyan a force in the NESCAC once again.

“I think this is our strongest team skill-wise out of the three years I have been here,” Jackson said. “Everyone is on the same page as far as working hard and expecting the most out of each other every day.”

The success of this team will start and end between the pipes. Returning starter Rachel Stemerman ’09 comes in once again ready to anchor the Cardinals defense. Through her 39 starts as the team’s goaltender, Stemerman enters this season sporting a stellar 3.18 GAA and a 92.0 save percentage.

Part of the reason for Stemerman’s success has been the solid play of the defense in front of her. This year, the Cardinals return Julia Kazmers ’08, Julia Cohen ’09, Erin Fitzsimmons ’10 and Eliza Worthley ’09 to a blue line that promises to be a strong force.

Along with this strong group of defensive players comes a new defensive system brought in by McKenna. The team has been very impressed by it in the early going.

“Our new zone coverage should be pretty effective,” Cohen said.

“Our old d-zone allowed the other team to take a lot more shots than our new one,” Jackson said.

With a new system and strong players, the Cards defense looks to be very solid this year.

If there was one major problem last year, it was offensive production. The team was able to manage just 44 goals in 24 games, including being shut out twice while only netting one goal in seven different contests.

The Cardinals hope they can prevent this trend from continuing as they return some experience on offense. Leading the charge will be returning leading scorer Jackson. She will be joined by Jessica Fischer ’08 and Amanda Nickels ’08, who each had eight tallies a year ago. Also contributing on offense will be Adrienne Shea ’08.

These solid returnees will be joined by some very capable newcomers who will see important ice time.

“We have six really good freshmen that should add a lot right from the start,” Jackson said. This will most certainly add some much needed depth to the squad. Offensively, the Cards seem perched to strike this season.

A new coach, a new system, and a new attitude have the women’s ice hockey team excited about the upcoming season.

“We have strong returnees, skilled freshman and an extremely knowledgeable new coach should make for a great season,” Cohen said.

The team will look to get rolling on Friday night as they are set to face off against the Bantams of Trinity College. The puck is set to drop at 7 p.m.