Athletics

Varsity Sports

Women's Ice Hockey

Overview

Katie Zimmerman '13, who was a NESCAC all-conference second team selection at forward last season, leads Hamilton College women's ice hockey into 2012-13. Zimmerman is one member of a strong five-player senior class for the Continentals. The others are Julia Beaty '13, Becca Hazlett '13, Abby Runyon '13 and Emily Baxter '13. Hazlett was the conference's 2009-10 rookie of the year and an all-conference goalie her first year. She is third all-time with 1,655 career saves for the Hamilton women. Zimmerman has 67 career points, including 36 goals, and Runyon has posted 45 points with the Continentals. Hamilton and new head coach Emily McNamara aim to return to the NESCAC championship semifinals for the first time since 2007.

The Continentals are a member of NESCAC, which is the best women's ice hockey conference in NCAA Division III. Two of the eight teams in the 2012 NCAA Championship field were from the NESCAC. NESCAC programs have won seven of the 13 national championships. Hamilton edged Middlebury College 2-1 in a thrilling overtime victory at home last season, and the Panthers went on to play in the NCAAs. The Continentals won at Bowdoin College in December 2010 for their first victory against the Polar Bears in 13 years. Some notable home games this season include the opener against Amherst College on Nov. 17, and a weekend doubleheader with Trinity College on Jan. 18 and 19.

Zimmerman leads the returners on the forward line. She topped the NESCAC with 17 goals and tied for 13th place in Division III in goals per game last season. Zimmerman also tied for fourth in the conference with 26 points. Runyon (5-11-16), Stephanie Lang '14 (6-7-13), Gigi Fraser '14 (5 goals) and Nikki Haskins '14 (5 goals) are back as well.

Hannah Jaiven '14 was one of the top point-producing defenders in the NESCAC last season. Jaiven finished seventh in defense scoring with 13 points, including a team-high 12 assists. Beaty, Courtney Power '15 and Julia Williams '14 join Jaiven on the blue line. Hazlett is one of the top goalies in program history. She posted a .907 save percentage with a 2.68 goals against average and three shutouts in 21 starts in 2011-12. Tori Bogen '14 and Sarah Schuchardt '15 are the backups in goal. As for special teams, Hamilton ended up third in the NESCAC in penalty kill last season at 87.4 percent.

Women's ice hockey has been a varsity program at Hamilton since 1996-97, when the team won 12 games. The Continentals set single-season program records for wins (13) and most goals scored (95) in 2002-03. Hamilton appeared in the Division III Top 10 coaches poll for the first time that season. The Continentals won a team-record six straight games the following season. Hamilton's first postseason victory was a 6-1 win against Amherst in the first round of the 2004 NESCAC Championship at venerable Russell Sage Rink. Hamilton has appeared in all 11 championships, and advanced to the semifinals in 2004, 2005 and 2007.

In 2009-10, the Continentals posted an overall record of 11-11-3, the most wins since they also recorded 11 victories in 2003-04. Hamilton made history on Feb. 6, 2010, when the Continentals edged Middlebury College 3-2 for their first win ever against the Panthers. Hazlett had one of the best seasons for a Hamilton goalie in team history. She ranked fourth in the NESCAC and set a program record with a .931 save percentage. She posted a 2.31 goals against average and two shutouts in 19 starts.

Six players have finished their careers with more than 100 points. Zoe Baldwin '06 holds the team record with 136 from 2002 to 2006. Baldwin set records for most goals in a season (30) and a career (91). She was a three-time NESCAC all-conference selection and the 2002-03 rookie of the year. Other 100-point scorers include Paula Dady '03 (133), Amy Williams '99 (117), Eden Self '04 (111), Marissa Halligan '05 (109) and Stephanie Miguel '11 (101).

Miguel received the first All-America award in Hamilton women's ice hockey history in 2009, when she made the second team for the East Region. Miguel led the NESCAC with 21 goals and 37 points in 2008-09. She was voted the conference's co-player of the year and named to the all-conference first team.

The women's ice hockey program is as solid in the classroom as it is on the ice. Beaty, Hazlett, Williams and Jennifer Keefe '12 earned spots on the 2011-12 NESCAC Winter All-Academic Team. Meg Shine '10 was elected to the Epsilon chapter of Phi Beta Kappa in 2010. Phi Beta Kappa is the oldest and most prestigious honor society in the country.