The lady Camels celebrate after a goal. Photo from Web.
This season, the women’s hockey team is heading into their final weekend of play prior to winter break with a 4-5 record (3-3 in NESCAC). Currently tied for fifth place out of nine teams in the conference, the Camels are holding onto solid middle ground, leaving them in a good position to compete for a tournament seed at the end of the season.
NESCAC standings, however, are notorious for changing throughout the season, making it possible for the women’s team to surge ahead and host a first round tournament game. Thus far, they have earned league wins against Williams, Wesleyan and Colby, while falling to Trinity, Bowdoin and Middlebury.
According to Coach Kristen Steele (in her tenth season with the Camels), the team “is always looking to make the NESCAC [tournament] and win. With three wins in the league so far and the three losses in NESCAC by one goal, I feel we’re making headway.” In the past three years, the team has made it into the tournament, with their most successful season culminating in a trip to the semi-finals before they fell to Amherst 6-1 in 2009.
This season the team is focusing a lot on defensive support, which Steele explains is typical for the Camels. Additionally, puck movement and power play are important components of their strategy. On defense, Sam Schuffenecker ’13 has been a force to be reckoned with, providing outstanding play in several games. She also provides support for the Camels on offense. Also in the back, Kelsey Kirker ’11, Jill Doliff ’12 and Sam Schoenberger ’13 have “become defensive stoppers and really pen the other team into their own zone.” Additionally, Steele notes that defender Katelyn Driscoll ’12 “has really stepped up [her game] from last season.”
On offense, the Camels have been led by three newcomers to the team: Courtney Dumont ’14, Olivia Farrell ’14 and Caroline Corbett ’13. Working well together to form a “formidable offensive trio,” these women are among the leaders in both team and league statistics. That being said, the team boasts a highly competitive atmosphere, with leaders from last year working hard to contend for a starting position and playing time.
One such player is Abby Hine ’11, who is coming off an extremely successful field hockey season during which she was named to First Team All-NESCAC and to the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA)/Longstreath Division III All-America Team. While the transition from turf to ice generally takes some time, Steele acknowledges that “Abby gets stronger and stronger [as the season goes on]. Seven games in, she is starting to hit her stride.”
Another notable player is Amy Leichliter ’13, who is a goalkeeper for the Camels. Despite playing with a broken rib for most of the season, she has continued to work hard and has come up with some key saves.
Steele believes that it is the talent and depth of this team that makes it unique. She says, “I think this team generally has a really hardworking blue collar feel, which I favor…we have good depth, which we’ve had over the past few years, but now we have some scoring knack to go along with our strong leadership.” •
