Women’s Ice Hockey Gears Up for Exciting 2022 Season

Lily Ives ’23

Sports Editor

With just over a month until they take to the ice in their season opener, the Trinity women’s ice hockey team is gearing up, hearts racing with great enthusiasm and anticipation, for the 2022-2023 season. Coming off a 9-13-2 record from last season, the team has been putting forward a tremendous push in the off-season to improve on last year’s performance and showcase their great depth and talent as one super close-knit team. The Tripod sat down with senior captains Olive Scull and Claudia Capone, to get their thoughts on the upcoming season and to discuss the intense work the team has been turning in daily in the lead-up to their epic and highly anticipated first face-off. 

No stone goes unturned in the lead-up to the new season; Scull notes about the team’s off-season training, saying that what they all do together “covers all grounds.” To this point, she goes on to say, “we have a very structured off-season, from our lifts to on-ice conditioning to captain’s practices.” Scull also adds that although much of the training is rigorous and challenging, “it feels great to just be together as a team!”  

Capone made a point to speak to the team’s culture, a piece that is also so integral to the team’s success. Capone notes, “We are definitely the closest we have been since I have been here. It helps that 9 of us are living in a Crescent together and the rest of the team usually swings by or comes to hang out on the weekends.” You can feel Scull’s excitement and commitment to the team’s unity and culture as she notes how this year feels different from previous years on the team, “I have never felt so close to my teammates. In previous years, I felt disconnected to the upperclassmen on our team. Claudia, myself, and all other upperclassmen have made much more of an effort to bring us all together and reject the feeling of superiority to underclassmen.” The effort of the senior captains to help build an environment where everyone on the team buys in and feels connected is a top priority this season.

For the women’s ice hockey team and all Trinity teams, playing in the NESCAC conference, the schedule ahead, regardless of the sport, is fierce and challenging. Capone acknowledges this fact and adds how this year starts with an undeniable challenge, playing the Middlebury College Panthers. The Panthers are the reigning National Champions and will certainly be a great test for the Bantam’s season debut. Scull adds, “I am excited to open our season against Middlebury, as they are coming in with an undefeated season last year, we are considered the underdogs. Nothing to lose and lots to gain this year.”

Capone and Scull spoke to specific areas that the team has been working to build on from last season: one being that of offensive strength. Scull noted a driving major goal of the team which is “to simply score more goals.” She continues, “as a team, I think a goal is for us to get more points early on in games and also to continue to get better and improve as the season goes on.” The team’s new and existing talent is an extremely promising squad. Capone gave a shoutout to the freshman class, stating, “we have a big freshman class, and they all show different strengths. I am really excited for our freshman forwards, Lillian Cassidy and Emma Robertson, as I feel they will provide many opportunities offensively this season.”

The Bantam women’s ice hockey squad will face off against the talented Middlebury Panthers in their season opener on Friday, November 18th, at 7 p.m. in Middlebury, Vermont. Roll Bants!