The Slippery Rock University women’s club ice hockey team won their second consecutive Delaware Valley College Hockey Conference Division III championship on March 1. The team secured the title after defeating Lafayette College 7-2 at Ice Works in Ashtion, Pennsylvania.
“We came into the playoffs as the fourth seed, but turned things around and finished in first,” Vice President Alyssa Morrison said.
After a seven-game conference season from October to February, they finished with a 4-1 record, with two games canceled.
Coming off an undefeated season last year and closing this year on a two-game winning streak, with victories against Loyola University and Towson University, they headed into playoff play with momentum.
“Last year was definitely something to be proud of,” Morrison said. “Even this year, we stayed dominant in the conference play.”
The season was not without its struggles, though. Morrison said a big problem they faced was game cancellations due to weather.
“Those missed games affected our rankings, which didn’t really reflect how strong we actually were as a team.”
They did not let that deter them. Going into the championship matchup, The Rock gave it all they had.
The beginning of the game was a slow start for both teams until Slippery Rock opened the scoring, closing out the first period.
The first goal of the night came from freshman Rayma Johnson with an assist from Hunter Flick.
Flick recorded two more assists on the night, both coming in the second period.
During regulation, Lafayette only put two shots past the goalie in the second and third periods.
Not only was the White and Green more accurate, but they were more persistent, outshooting the Leopards 40-14 throughout regulation.
“Everyone gave 110%. We brought our trophy back home, and we had an incredible goalie in net,” Morrison said.
Madelyn Simposon, a substitute player, faced 14 shots on goal on the night, saving 12. The junior has tallied 40 career saves this season while facing 52.
Other leaders of the night were Sydney Shurmatz and Johnson, who both racked up two goals during their game-time.
“Those championship games were the best I’ve seen us play in my three years on this team,” Morrison said.
A testament to SRU’s success is the passion they have for the sport. The energy and commitment that even the newest players are showing play a part in how they play and how they stay dominant.
“Our team spends a lot of time together outside of hockey,” Morrison said. “The bonds we form off the ice really translate to how we play on it. Our on-ice chemistry comes from these connections.”
Their stats prove that to be true.
Kaitlyn McCandless and Johnson lead the White and Green for most goals put up in the season, each tallying nine. Madison Mclver is close behind, having six to her name.
10 out of the 16 athletes in the roster have played all five games.
Even goalie Maddie Stein contributed offensively on the ice when she wasn’t in net, clocking two assists to her record.
Main goaltender, freshman Jorja Stancombe, faced 34 shots on goal in her 111 minutes of game time, saving 28.
Now that the season is at a close, the club looks ahead. While next year is still in the planning stages, they are excited to see how the team comes together and builds on their success this year.
Recruiting happens through social media or by meeting students through university-held involvement fairs. No experience is required to join. Their goal is to keep the passion, work on building strong relationships and continue to develop their skills so they stay competitive each season.
“This win means we’ve set the standard for ourselves,” Morrison said. “And now we’re focused on doing it again next season.”
