The team’s season is now over due to the Coronavirus, but Michigan State’s women’s hockey team was in a happy groove.
It takes more than just being a good athlete to succeed on Michigan State’s women’s club hockey team. They’re tough, successful, and also winning games – until the remainder of this season was canceled by the coronavirus pandemic.
They’ve had to manage their time between school and practice, relying on hockey as their release and workout.
“It is a lot of pressure to get everything done but its manageable,” co-captain Allison Lariviere, a senior studying Human Biology. “I myself and the rest of the girls on the team that share the same major study together.”
The women hang out and do homework together during away games. The upperclasswomen help the newcomers, on and off the ice.
“I try to help the younger ones on the team,” said Lariviere, “just because as a senior, I have experienced and learn so I like to help them out.”
The community extends to “hockey house”, where team co-captains Lariviere, Maddie Wolsmann and Julia Lutz, live together. They go to practice, study, and hang out together.
The players describe the team experience as fun, making practices a happy and effective time.
“Something that has definitely helped us out this season is our team chemistry,” said Lutz. “We are constantly improving, but the team chemistry this season has contributed to our success.”
Before the unexpected end to the season, the players committed to three practices a week, plus two games per week. Dedicating enough time to hockey, great team chemistry, and with the right amount of competition kept the team at a top this season.
“We are seniors now so a lot of the teams that we are playing we have played since our freshman year, so it has given us the opportunity to learn how they play and past it down to the younger ones on the team,” said Wolsmann. “This give us the opportunity to be more prepared when playing them.”
Seniors Lutz, Wolsmann, and Lariviere hope to continue to their involvement with hockey in the future with graduation right around the corner. Lutz is moving to Indiana, to start a new job as an engineer. She plans on volunteering there, by coaching hockey in her free time. Lariviere and Wolsmann plan on joining a beer league as soon as they graduate and begin their full-time jobs.
“I am going back home to Minnesota,” said Wolsmann. “Where I know that there definitely is hockey, so I’ll be doing a beer league for sure.”
