In a weekend of fierce battles on the ice against Manhattanville College, the Neumann University Women’s Ice Hockey team staggered resulting in a 9-3 loss on Friday and a 4-1 defeat on Saturday’s Senior Day.
The back-to-back setbacks posed challenges for the Knights, but despite the adversity, the team showed resilience, unity, and a commitment to growth.
Friday Night Clash: Valiant Effort Falls Short
In Friday’s game, the Knights fought fearlessly, with Gia Santorello, Meg Landman, and Kaila Booth contributing goals.
However, the Valiants emerged victorious with a 9-3 win.
Goaltenders Noelle Woodard and Sydney Babin made commendable saves throughout the game, demonstrating the team’s determination despite the result.
As the Knights stood at 4-14-2, the focus shifted to learning from the experience and gearing up for the rematch against Manhattanville.
Saturday’s Senior Night: Emotional Moments Amidst Adversity
The emotional weight of senior night added a layer of significance to Saturday’s game where eight seniors were honored.
Meg Landman ignited early hope with an unassisted goal, but the Knights ultimately faced a 4-1 defeat against Manhattanville.
Goalie Ella Sciborski’s outstanding 40-save performance reflected the team’s resilience, but the Valiants prevailed.
With a record of 4-15-2, in addition to a seven-game losing streak, the Knights now turn their attention to the future.
Insights from Senior Captain Cecelia Mick
Senior Captain Cecelia Mick must help find a way forward.
“Having a positive mindset after setbacks is a real challenge, but I’ve found that it helps to focus on small positives and small take-aways that are encouraging to keep growing and improving,” said Mick. “Focusing on the small wins can help lead to bigger wins that overall change a person’s mindset on the game as a whole.”
Mick thinks leadership requires flexibility.
“Recently, I’ve changed parts of my leadership style while also still remaining the same at times. I’ve always had a very lead-by-example approach and that is something I try to maintain while also more recently becoming more motivating,” she said.
Defeat is emotionally challenging, but Mick highlighted the team’s unity as a way to recover.
“This year’s senior class is a great example of what Neumann University Women’s Ice Hockey is as a whole, and that’s family,” she said. “When it comes to tough games like our senior night, we support each other as a family and do our best to recognize that the game may not have gone our way, but we can still celebrate the time, energy, and dedication that it took to be a collegiate athlete and have a great career.”
Coach McLaughlin’s Strategies for Growth
Head Coach Gina McLaughlin offered a coach’s perspective, acknowledging the team’s focus on finding their identity and playing a complete 60 minutes.
“Some games, we play well defensively and can’t score while others we can score, but don’t play well defensively. We are looking to balance those out a bit more,” she said.
The incorporation of fun and engaging activities in training was also noted as a strategy to maintain high spirits within the team.
“We implement 3v3 tournaments, fun games and drills, and lots of competitions to practice each week,” she added.
Praising the team’s resilience, Coach McLaughlin highlighted their focus on the process rather than the outcome.
“We only have control over each shift we get, so the team is motivated to win every shift.”
Danica Pedone
