Keene State College Women’s Ice Hockey Club is currently in its third year as an organization recognized by the college.
The team plays a full fifteen-game schedule in the 2014-2015 season. The team is currently 0-4. According to a team member, the team experienced some trouble having enough funding this year, as it is expensive for the ice time and the team ends up paying out of pocket, even though there is a budget set in place for the team.
Contributed Photo / Sabrina LaPointe
Although the girls knew there would be a team regardless, it is always “tough to see if there will be enough girls that want to play during the season, it is a huge commitment,” Bridgette Normandin, junior and team’s treasurer, said. This is Normandin’s second year on the team and her second year playing hockey.
With just sixteen girls playing on this year’s team, the program is in a building year; trying to recruit more players and get the word out about the club. “We really just want more people! No experience required. We have the talent, everyone loves to play its just hard because we don’t have a lot of members,” Ashley Waterman, a junior on the team said.
There are currently three seniors on this year’s team and there are several players looking to step up in the future. The seniors include Mary Temple (forward), Kathryn Sleeman (forward) and Caroline Marchetta (goaltender).
The Owls play in the Northern division of the Independent Women’s Club Hockey League [IWCHL]. The other teams in this division include Salem State, Endicott, UNH, St. Anselm and Colby Sawyer. The Owls also play two crossover games with the Southern division: University of Massachusetts Lowell and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The girls play one or two games each weekend.
The team practices twice a week, either at the Cheshire Fairgrounds or in Winchendon, Massachusetts. Winchendon is the location of KSC’s home ice. Caroline Hird, a junior and the team’s president, noted that, “There aren’t as many girls this year, and we understand school comes first.” The team has had some trouble getting the numbers up for games and practices. “It is always good to get some new faces, even if they have never played before. We are always looking for players,” Hird said. Many club teams don’t necessarily have a permanent coach, but the women’s hockey team is lucky enough to have Drew Arsenault to help push them through practices and games.
“[Having Drew as a coach] has helped us gain some unity and organization with our practices,” Bridgette Normandin said.
Last season’s coach had to leave the organization for undisclosed reasons, which led to the girls looking for a new coach with the help of Bobby Rodrigue, the men’s ice hockey coach. The girls said they feel fortunate to have such a passionate coach who is always looking to help the team in any way that he can. Arsenault has a full-time job at a school and in his free time helps the hockey team with their skating skills, passing skills and overall team building. “[Drew] helps us in many ways, and he always looks to us to help him out too,” Hird said.
The team has to adjust to new players and begin skating and doing drills and learn to play with one another. “We have begun to work together, and the program is looking up with many new players this season, eager to start getting the team working as a whole,” Normandin said. The Owls have yet to win a game in the season, but as noted by Hird, “It is a rebuilding year, and we are trying to get more girls to commit to the program.”
The Owls have played MIT, Endicott College, University of New Hampshire’s club team, Salem State University and St. Anselm College.
Mary Curtin can be contacted at mcurtin@keene-equinox.com
