Photo via Jack Lyons
For those who have not been watching, SLU’s women’s ice hockey team is on an absolute tear right now. This season the team finished second in the ECAC with a record of 16-3-3, only five points behind Clarkson for first place. They are competing in the ECAC final four next weekend and are just two wins away from playing in the ECAC finals.
The women’s team is looking good heading into the semifinals next weekend against Cornell. Yale barely kept up last weekend, and the scores from both games indicate that SLU won easily (4-1, 4-0). The scoring wasn’t the only gauge of how well St. Lawrence played; they also outnumbered Yale in shots by a margin of 10 in both outings. The relentless fore-check from St. Lawrence made it difficult for Yale to create offensive opportunities all weekend, and SLU’s high powered offense made sure that Yale would not prevail on a fluke.
All of the rotating lines for the women’s roster have played a part in their success this season and this past weekend. Each line has chemistry that is evident on the rink. Head coach Chris Wells ‘92 says, “We have been fortunate as well that most everyone has played together for most of the year. Our lines and pairings have remained constant, and that makes a big difference in chemistry on the ice.” Goalie Grace Harrison ’19 has also been a huge factor this season, and she is up for goaltender of the year in the ECAC.
The returning players for SLU made the biggest difference for the squad this season. The upperclassman line of Hannah Miller ’18, Brooke Webster ’17, and Kennedy Marchment ‘18 really carried the team this season. Coach Wells says that the Miller-Webster-Marchment line has been “dominant all year.” Webster and Marchment are both two of ten finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award this season, which is given to the top women’s hockey player in the country every year.
The team knew from the beginning of the season that they had great potential. The team started off the year strong and didn’t stop there. According to Coach Wells, “To start things at the beginning of the season beating Northeastern and Clarkson really gave all of us a good indication of what we could accomplish.” Northeastern is currently in the WHEA semifinals again Boston University, making SLU’s 5-0 victory over them earlier this year no small accomplishment.
The first game of the semifinals is happening March 4, which is this weekend. Even if you are planning on attending Titus instead of this game, I hope you wish any girls you know on the hockey team good luck against Cornell; they really deserve the recognition!