Hockey season is back in Hamilton, N.Y., and Colgate University women’s hockey has already begun their long journey ahead. After securing four consecutive ECAC Championships, Colgate has proven itself as a dominant force in women’s hockey. The Raiders concluded the 2023-2024 season with an impressive 32-7-1 record, which included a Frozen Four appearance following a 3-1 victory over local rival Cornell University in the first round, before ultimately falling to 2023 NCAA Champions University of Wisconsin.
However, despite the high expectations, the team faces new challenges after major changes on the ice. With the departure of five key players and their Head Coach Greg Fargo to the PWHL, the Raiders have significant gaps to fill. Colgate alumnae Danielle Serdachny, Allyson Simpson, Sydney Bard, Dara Greig and Kayle Osborne, all played crucial roles in Colgate’s four ECAC titles. They brought a wealth of experience both at Colgate and internationally that will be missed so early on in the season.
After splitting two games versus Mercyhurst University, the Raiders are currently sitting at No. 7 in the national rankings as of Oct. 8 after splitting a series against Minnesota Duluth, losing 2-3 on Friday, Oct. 4, and winning 3-2 on Saturday, Oct. 5.
With that, Senior and Alternate Captain Gwen Eichfeld emphasized how important it has been to integrate their new players into the team so that they can find success starting on day one.
“They come to the rink every day with a lot of excitement. They’re always looking up to the older players and looking for ways to get better, so it’s been really easy to work with them from the beginning,” Eichfeld said.
This sentiment was echoed by sophomore Madeline Palumbo who explained what she felt was most important for the Raiders as they continue to build and bond as a team.
“Keeping your confidence up and knowing everyone has a role and everyone on this team is equally as important. Playing to the best of [our] ability so that we can get to our team goal in the end and showing up willing to work every day, putting in [our] best effort in practice, in the classroom and in the weight room,” Palumbo said.
This shared sense of responsibility and optimism is especially important as they face the pressure of being a nationally ranked team. Speaking on whether this and the losses they faced in the offseason have affected their mindset, junior and Captain Sara Stewart did not waver in her complete trust and confidence that this young team will be able to replicate the same successes they have had in the past.
“I think obviously our goal would be to have a season like we did last year because it was lots of fun and really exciting, but we also [have] to just wipe it, and have a clean slate because it is a new year and [we need to] focus on working towards winning one game at a time,” Stewart said.
Stewart continued by explaining how even though they face tough conference opponents and a grueling season, they still find it within themselves to motivate one another and put their best selves back out on the ice day in and day out.
“One of our core values is progress, so we’re just trying to learn from when we do lose, like this past weekend and getting better regardless of the outcome. I think it’s important that we continue to grow as a team too with our connections because success for us could just look like continuing to make progress, winning as many games as we can and going as far as we can this year,” Stewart said.
As Colgate women’s ice hockey enters their 2024-2025 season, the focus is not just on replicating past successes but on forging a new path forward. The team’s ability to adapt to significant changes will prove that they are truly an elite team that can make a deep run into the postseason. Raider fans will want to pack the Class of 1965 Arena, as this team is well prepared to build on its legacy and reinforce its status as a true powerhouse in the world of collegiate women’s hockey. The energy, talent and heart they bring to the ice promises a season full of excitement and success.
