Colgate University women’s ice hockey continues to satisfy Raiders fans. Deep into their season with only a few remaining ECAC games, the team is an unstoppable force in the league.
Representing Colgate at the highest level of college sports, it is no surprise that the women’s team is consistently nationally ranked, currently standing at fifth in the country and first in the ECAC as of Monday, Jan. 27, with Cornell following close behind them.
Over winter break the team played six games, winning four of them. Currently on a five-game winning streak heading into the last stretch of the season, the team is rested and ready.
The last game over winter break was at home against Princeton University on Saturday, Jan. 18, and a shutout. Sophomore forward Madeline Palumbo spoke with pride regarding the result.
“It was super high energy. I think our team played super well as a whole, which was nice. We really came together, especially after a good win on Friday night. We didn’t just settle for that; we recognized that we wanted to win both,” Palumbo said.
The team carried this winning mentality into their first games of the semester, away games at Harvard and Dartmouth. Junior center and captain Sara Stewart acknowledged the competitiveness of the league, being aware of the eagerness of other teams to upset them.
“Some people might say we’re going into easier games with Harvard and Dartmouth, but mentally [we keep] the mindset that every game, teams are going to be bringing their best with the intent to upset and beat us,” Stewart said.
Junior forward Elyssa Biederman also acknowledged the importance of not underestimating their competitors in the ECAC even if the team is in a good position.
“Every game is unpredictable just because our league is pretty talented this year,” Biederman said.
Even though the players remain level-headed, they still have found much success this season due to the strength of their friendships and a good team culture off the ice. Palumbo identified a correlation between their friendships and their performance.
“The more time we spend outside of the rink the more positive team culture it brings inside the rink,” Palumbo said.
These players also attribute their success on the ice to the legacy of the program. With the team consistently ranked high among others in the nation, their ranking speaks volumes to the quality of the program that persists. Palumbo specifically appreciates what the team from a small school can do on a big scale for the advancement of the sport.
“It’s fun to be a consistent program on campus because it sheds a lot of light on women’s hockey and Colgate as a whole,” Palumbo said. “I know that it’s a smaller school, and I think with our program being nationally ranked, it’s nice for us to be the small school that can have that kind of program.”
Stewart also agreed that their success now stems from their team a few seasons ago when she first got to Colgate.
“From my perspective I’ve watched the program grow from being a really old, experienced team to this year maybe being a younger, not as experienced, but still skilled and really talented team,” Stewart said.
Biederman also reflected on the importance of the players who came before her as models for upholding their legacy.
“I had great players in front of me, so I’m trying to follow in their footsteps … and that inspires me to do the best that I can do out there and produce for the team and show Colgate hockey fans, younger players and everyone out there what our team is about,” Biederman said.
Although these players are committed to dedicating themselves to each game, their strong camaraderie on and off the rink and the program’s success push them to be excited to chase their goals in the playoffs.
“We just have a great group, a special group. We may not be the [biggest] favorite outside of our league, but I think we’re willing to defy those odds, and we’re willing to put in the work to win a national championship. I think we’re all centered on that mindset of bringing that home for the first time,” Biederman said.
The next home game for the Raiders will be on Friday, Jan. 31 at home in Hamilton, N.Y., in the Class of 1965 Arena against Clarkson, currently sitting at No. 9 nationally.