SAINT PETER, Minn. — After battling Middlebury in the National Championship game in March, the Gustavus women’s hockey team is ready to take the ice again, facing Augsburg for the first regular-season game of the year this Friday. The Gusties ended the 2021-22 season in record-breaking fashion, tallying their 17th regular season title, 13th MIAC Playoff Championship, and a second-place national finish.
“While we made it the farthest we ever have last season, we’re always facing pre-season ratings, we always have high expectations,” said 2022 MIAC Coach of the Year Mike Carroll, who’s in his 24th season behind the bench for the Gusties. “But a new season is a new season, you can’t just show up. We have to start from scratch, have the veterans lead, bring on young kids, and build chemistry. We have to try to improve each and every day and each and every series, but our bar is normally set pretty high.”
Carroll’s team, ranked No. 2 in Division III in the USCHO pre-season poll, returns 18 players from last year’s roster, including nine of the top-10 point scorers from the previous year. Among these players are Hailey Holland (Sr., Aberdeen, S.D.), Tina Press (Sr., Cottage Grove), and Brooke Power (Jr., Lakeville), who led the team and the conference in nearly every offensive statistic. Molly McHugh (Sr., Minnetonka), Press, and Kayla Vrieze (Sr., Eagan) will serve as captains of this year’s team.
“We have a lot of players that lead with experience, games played, and success. We have a number of upperclassmen and sophomores who are super leaders and set the tone by work ethic and example.
“Molly is a senior first-year captain that has always had leadership qualities. Tina and Kayla are fifth-year seniors, but have had the chance to be captains for three years. While they lead the group, you’re only effective if everyone else buys in and supports them.”
Vrieze, who led the blue line for the Gusties last year tallying five goals and 14 assists, also earned CoSIDA Academic All-America honors, the MIAC Elite 22 and NCAA Elite 90 Awards, MIAC All-Conference Honors, and ACHA First-Team All-America honors. Between the pipes, the Gusties return Katie McCoy (Sr., Grafton, Wis.) and Maria Widen (So., Burnsville), who combined for a 1.11 goals-against-average, a .918 save percentage, and 16 shutouts, the most of any team in the nation.
The 2022-23 Gustavus women’s hockey team features nine new faces, including Brooke Remington (Jr., Scandia), a junior transfer from Franklin Pierce, and two new goaltenders, Meghan Gibb (Fy., Isanti) and Jori Jones (Fy., Little Canada)
“If you’re right out of high school, there’s a huge learning curve. Each individual sets their own timetable for how that evolves. Some take more than others, but we’re in a good position where we don’t need to force those players into starting roles. They can come in, get their feet wet, be a part of the puzzle, and help our depth.”
The Gusties’ non-conference schedule is highlighted by Friday’s game against Augsburg, as well as matchups against Lake Forest, UW-Superior, and three games against UW-River Falls.
“Augsburg has been up in the top half of the conference for some time. They’ll be a good challenge for us and a really competitive game,” said Carroll in preparation for the team’s season opener. “River Falls has always been an arch-rival within the Midwest and the national spotlight. We want to play good competition as often as we can to prepare us for playing our best at the end of the season.”
The Gusties begin conference play in two weeks, facing St. Scholastica in a series of games on Nov. 10 and 12.