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Volume CXXXIII, Number 10 |
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Skaters are ready to face the challenges
REBEKAH METZLER
STAFF WRITER
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| Players take to the ice during a preseason practice. The Bowdoin Women’s Ice Hockey Team is ranked sixth in the nation and will kick off their season against Middlebury this weekend. (Hans Law, Bowdoin Orient) |
This Bowdoin Women's Ice Hockey Team doesn't feature Allen Iverson, but it does promise to bring the Answer. Many wonder-can they compete in the NCAA Frozen Four for the third straight year after losing eight amazing seniors? Can they compete without the leadership of their NCAA National Coach of the Year, who has taken a one-year hiatus?
Senior captain Sadie Wieschhoff pronounced, "With a young team and a new coaching staff, we are ready as ever. We are really excited about the season, and we are ready to make a strong presence in the NESCAC and in the national scene. Although we lost a lot, we have gained a lot as well, and we are really looking forward for the season to start."
There will be no delay before the Bears' first challenge, as they travel to Middlebury to face the hungry Panthers tonight and will match up against the Ephs at Williamstown on Saturday. The sixth-ranked Polar Bears will face some of the best before they face the rest. Middlebury has always been one of the top teams in the NESCAC and in the country, and Williams currently sits seventh in the national standings.
Are they scared? Captain Marissa O'Neil '05 (who was recently recognized during the field hockey season as NESCAC Player of the Year) boldly stated, "Around the league there is a lot of talk about how Bowdoin will have a rebuilding year as a result of players and coaches we lost since last season - but having been on the ice the past two weeks and seeing our team during preseason, there is no doubt that we will have another great year competing for NESCAC and national titles."
Senior captain Gillian McDonald (who has also been recognized as a four-time All-NESCAC field hockey first team member) enthusiastically added, "We have a young team this year, but the first years add so much energy, which is very revitalizing for us 'old ladies.' I think that as long as we work hard in practice and have fun that our season will be successful."
Despite a 21-person roster that features nine rookies, this team is ready to rock. Not only do the youngsters look good, but as O'Neil noted, "The improvements made by upperclassmen heading into this season on and off the ice is going to have a huge impact on the success of the team."
Preseason is over folks, and these Bears are poised to deliver another successful campaign for the NCAA national title they have been knocking on the door of for the past two years. McDonald summed it up best: "We look good out there, and the anticipation of the first game is killing me. We all just want to get out there and play!"
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