St. Thomas women’s hockey finished eighth in the WCHA standings, earning a 5-27-1 overall record and a 2-23-1 record in the WCHA in its inaugural Division I season.
In the face of solid competition, the Tommies held a pair of two-game win streaks, including a weekend sweep of Rochester Institute of Technology in October.
“It was so exciting to be part of the WCHA and play against the best players and teams in the country,” assistant coach Marty Sertich told TommieMedia’s Natalie Hoepner. “Our girls did such a good job and we’re excited about our future.”
The team’s persistence was on display on Jan. 31 when senior goaltender Alexa Dobchuk saved 47 shots, keeping the team in the game against No. 4 Wisconsin. The Badgers held a 2-1 lead going into the third but scored on an empty-netter late in the third period to seal the win.
Another highlight for the team was coach Joel Johnson, first-year defender Nicole Vallario and first-year goaltender Sakia Maurer competing in the Olympics.
Johnson coached Team USA to a silver medal, while Vallario and Maurer skated for Switzerland, ultimately losing to Finland in the bronze medal match.
Maurer was named to the WCHA All-Rookie Team after playing 10 games for St. Thomas. Maurer made 332 saves in 569 minutes, allowing just over three goals per game, far below the team average of 4.30 goals per game.
Junior forwards Luci Bianchi and Allie Monrean shared the team lead with six goals. First-year forward Abby Promersbeger led the team with 13 points.
The team also boasted a strong penalty kill, successfully killing 82.7% of penalties. The power-play unit only converted on 11 of 96 power plays.
Junior forward Maijah Almich, sophomore forward Fiona Claugherty, senior forward Anna Erickson, senior forward Anna Solheim, Bianchi and Monrean were all recognized with WCHA All-Academic status, becoming the first women’s hockey players to receive All-Academic in the DI era.
Erickson said her teammates focused on having fun and remembering why they played hockey in the first place.
Five newcomers and nine sophomores will make up a majority of the Tommies’ roster next season.
“We’re hoping to improve on this season,” Sertich said. “The experience we gained this year will help us next year.”
Check out the latest episode of TommieMedia’s The Locker Room where Sertich, Erickson and Almich joined Hoepner to discuss their inaugural DI season.
Sam Larson can be reached at lars4378@stthomas.edu.