Women’s ice hockey is set to begin the 2006-07 season on Friday with NESCAC rival Trinity. The Cards return 14 letterwinners from last year’s squad and will add six freshmen to the roster for what they hope will be a successful campaign for a NESCAC tournament bid.
Last year, the Cards finished the 2005-06 season with a disappointing 2-19-2 record and failed to qualify for the NESCAC tournament for the second year in a row. This year the Cards return a veteran squad that hopes to take their season to the next level.
“Our seniors have been really great in making sure that the team is all on the same page,” said Hannah Jackson ’09. “They’ve kept us working really hard in order to make the start to the season go as well as it possibly can.”
The Cards have been practicing hard since last spring and feel like their hard work will pay off.
“We’ll be ready this year, not just physically, but also as far as adopting a much more positive and proactive outlook on how we will accomplish our goals,” Jackson said.
Jackson was the team’s top offensive threat last year, scoring nine goals and tacking on three assists for a total of 12 points. Right behind her was Adrienne Shea ’08 with a tally of five goals and six assists.
Rachel Stemerman ’09 also had a strong 2005-06 season. In what was her rookie year, Stemerman tended the goal like a seasoned veteran, racking up 717 saves on the year with an average of 35.9 per contest. She also led the NESCAC in save percentage (.924).
Adding to the returning talent, the six incoming freshmen promise to have a huge impact on the Cards’ play this season. The freshman will add a lot of depth to the squad with three forwards, two defenders, and a goaltender.
“The freshmen have been really impressive so far,” Shea said. “They’re going to be impact players who really contribute to the program. They’re skilled players and great people and it’s pretty exciting because you can see how much they add to our team.”
Now, the Cards have their gaze set on Trinity as they are set to travel there for games tonight and tomorrow afternoon. The Cards have looked good over the past two weeks and hope to kick off the year with a bang.
“Hopefully this weekend we start the season off right and come away with two victories,” Shea said. “Then we’ll be that much closer to the tournament.”
Leave a Reply