The St. Joe’s women’s club ice hockey team won their first ever Division III Delaware Valley Collegiate Hockey Conference (DVCHC) Championship, beating Indiana University of Pennsylvania 14-4 on Feb. 17.
Prior to the championship game, the Hawks defeated Lafayette College, shutting them out 9-0 on Feb. 16.
Senior forward Erin Dougherty, who had two goals during the championship game, said the Hawks’ strategy going into the weekend was to stay calm and composed and play the way they had during the regular season.
“We knew we had to play our game because we were undefeated going into the weekend and it’s worked for us,” Dougherty said.
St. Joe’s string of success helped prepare them for their run in the playoffs, according to Dougherty.
“Once we got past playing every team once, and then playing them again, knowing that we had the ability to beat every team, we weren’t exactly worried as long as we knew that we played the way we know how to play,” Dougherty said.
Freshman forward Clara Tomann, who had four goals for the team, said she thought it was an advantage being able to play the championship the day following the Hawks’ semifinal shutout victory.
“We didn’t have a week go by to distract us from what our end goal was,” Tomann said.
Dougherty said she thought their ability to play as a unit this year was a big factor in their added success this season.
“This year, no matter who was on the ice, we were scoring goals, we were playing as a team, we were playing good defense,” Dougherty said. “Everything was coming from every single player on the ice. It wasn’t just a focus on one or two people.”
Tomann said the team’s emphasis on working together in practice helped them to develop chemistry on the ice throughout the season.
“We only practice once a week but just getting the most out of those practices and knowing each player helped us in getting that win and going undefeated this season,” Tomann said.
The team’s consistency throughout the season showed during Sunday’s championship victory. Their offense carried the load, scoring four goals in the first period, five in the second and five in the final period.
Head Coach Sydney Flemister ’17 said she was excited to see how far the program has come in the few years it has been around.
“When I attended St. Joe’s, I played all four years on the team, so it was super exciting to see the first program championship win,” Flemister said.
After the win, Flemister said she is hopeful for the program’s future.
“As long as we have the same commitment and enthusiasm as we did this year, I am sure we will have many successful seasons to come,” Flemister said.
