2008 Woodie Awards
Women's Ice Hockey Team Shoots for an Improved Season
Julie Pearson
Issue date: 12/8/04 Section: Sports
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This season's team contains 21 women, nine of which are freshman. Four sophomores, one junior, and six seniors round out the numbers. The team is lead by tri-captains Courtney Caufield and Meg Toland, both seniors, and junior captain, Shannon Ryan.
Coach Steve Oullette believes that the team will improve on last year's record, with the great amounts of character and hard work put forth each day by all team members.
Because the season opener was played against one of the best teams in the league, Manhattanville and Rensalaer, it is difficult to predict how exactly the team will fare in the regular season.
The women's ice hockey team began the season in late September with dry land training, which featured conditioning and strength training as well as plyometrics. Plyometrics help the athletes to react faster on the ice by developing fast-twitch muscle fiber, said Oullette.
Now that the team is in season, the women practice four to five mornings a week, 6 to 8:30 am at St. George's rink in Middletown. The team is scheduled to play 25 games, which will all take place on weekends.
After taking a shortened Christmas break, the team will return to campus on January 2 and play the remainder of their season.
When asked who the standout players of the team are, Coach Oullette, now entering his third season coaching the women's ice hockey team, says that he sees each of his players making a contribution to the team.
He did, however, cite his three goaltenders as a vital part of the team. Oullette said that Kristin Suslowicz, a premier goalie in the league and senior, will be sorely missed and leave big shoes to fill next season. He also acknowledged Sarah Kuecher, also a goalie, as a valuable member of the team.
The younger players have made large contributions to the Seahawks in almost all aspects of the game. Freshmen Jen Spaulding, Kait Farrell, Ashley Saunders, Aimee Provencher, Courtney O'Connell, and Abby Muse were all cited by Coach Oullette as big contributors.
Farrell has one goal for the season, while Saunders has two. Freshman Brittany Rogers has been sidelined by minor injuries, but her return is anticipated, as she is versatile and a threat on both defense and offense.