Experience to lead Morrisville State women’s hockey into 2018-19 season
The 2018-19 season is about to get underway for the Morrisville State women’s hockey program, and for the first time in program history, the Mustangs will be returning to their ice as two-time Colonial Hockey Conference champions, fielding their first senior class, and be able to speak on their experience at a national level.
Also, for a second straight season, Morrisville State enters the year as the preseason favorite among all teams in the CHC after finishing 10-0-2 a year ago and receiving six first place votes. Runner-up Endicott College was voted second.
The program is just four years young, and will see five seniors take the ice this season, a class that has accumulated an overall record of 27-7-4 within conference play, and 47-28-7 overall throughout their careers.
A junior class as equally strong with five deep, also returns to the Mustang lineup this year.
“I am excited out our returning players as they gained a lot of experience from last season,” head coach Melissa Lomanto said. “We have our first senior class who all have played major roles on and off the ice with our program and a junior class who has played a critical role in contributing to our back-to-back conference titles.”
“Along with our upperclassmen, our sophomore class helped complete the roster with key roles and filling gaps in the line that led to not only wins, but building a culture that has added strength and depth to our program.”
Morrisville State returns all seven All-Conference selections from a year ago, including defensemen Chyne Kennedy (Southwold, ON), Ciara Lark (Mildmay, ON), Kimberly Hughes (Lloydminster, AB) and Kaitlyn Schlake (Nampa, ID), followed by goalkeeper Karoline Arvik (Trondheim, Norway) who limited opponents to a 0.90 goals against average within conference play on 11 scores, and 43 allowed goals across the 28 game season.
The Mustangs return all five leading scorers from last season, including All-Conference honorees Alexziz Giannamore (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and Maddison Devlin (Campbell River, BC).
Senior Maria deWilde (Caistorville, ON) and juniors Kylie Cameron (Burlington, ON) and Jessica Ujcik (Munich, Germany) round out the top five leading scorers for the Mustangs, who all together combined for a total 39 goals and 39 assists, 78 points of Morrisville State’s total 162 on the season.
Adding new faces to the roster this season in three different positions, Lomanto said that “the newcomers have transitioned well into our program and have added a new dynamic to our team.”
“The biggest difference, though, this year from other seasons, will be the experience our players have had competing against several top 10 teams in the nation, as well as the experience from competing in the first round of the NCAA’s,” she stated. “That has helped our program mature quickly over the past three seasons.”
Morrisville State got their first taste of competition together in an exhibition last Friday in which they played to a 4-1 decision in their favor over Nazareth College.
They open the season on the road for the first two weeks, traveling to Castleton University where they (being the senior class) will meet former assistant coach Mike Venezia’s Spartans in a Friday/Saturday afternoon battle.
The Mustangs open conference play at Nichols for a bout on Nov. 2nd and 3rd, before returning home for their home ice opener on the 9th and 10thagainst league newcomer Salve Regina.
Morrisville State will meet the conference’s second new face the following weekend, Nov. 16th and 17th, hosting the University of New England.
“We are excited to return to conference play as our league has become more competitive year after year,” said Lomanto. “We have become a stronger program developing along with the CHC and look forward to the addition of Salve Regina and University of New England this year.”
Morrisville State will hit the ice Nov. 20 at Hamilton College for their first of a 10-game non-conference slate, following with a home battle against Buffalo State on the 24th. Utica College comes to town on the 27th, before the Mustangs head to Franklin Pierce on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1st.
A non-conference road battle with national powerhouse Plattsburgh on Dec. 5th will lead them into their final home contest of the first semester against Wilkes on the 7th.
When the Mustangs resume play, they will have a home bout against Hamilton on the 15th, followed by a double at Neumann on the 25th and 26th.
They will resume CHC action with a double home battle against rival SUNY Canton to start February, followed by a double on the road at Becker.
They wrap up the regular season at home against Endicott on the 15th and 16th.
“Our expectations for the year are the same as last,” Lomanto commented. “We have laid a great foundation with our work ethic and drive, and look forward to building off an NCAA first round appearance.”
“We are looking forward to playing outside our conference, playing a non-conference schedule that is tough and includes several ranked opponents in established programs.”
“Most importantly though, is looking to continue the culture we have established and grow one day at a time.”
For additional information on Mustang women’s hockey, visit the college’s athletic web site at www.morrisvillestateathletics.com.