The Gustavus Women’s Hockey team wrested the top spot in the MIAC away from rival St. Thomas this past weekend by beating the Tommies 1-0 on Saturday night.
The Gusties won in front of the home crowd after losing the previous night at St. Thomas, their first loss of the season. Gustavus is now 5-1 in the MIAC, 7-1 overall and currently ranked in the top 10 nationally, after a nearly perfect first month of competition.
“This season, we started out really strong compared to last season,” Junior goalie Danielle Justice said. “We’re a lot closer as a team.” A bundle of early wins certainly brings a team together, and the Gustie women are now charging into the weekend at full steam ahead.
On Friday, Dec. 10, the team will travel to Wisconsin to clash with national titan UW-River Falls (8-0 overall), marking the biggest game thus far in a young season. “[River Falls] has been our biggest competition in the west, so it will be a really great way to see how we are compared to them,” Justice said. “When it comes down to the end of the season, [River Falls] is usually who we end up playing in the playoffs.”
Gustavus has faced River Falls in the first round of the national tournament the past two seasons, igniting a rivalry that will continue this weekend. Gustavus defeated River Falls last year on its way to the NCAA Division III Frozen Four, therefore, UWRF will have revenge in mind.
“We ended their season last year, so they’ll definitely be out for blood,” Junior captain Mollie Carroll said. The Gusties anticipate that the River Falls arena will be splattered with red as a largely Falcon crowd will hope to sink its talons into the Gustie women on Friday.
“[It will be important to] get the new people to understand how big of a game and how big of a rivalry this is,” Carroll said. “I know that all of the returning [players] are excited for it.”
As one of three captains, Carroll will be given the task of motivating the newcomers to fight back against River Falls. “It’s a great honor to be a captain, especially as a junior,” Carroll said. “So I take my responsibility very seriously and do what I can to help motivate and be a friend at the same time.”
Gustavus will enter the matchup against River Falls as an underdog with something to prove. An undefeated UWRF surged to third in the most recent national poll, surpassing Gustavus which fell to seventh after losing one of two games against St. Thomas.
“This past weekend we lost to St. Thomas,” Justice said. “It was a minor bump in the road, but I think with every loss it brings you closer as a team and it reminds you that you are beatable.”
It will be vital to remember that River Falls is beatable as well, no matter what the crowd says on Friday. “Even when the other fans are cheering against you, it builds you up and makes you want to shut them up,” Justice said.
Gustavus will shut the UWRF crowd up early if Justice continues to shut out teams with her continued outstanding work in the goal. The goalie leads the MIAC in all goaltending categories, including goals against average (0.43) and save percentage (.976). “60 minutes is a long time to be focusing on a little black puck,” Justice said. Gustavus hopes she will do just that on Friday, however, while relying on the offense to put the puck in the net.
This weekend will be a battle for supremacy in the west, but there will be more opportunities to make a national statement. Gustavus’s second game after returning from Christmas Recess will be a Jan. 14, 2011 collision with Trinity College (Conn), which is currently ranked eighth in the nation.
“A lot of people talk about how the west is the [junior varsity] part of women’s hockey,” Carroll said. “It’s awesome every time we can have matchups against some of the better teams from out east [so we can] go out and prove something.”
For now, Gustavus will focus on River Falls, hoping to become the best women’s hockey team in the west. Final preparation will come on Friday as the Gustie women will be dressed to impress in matching sweat suits. They might appear to be average girls in sweatpants, but they are a posse of girls with some swag.
“If you look hot, you play hot,” Carroll said. “Watch out for our sweatpants.” If you spot a Women’s Hockey player on Friday, make sure to comment on her outfit and give her a fist bump for good luck.