The Spectrum

Issue date: 4/27/06 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Photo courtesy women’s ice hockey team Senior forward Sarah Turbert hoists the cup as women's ice hockey celebrates its 2-1 win over St. Anselm in the ECAC Open final.

Women's ice hockey recently completed its third year as a Division I independent team, having brought intense competition to the ice. Now, the team aspires to progress to the next level. 

After making the transition from D-3 to D-1 status, the Pioneers are now on a new mission, which is to ultimately become a part of an all D-1 conference.

According to the director of athletics, Donald Cook, women's ice hockey is currently an independent team because NCAA regulations require that there be six teams to be a competing, recognized league and a sufficient number of D-1 schools that sponsor the sport are not available. 

While there are a couple of existing women's leagues, such as Hockey East and ECAC, they have a membership level where expansion is not needed or planned.

As an independent team, women's ice hockey plays a variety of teams from different leagues and conferences.  Yet, many other D-1 teams can not work the Pioneers into their busy schedules, which are already set up with teams in their own conferences.  Some of the team's players believe that the vast discrepancy in the skill levels of its competitors can make it difficult for the team to play consistently. 

"In terms of competition it is hard because one day you are playing a more seasoned team such as Maine and Vermont, and then you turn around and play a weaker team," Nicole Farrelly, a senior from Windsor said.  "Sometimes it is hard to keep your mind focused when you are flip-flopping between such [extremes of] the good and the bad."

"We are sort of pushed into playing some D-3, and even sometimes Club, teams that we clearly dominant.  Then when we have the opportunity to play a D1 team we are not exactly prepared to step it up to that extreme of a notch," Stephanie Boulay, a junior from Anchorage, AK said.

Women's ice hockey must play each season knowing that they are not playing for any tournament; they miss out on the playoff and post season play which many teams in a league relish. 

Nevertheless, the team continues to play out of love for the game, anticipating that one day they will be a part of a league and get the recognition that they deserve. 

"I think the team looks forward to eventually joining a league and hopes that it happens sooner than later," said Sarah Turbert, a senior from Norwalk.

"With an actual league to play in there would be numerous benefits," Boulay said.  "Being in an all D-1 conference would be extremely challenging for us, but also an extremely necessary step to take as a program for this university."

The athletic department continues to explore options for women's hockey in hopes that the team will eventually become a part of a conference.

"Discussions have taken place with those few [schools] that are not in a league, but the number doesn't exceed four schools," Cook said.  "I serve on the Atlantic League Executive Committee, the committee of our current men's conference, and we have had discussions with them to assist in keeping in touch with the market place for other Division I schools." 

 

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