From The Villanovan
By James Haupt
If Wildcat fans learned that Villanova has 10 wins and are still undefeated, most would think about men’s basketball. Well, we all know that’s not the case. Maybe women’s basketball? Nope, but that’s closer. The truth is that one of the most successful teams this year for Villanova has been the women’s ice hockey team. The Wildcats stand at 10-0 in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) for women’s Division II Ice Hockey.
Villanova is tied for fourth in points and ranked fourth overall in the league. The Wildcats were also ranked as the No. 1 team in the Southeast Region, which is the biggest region in the ACHA for women’s Division II. The title of being in Division II describes nothing about the difficulty of this league and the skill of this Villanova team. There are 64 teams in total and 28 teams in the same region as the Wildcats. The competition spans across the country, yet Villanova is near the top.
Much of the success is due to its goal differential of 52, which also ranks fourth in the league. This is partly due to Villanova forward Grace Curran. She has 19 goals and 12 assists on the year, accounting for 31 points this season. Her 19 goals are tied for second in the league with a player who has two more games than her, and she is only behind a player with 24 goals in three more games. She averages 3.1 points per game, and for all teams who’ve played 10 or more games, this makes her third in the league. In addition to this already impressive resume, she has three game-winning goals this season, tied for the team lead with Zoe Garrett. This is an elite production over a span of 10 games that makes Curran a top player in the ACHA for Women’s Division II.
Some other key players for the Wildcats include Camryn Browne, Sarah Rumley and Ceci Jenkins, who each account for 16 points on the season. Browne has 10 goals and six assists in nine games, Rumley has nine goals and seven assists in eight games, and Jenkins has six goals and 10 assists in eight games. The team consists of many more major contributors as they all play a part in this undefeated record.
While the team is filled with goal scorers and play makers, just as important are the shot blockers. The Wildcats have had three goalies make appearances this season all with impressive stats. Molly McKenna is the lead goalie and has appeared in six games with a 5-0 record, one of those games being a shutout. In her 340 minutes played, she has made 133 saves and only allowed 12 goals, with a 91.7% save percentage. Behind her are Nadia Balduf and Aubrey Organ. Balduf has played in four games and has a 1-0 record. In her 120 minutes played she has made 54 saves and allowed nine goals, for an 85.7% save percentage. Organ has played in three games this season and has a 3-0 record. She has played 140 minutes and has made 73 saves, giving her a 92.4% save percentage. The Wildcats have done well all season in preventing goals contributing to their flawless record.
The women’s ice hockey team keeps improving every day and it looks to continue its success this season. The team is putting women’s ice hockey on the map as it represents Villanova in this difficult league. The next game takes place on Jan. 28 as the Wildcats look to start the new year and semester with their 11th win.
(Originally published at https://villanovan.com/21943/sports/womens-club-ice-hockey-off-to-10-0-start/)
