WATERVILLE — After taking a major step forward as a program last season, the Colby women’s hockey team is eager for more.
The Mules went 16-6-1 last season and earned a trip to the NCAA Division III tournament.
Colby is off to an 8-0-0 start this season and is ranked No. 6 in the U.S. College Hockey Online (USCHO) Division III poll. The Mules have scored 37 goals during their non-conference stretch, while allowing just eight.
“(The start) has been good,” Colby head coach Holley Tyng said. “We had a lot of turnover on our roster and we have 10, 11 new players. We were pretty inexperienced (at goalie) after Nina (Prünster) carried the load last year. Playing the majority of our non-conference games at the start has been good for us and getting our feet underneath us. It’s nice to have that experience. But the competition of the (New England Small College Athletic Conference) is far superior. We have a much bigger test now that we’re going to play conference (games).”
Colby entered the season knowing it needed its younger players to produce. The Mules have 18 players who are either freshmen or sophomores.
“Getting to see what lines work together, which (defensive) pairs work together, that was really important for us,” said senior defenseman Bri Michaud-Nolan, a captain and Wells High School graduate. “(The young players) have been great assets for us, you can see by the standings and scores.”
Junior forward Meg Rittenhouse leads the team in goals (7), assists (8) and points (15). Senior forward McKinley Karpa is tied with Rittenhouse with eight assists and is second on the team in points (12).
“I think we took the momentum from last year into this year, which is awesome,” said Rittenhouse, a team captain. “Just having such a big team and the depth on this team, I don’t think Colby hockey, in general, has had that. Having the trust in everyone that they can show up and play is really cool, from the goalies all the way to the freshmen. I’m just excited to see how (that production carries) in conference play.”
Colby College women’s hockey coach Holley Tyng, bottom, directs the team during practice Tuesday in Waterville. The Mules are off to am 8-0-0 start and are ranked sixth in the nation. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel
The pleasant surprise of the early season is the goaltender play. Last year’s top goalie, Nina Prünster — who went 13-6-1 with a 1.23 goals against average — graduated. Prünster was named a CCM Hockey/ACHA All-American, the program’s first since 2000. This season, the Mules have used three goalies, sophomore Paige Bolyard, sophomore Mandy Busky and freshman Grace Caligiuri. Bolyard (5-0-0, 0.81 GAA) has received the bulk of the work, but Busky (2-0-0, 1.20 GAA) and Caligiuri (1-0-0, 1.88 GAA) have played well.
“It’s awesome that you can have three goalies and feel like you can put any one of them in,” Rittenhouse said. “We’re all comfortable with it.”
“Coaches and team alike, we have the utmost confidence in all three (goalies),” Tyng added. “They’ve worked really hard to earn that and it’s great to see.”
The NESCAC schedule will not be easy for the Mules. Colby sits fourth in the conference standings, with an upcoming trip to Hamilton (7-2-0, 3rd in the NESCAC), followed by a game against defending NESCAC champion Middlebury (5-3-0, 5th in the NESCAC). Sitting atop the standings is Amherst (9-1-0), which gave Colby fits last season. In three games, Colby went 0-2-1 against the Mammoths, including a 2-1 loss in overtime in the semifinal round of the NESCAC tournament.
“It’s great to start back out with Hamilton, which is the longest road trip,” Tyng said. “It’s like, let’s sort of just get on the bus and continue to bond after being apart for about a month (for the holiday break). I’m looking at the road trip as something that’s sort of exciting. Hamilton, (Middlebury), Williams right off the bat. Every single weekend, it’s just so exciting to play great competition.”
For the veteran Colby players, the conference schedule brings added motivation.
“There’s definitely unfinished business,” Michaud-Nolan said. “I’d say we’re gunning for all the teams. What we’ve seen of the NESCAC so far, it’s anyone’s season and anyone’s game. Each weekend is kind of going back and forth. Especially with Amherst, we’re looking for some revenge there.”
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