2008-09 Season Outlook
Celebrating a Decade of Women's Hockey at St. Cloud State University
As the St. Cloud State University women's hockey team embarks on the 2008-09 season, the university and its athletic department takes a moment to recap the past decade of women's hockey at SCSU. Ten years of women's hockey have been played at SCSU, and 101 players have worn the Cardinal and Black in 340 games played.
"This is a special year for Husky women's hockey as we look back on ten years of the program's existence," said SCSU's third-year head coach Jeff Giesen. "I started out as a spectator watching the women's game from the sidelines, and now being personally involved as a coach, I think the SCSU women's hockey program has grown leaps and bounds. Each person that has been here at St. Cloud State has left his or her own individual imprint on what is striving to be one of the top women's programs in the country. Every coach and former player involved with this program has made this something to be proud of," added Giesen.
An abundance of "firsts" and highlights have happened in the past decade. On November 6, 1998, the Huskies won their first Division I collegiate game against St. Mary's and on October 22, 1999, SCSU tabbed its first Western Collegiate Hockey Association victory with a 3-2 win over Ohio State in the National Hockey Center. In a program that has seen three different head coaches in Kerry Brodt-Wethington (1998-2002), Jason Lesteberg (2002-2006) and Jeff Giesen (2006-present), St. Cloud State has witnessed a season best 18 wins during the 2005-06 and 2007-08 seasons, and charted a school best 13 WCHA wins in the 2005-06 stint.
The Huskies have also earned home playoff ice twice in school history and own a 5-8-0 all-time playoff mark since 1999. All in all, the program at SCSU continues to improve, making the 2008-09 season filled with high hopes and endless possibilities.
The Evolution of the Sport "In my short five-year tenure here at SCSU, women's hockey has seen such an upswing and the pool of talent has increased dramatically," said Giesen. "The players are starting to play the game at a younger age and are more developed as players when they get to the college level. Because of that, the game has become much more entertaining as the skill level continues to increase. I think the skill level will continue to improve as time goes by and there are no limits as to how much the game of women's hockey will prosper and grow into a premier sport."
The Ultimate Goal Head Coach Jeff Giesen and his Husky squad have set forth objectives to improve upon their 18-15-5 record from last season and reach their ultimate goal of winning a national championship.
"Our team goals remain the same each year; to win a championship and then we work back from that," said Giesen. Working back from the ultimate goal of winning a championship includes breaking into the top three in the league, gaining home ice for the playoffs, winning a playoff championship and getting into the NCAA tournament. "We have a lot of players with great experience on this team and now we need to reach new levels of success," added Giesen.
Coach Giesen plans to reach new levels of success with the 17 players that he has returning. Of the 17 players returning, 13 are seniors and juniors. Leading the way will be senior team captain Brita Schroeder (Monticello) and team alternate captains Amy Currier (Fargo, N.D.) and Felicia Nelson (St. Paul).
On the Blue Line The Huskies return a veteran group on the blue line this season, headed by senior team captain Brita Schroeder. Schroeder, who has scored 20 points (1g, 19a) in 108 career games played, is a WCHA Scholar Athlete and two-time WCHA All-Academic choice.
"Brita (Schroeder) is our team captain and one of the leaders on the blue line," said Giesen. "She is a very solid defender and we will look for her to contribute offensively this year."
Another top returner on the blue line is junior Bloomington native Danielle Hirsch. Hirsch improved her offensive threat by 14 points from her first year to her sophomore year, scoring 17 points (1g, 16a) last season. "Danielle (Hirsch) has played a lot of minutes the past two seasons and will continue to do so," said Giesen. "She has good offensive skills and we will look to her to continue that as she heads into her junior season." Two other juniors returning defensively are Jenaca Fredheim (Campbell River, B.C.) and Kelly Meierhofer (Sauk Rapids). Combined the two have seen action in 100 games and have charted four assists. "Jenaca (Fredheim) has played many roles and we look for her to be a solid defender," said Giesen. "Kelly (Meierhofer) made some great strides in her first two years. Keeping her healthy will be a great asset to our team as she brings good size and strength to our blue line," said Giesen.
Diana Karouzos (Chicago, Ill.) is the lone sophomore back for another season defensively for the Huskies. Karouzos carded her first career point and assist against Vermont on Jan. 19 and dressed in nine games last season.
"Diana (Karouzos) is a very strong skater and learned a lot in her first year," said Giesen. "We look for her to gain from that experience and become a regular on D."
St. Cloud State welcomes two new faces to the blue line in Ashlan Lambert (Eden Prairie) and Jaclyn Daggit (St. Paul Park) Lambert is a transfer student from Boston College where she played hockey on the blue line for the Eagles during the 2007-08 stint. With BC, Lambert appeared in 18 games. A 2007 graduate of Eden Prairie High School, Lambert captained the hockey team as a senior while helping lead Eden Prairie to a 57-game win streak spanning from 2005-2007.
"Ashlan (Lambert) is a very good skater and strong defender. With a year of college experience under her belt we look for her to keep making strides," said Giesen.
Daggit is the only first year player joining the Husky defenders this season and will be put in a position to contribute right away. A native of St. Paul Park, Daggit was a two-time Suburban East All-Conference choice and scored 75 career points (28g, 47a) for the Wolfpack.
"Our only true freshman D, we look for Jac (Daggit) to make an easy transition to the college game," said Giesen. "She is a good skater and has good offensive skill that will help improve our offensive attack from the blue line."
Between the Pipes The Huskies will be young in the goaltending position, but return 11 games of college experience to the lineup in sophomore goalie Ashley Nixon (Blaine). Nixon proved her talent last season as she recorded a 6-3-1 overall mark in 10 starts. As a rookie, Nixon set a personal best mark of 34 saves in a 4-1 win over Bemidji State. Voted the team's Rookie of the Year, Nixon also became just the second Husky goalie in school history to tab an assist, doing so against Ohio State on Jan. 12, 2008.
"Ashley (Nixon) had a very strong first year with a 6-3-1 overall record," said Giesen. "She gained valuable experience and we look to her to be our starter and play a lot of minutes this season."
Joining Nixon in net will be first year goaltenders Tayler VanDenakker (Winnipeg, Manitoba) and Anna Donlan (Hillsboro, Wis.).
VanDenakker played prep hockey for Balmoral Hall and backstopped Balmoral Hall with a .950 save percentage and a 1.90 goals against average. An honor roll student throughout her prep career, VanDenakker tallied multiple All-Star selections. "Tayler (VanDenakker) is coming off a great prep career at Balmoral Hall in Winnipeg," said Giesen. "We look to her to make a fast adjustment to the college game and give us good depth in goal."
Donlan played club hockey for the Wisconsin Wild U19 AAA for the past four seasons and led the Wild to the 2006-07 State Championship, posting a team-best .921 save percentage and a 1.23 goals against average. A multi-sport prep athlete, Donlan also participated in volleyball and softball at Hillsboro High School and was a four-time All-Conference volleyball player.
"Anna (Donlan) was a three-sport standout athlete in high school," said Giesen. "She had a strong season and we look to her, along with Tayler, to provide us with strong depth in goal."
The Husky Attack St. Cloud State will have a strong offensive unit as it returns 11 letter winners for the 2008-09 campaign. At the helm of the offensive attack for SCSU will be team alternate captains Amy Currier and Felicia Nelson.
A senior who has appeared in 107 games, Currier had a strong junior season dishing out seven assists and netting a personal best nine goals last season. "As an alternate captain, we look for Amy (Currier) to keep building on what she started as a junior, nearly tripling her goal output and becoming a very powerful forward in the league," said Giesen.
A big factor in SCSU's continued success will hinge on the production of junior Felicia Nelson. Nelson came off a red-shirt season last year after transferring from Minnesota State to lead the team in scoring with 25 points (15g, 10a). Appearing in all 38 games as a sophomore, Nelson had a 10-game run from Oct. 26-Nov. 24 in which she scored 11 points (7g, 4a) and was +3 on the plus/minus.
"After sitting out a year ago, Felicia (Nelson) was a great addition to our team," said Giesen. "She is one of the most competitive players on our squad and is a true goal scorer. With her experience at the USA Hockey U22 Camp this summer, we look for her to continue her scoring this season," added Giesen.
Three other players vie a return for their senior seasons. Those players include Sammy Nixon (Blaine), Megan McCarthy (Eden Prairie) and Michelle Moen (Rogers). Nixon recorded a career high 17 points as a junior, more than doubling her goal total from her sophomore stint with 10. "With her great speed, Sammy (Nixon) played on a variety of lines and became a threat to score goals last season both in five-on-five situations and on the power play," said Giesen.
McCarthy played in 37 games last season and tied for the team lead in game-winning goals with three as a junior. In 98 career games, McCarthy has posted 47 points (19g, 28a), ranking her 17th all-time at SCSU. "Megan (McCarthy) continues to get better each year and we look for her to have a great senior season," said Giesen. "She is getting into great physical shape and has the knack to score goals."
Nearly doubling her playing time from her first two seasons, Moen played in all 38 games as a junior and scored a career high seven points (2g, 5a). "Michelle (Moen) went from a part-time player to dressing in every game last season," said Giesen. "She played a variety of roles and on many different lines. We look for her to keep making contributions." The junior class welcomes back four strong forwards in Caitlin Hogan (Oakdale), Katie Kemmerer (Anchorage, Ala.), Meaghan Pezon (Eden Prairie) and Holly Roberts (St. Cloud). In 275 combined games played, the four-some has scored 72 goals and dished out 89 assists.
Last season, Hogan tied for the team lead in assists with 16 and was second on the squad with 24 points. A WCHA Scholar athlete and a WCHA All-Academic pick, Hogan had five multi-point contests as a sophomore. "Caitlin (Hogan) continues to put up offensive numbers and is a big part of our team success," said Giesen. "Her work ethic helps set the tone for our team."
Kemmerer has scored three goals and two assists in 51 career games played for the Huskies. "Katie (Kemmerer) continued to make strides this past season," said Giesen. "She has worked very hard and we look for her to contribute in a lot of different areas."
Pezon and Roberts were both invited to the USA Hockey U22 Camp this past summer and continue to be two of the most versatile players on the roster. Pezon possesses arguably the most pure talent of any SCSU forward and has the ability to bring fans out of their seats at any given moment. Named the St. Cloud Times Star of the Season last year, Pezon leads the junior class with 25 career goals scored and also landed herself on the WCHA All-Academic squad.
"Meaghan (Pezon) is an exciting player with great speed and can really make things happen," said Giesen. "She has amazing hands, scoring some highlight goals during her first two years, and we look for more consistent offensive production from her this year."
A two-time invitee to the USA Hockey U22 Camp, Roberts is coming off two strong seasons for the Huskies, putting up 24 goals and 33 assists thus far in her collegiate career. Last season, the St. Cloud native led the team with 122 shots and had two stretches of scoring with at least one point in four straight games.
"Holly's (Roberts) scoring was down last season but she is one of the most complete players on our roster," said Giesen. "I think she will get her scoring touch back this year and be a huge impact this season."
Alecia Anderson (Brooklyn Park) and Courtney Josefson (Bemidji) round out the sophomore class for SCSU. During her first year, Anderson saw action in 17 games and tabbed her first career goal and point against Bemidji State on Dec. 9, which proved to be the game-winner. "Alecia (Anderson) will see added responsibility and ice time this season," said Giesen. "She has grown as a player and now understands what it takes to play at this level."
Josefson returns after playing in eight games and scoring her first career goal and point against Minnesota on Feb. 16. "No one works harder than Courtney (Josefson)," said Giesen. "She will have an expanded roll this year giving us a lot of energy in the lineup."
The Huskies will add a highly-touted first year player to the forward position in Brittany Toor (Hartland, Mich.). Serving as a team captain, Toor played for the Little Caesar AAA U19 club team where she helped lead her team to a state championship and a national runner-up finish in their division.
"Brittany (Toor) comes to us after having a successful year at Little Caesars playing in the National Championship game this past season," said Giesen. "She has the ability to score goals and is a strong skater."
Keys to Success
In order to be successful this season, the Husky coaching staff consisting of third-year head coach Jeff Giesen, third-year assistant coach Jennifer Kranz and second-year assistant coach Jason Johnson, will stress these four keys: (1) great team defense, (2) more offensive production from our power play and our defensemen, (3) solid goaltending and (4) less penalty minutes.
"If we can continue to improve on these four keys this season, the Huskies will be able to compete nationally in 2008-09," said Giesen.
The Competition
The Huskies open the season on September 27 with an exhibition game against the University of Saskatchewan. This marks just the second time in school history that the Huskies have started playing in the month of September. The first time came during the 2006-07 season when the Huskies played host to Robert Morris on Sept. 29-30, 2006. After the exhibition game, St. Cloud State will hop on a plane to Hamden, Conn., to meet up against Quinnipiac University in a non-conference series on Oct. 3-4. The following weekend, St. Cloud State will open the ever grueling Western Collegiate Hockey Association schedule with a two-game series in Grand Forks, N.D., against the University of North Dakota on Oct. 10-11. After that, the defending national champions in Minnesota Duluth will come to town on Oct. 17-18. In mid-October, Head Coach Jeff Giesen's squad will host yet another exhibition game against Team USA (Oct. 21), and following that exhibition game will be the other non-conference series for the Huskies against Brown University on Oct. 24-25 in the National Hockey Center. Before the winter break, SCSU will face the remaining six WCHA teams with a home-and-home series against Minnesota (Oct. 31-Nov. 1), home series against Ohio State (Nov. 8-9) and Bemidji State (Nov. 21-22) and on the road against Minnesota State (Nov. 14-15) and Wisconsin (Dec. 5-6).
For the first time in school history, St. Cloud State will host the Easton Holiday Showcase on Jan. 2-3, 2009, to bring in the new year. Invited to the Showcase is WCHA rival UND, and non-conference opponents Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), a member of the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) and Wayne State (Mich.), a member of the College Hockey of America (CHA). Both days will see two non-conference games played in the NHC, with SCSU facing Wayne State on Jan. 2 and RPI on Jan. 3. The other game on Jan. 2 will highlight UND against RPI, and the second game on Jan. 3 will feature UND against Wayne State. A special thank you goes out to Easton for sponsoring this event.
"We are excited to host top notch women's college hockey over the New Year holiday," said Giesen.
Yet again, a large part of SCSU's schedule will be played against top-ranked teams in the country. The Huskies will play seven games against opponents that finished in the top 10 or were receiving votes in the final 2008 USCHO.com Division I Women's poll.
"We play a very tough schedule every year because of the strength of the WCHA. It will be imperative that our team is prepared for each game," stated Giesen.
