Hitting the Ice: Women’s Ice Hockey
Did you know we have lots of competitive and rigorous club sports at BSU? Well, now you do! From Gymnastics to Men’s Lacrosse to Ultimate Frisbee, Athletics and Recreation at BSU offers a wide variety of friendly but competitive recreational sports that any student can sign up for. One of these teams is Women’s Ice Hockey.
Alex Schloesser (she/her), a junior here at BSU majoring in criminal justice, is one of the co-captains of BSU’s Women’s Ice Hockey team. Schloesser has been a lifelong skater, taking to the ice at three years old. She soon began playing for youth hockey leagues and all throughout high school.
Arriving as a freshman in 2020, she quickly joined the Women’s Ice Hockey team. Although the team looked very different during the COVID-19 pandemic, with no games were played, they still held practices and refined their skills to be ready when games resumed and spectators would be allowed at the rink.
The junior center has been leading the team this season as co-captain with fellow junior Grace Reardon (she/her). The team plays in the Independent Women’s Club Hockey League, which consists of teams from colleges and universities in Massachusetts and the surrounding states. The season runs from October to February.
In addition to leading them on and off the ice, Schloesser and Reardon handle a lot of the team logistics, including communication about practices and games, as well as handling team dues. It’s important to the co-captains that they always show up for their teammates and support them.
“I always try to emphasize to them, ‘I’m here for you, whether it’s as a captain or a friend. Whatever you need, I got you,’” Schloesser said.
Schloesser’s goals for the upcoming season include recruiting as many new players as possible, and refining each member’s skills, increasing the versatility of the team. This will give players more chances to play different positions than they have before.
The team’s small size has been an obstacle in the past, something Schloesser is hoping to change in the upcoming season. Women’s Ice Hockey is always looking for new members, and have already begun looking forward to the upcoming season this fall now that the 2022-2023 season has concluded.
Little experience is necessary, and the team is extremely welcoming of newcomers and anyone willing to learn. Schloesser encourages anyone interested in learning more about the team and becoming a member to reach out to either herself, co-captain Reardon, or head coach Dan Norton (he/him) before Fall 2023.
For more information, visit bsubears.com.
