Growing up, many kids playing youth hockey hope to one day be good enough to skate on the same ice as their NHL heroes. For a group of AU girls, this dream became a reality on Oct. 21, when the AU women's ice hockey team took on the University of Maryland at the Verizon Center for the third annual "Beltway Battle" between the two clubs.
Playing in the same building as the NHL's Washington Capitals, the Lady Eagles defeated the Terrapins 4-1 in front of over 250 screaming AU fans sitting in the stands.
The Eagles got strong play from both senior president Alicia Krawitz, who recorded her first career hat trick, and freshman goaltender Emily Schulte, who made 19 key saves to preserve the victory.
"The game against Maryland went better than expected. As a team we really clicked at the right time. Everyone was passing well and playing together," said Krawitz. "Especially in the Verizon Center, [it] was such a rush. Walking through the tunnel and stepping out onto the ice is an experience that can never be replaced."
The victory officially kicked off the beginning of the seventh season for the Lady Eagles, which was formed as a club team back in 2000. The team competes annually in both the regional Delaware Valley Collegiate Hockey Conference (DVCHC) as well as the national American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA).
Last season, playing against teams like Princeton University and Penn State University, the Eagles finished with a 5-15-0 record, good enough for sixth place in both the DVCHC and the ACHA southeast division.
This year's team looks to build off of their success in the opening game and improve enough to qualify for the league playoffs.
"Our biggest goal is to make it to playoffs. We have known since day one that was our goal, and the more I see us on the ice together the more I feel we have an honest shot at winning our league," said Krawitz.
While the team is constantly looking to improve its on-the-ice record, it would also like to improve its visibility on AU's campus and in the AU community.
"A lot of times when we are tabling or walking around campus with jerseys on the day before a game, there are so many people that will come up and say they didn't even know AU had a team!"said Krawitz. "AU students should know we give rides to our games if people are ever interested in coming."
The Lady Eagles next play at the University of Virginia on Saturday, Nov. 4. The first puck drops at 10 p.m.
