From Spartan News Room
By Audrey Dayton
Women’s hockey is on the rise. The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) has broken attendance records and USA hockey has seen an increase in girls and women’s registrations, just two months after Team USA won Olympic gold medals in women’s and men’s hockey.
In contrast, there are currently no NCAA Division I women’s hockey programs within the state of Michigan, leaving women’s club hockey as the only option at universities that boast powerhouse men’s teams like at Michigan State University.
MSU’s Division II women’s club hockey team is student-run and led by an elected board. Advertising management junior Natalia Lavalle was elected as the team president for the upcoming 2026-2027 season, which will also be her senior year.
Lavalle, along with upcoming vice president Anna Weber and graduating president Ellie Johnson shared their experiences playing on the women’s team throughout college.
Lavalle hopes to continue a supportive, family-like culture under her leadership in the upcoming year.
(Originally published at https://news.jrn.msu.edu/2026/05/msu-womens-dii-club-hockey-team-continues-love-for-sport/)
