(Photo: Nicholas Badders/WCSN)
The Arizona State women’s hockey team clinched their first playoff berth in program history, however the road to get there was not easy.
The Sun Devils get their share of morning skates and games in throughout the week as they split time at Oceanside Ice Arena with the men’s NCAA hockey team, the two men’s ACHA teams and other junior programs.
The team practices from 7:00 to 8:30 a.m. twice a week and have played games that extend past midnight. The ladies understand these tough approaches and have taken on the challenge efficiently. Head coach Lindsey Ellis praises the team’s determination to fight through during less than ideal circumstances.
“They have handled it extremely well,” Ellis said. “Going into overtime at 1 a.m. at CSU, I think it shows they have a lot of perseverance. They’ve overcome a lot of obstacles. With such a short roster, I think they are used to having everything against their backs and it is amazing how far the team has come.”
Motivating leadership relays through the Sun Devils system as a key element to help maintain concentration on the ice. Captain KC McGinley enjoys giving her teammates an extra boost during morning routines.
“I love to bring the energy. I’m weird, loud and crazy,” McGinley said. “I try to make everything fun instead of something we have to do.”
Fun is certainly what the senior leaders like to promote as they continue to improve their skills and teach new techniques to the underclassmen. At the end of the day, juggling classes and work along with hockey leaves the ladies feeling tired.
During the series against Assiniboine Community College, sophomore forward Megan Mroczek worked a 7 a.m. shift at work in between a 10 p.m. game on January 12 and a 2 p.m. game the next day. Handling a part-time job makes her days even longer, but Mroczek believes it builds her character as a stronger woman.
“It’s a lot of mental preparation for me, I tell myself, ‘You can do anything,'” Mroczek said. “I want to give everything 110 percent and show that I can work to my best ability.”
Hockey, work and social life leave sleep at the short end of the stick. However, a solution many Sun Devils adopt to help relieve aches is taking naps in between practices and games.
Sophomore goaltender Jordan Nash-Boulden embraces naps as an essential part to her daily agenda.
“I try to get as many hours of sleep that I can,” Nash-Boulden said. “Going from hockey to class, it is very important to squeeze in those naps before games.”
As the season comes to a close, the Sun Devils look back at these early practices and late games as a cornerstone to the team’s success. The entire team persevered through tough conditions, adapted to unusual game starts and ends, and had a little fun along the way.
This recipe is one Ellis and the Sun Devils mixed together and transformed into a trip to Nebraska for the WWCHL playoffs.
