2008 Woodie Awards
Club Sports: New club perfect in the rink
Amara Grautski
Issue date: 3/20/08 Section: Sports
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The club's three-game season got off to a late start, not beginning until Feb. 23, while most hockey seasons normally kick off in early October. The Huskies hope to increase the length of their season, and look to join either American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) or the North East Women's Collegiate Hockey League (NEWCHL) by next fall, which would increase their schedule to 20 to 30 games.
"I think it's a great group of girls," said sophomore goalie Chelsea Dietz. "We have two graduating. [It's] unfortunate that we're going to be losing them, but I think we have a solid group coming into next year."
Dietz, who has been playing hockey since the age of six, said the club began with a core group of girls and expanded from there.
"It started out word of mouth," she said. "We had about five skaters in the beginning. We had a Facebook group, sent out a few e-mails … and now we're involved with the university and we're on the campus website, so it's definitely more official."
The women's club is coached by Jeremy Schleibaum, Nick Carpenito and Mark Bates, who are all past or current members of the men's ice hockey club team. All three said they would like to continue and coach in the fall; however, Bates may play hockey professionally overseas, making his return questionable.
"It's just a bridge we're going to have to cross when we get there," Carpenito said. "There's actually another kid graduating this year [and] if we were to look for a third coach, he would be a great candidate for it."
Carpenito said he's most impressed with the team's cohesion when they came together to beat the Beavers, who have been playing together for the whole year.
"I don't think I've ever seen a team in my life come together in such a short amount of time than I have with these guys," he said.
Schleibaum credits the team's devotion to the sport as one of the reasons for this season's success.
"I'd say the biggest thing is that they all just love hockey," said Schleibaum, who is most impressed with the club's passion for the game. "They're content even just to skate laps around the rink."
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