Ryder, women's hockey team shut down Wesleyan, look to run table

By John Wulf '12
SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR

The Hamilton women’s ice hockey team finds itself in a familiar place: for the fourth straight year the Continentals will be first-round underdogs in the NESCAC playoffs. It’s the team’s 10th straight appearance in the postseason, and while making the tournament is a nice accomplishment, the early playoff exits that have left the team wanting.

In 2008, as the number six seed, Hamilton lost to Trinity 5-1. In 2009, as the tournament’s eighth seed, Hamilton lost 7-1 to Amherst. Just last year, again as the no. 6 seed, Hamilton lost to Middlbury 8-1.

This string of embarrassing results that have left ugly stains on otherwise productive seasons. Now, heading into the playoffs as the sixth seed for the third time in four years, Hamilton has an opportunity to buck the trend.

Said Captain Bret Lineberry ’11, “We have not made it past this hurdle in my previous three seasons and I truly believe we are a talented enough team this year to break that pattern.” Perhaps the team’s season-finale victory was the perfect place to start.

In an emotional game that celebrated the careers of five seniors, two noteworthy performances helped Hamilton dominate Wesleyan from start to finish. First, Stephanie Miguel ’11, the All-American forward who has persevered through a collapsed lung and a broken hand over the course of her career, registered assists on three of the team’s four goals. On her third assist she scored her 100th career point.
“It was great. After I broke my hand and missed the first month of this season I wasn’t sure if I’d get there. But to score my 100th point with a win on senior-day, and to do in front my family—it was as good as it gets.”

The performances by Miguel and the offense were fortified by another strong showing, that of senior goaltender Lesley Ryder.
Coming off a knee injury that hampered her for most of the season, Ryder stonewalled the Wesleyan attack in her only start of the season. She also recorded the second complete shutout of her career.

“Getting the shutout felt amazing. All game everyone was so supportive and the defense was blocking shots like crazy…it was a storybook ending to a great senior game.”

For Ryder, it was likely her last start as a Continental. Hamilton plays Trinity this weekend and will likely rely on stalwart goaltender, Becca Hazlett ’13. With Hazlett in net, Hamilton looks to exact revenge from a familiar opponent. Last Friday, Trinity beat Hamilton 3-1 after scoring twice in the third period.

Earlier in the year at Trinity, Hamilton also lost 3-1. Still, despite the loses, the Continentals head into the game with confidence.
In both games against Trinity, Hamilton almost put an amount of equal shots on goal and were a break or two away from taking the lead.
Said Lineberry, “In terms of our loss against Trinity, the team learned that we cannot afford to take a period off, but also that when we do play our game, we are fairly evenly matched.”

As Hamilton leaves this Saturday for Hartford, Connecticut, they’ll be leaving in familiar fashion: They’ll pack their road jerseys, prepare for a meal at junior Laura Dicarlo’s favorite hometown restaurant, then step onto the ice for the fourth straight year as a playoff underdog.
Finally, the puck will drop; and from there, everything starts anew.