Kazmaier nod and World Gold cap off memorable month for Alex Carpenter

-
Since the first week of March, the transition from winter to spring has brought with it a memorable time in the history of American women’s ice hockey. Second generation star Alex Carpenter led the way by establishing herself as a true superstar. Her memorable month would culminate with gold at the 2015 IIHF Women’s Worlds in Malmo, Sweden.

Quite possibly the greatest player in the history of the Boston College Eagles program, she was joined on the US roster by the likes of Hannah Brandt and Brianna Decker in Malmo. Of note, Brandt and Decker would add to their own legacies during March 2014.

Earning CWHL Rookie of the Year honors, Decker continued to dominate in the postseason as the Boston Blades captured their second Clarkson Cup. With the absence of Amanda Kessel, Brandt would carry the offensive load, leading the Minnesota Golden Gophers to their record-breaking sixth NCAA Frozen Four title. Joining Carpenter in Malmo, all three would contribute to an emotional 7-5 win over Canada in the gold medal game.

The road to Malmo began with a sterling junior season at Boston College, which would be her greatest season yet. For the third time, she managed to improve on her previous season point totals (from 40 to 70 to 81 points). Not only did her 81 points lead all scorers in 2014-15 NCAA play, her 2.19 points per game also set the standard.

Beginning her season with a four-point performance against Syracuse on October 4, 2014, it marked the start of a superlative 25-game point scoring streak. Ending on February 3, 2015, she would manage to break her own Hockey East record of 24 consecutive games with a point (previously set in 2012-13). By season’s end, her 44 assists and 81 points also broke program records that she had previously set.

For her efforts, she became the first player in Boston College history to claim the prestigious Patty Kazmaier Award. Such an award was complemented by other honors including a First-Team All-America nod and the New England Division I Player of the Year Award. 

Taking into account that the program has produced the likes of Blake Bolden, Molly Schaus and Kelli Stack, all past nominees for the award, it speaks volumes about Carpenter’s impact. With her coach, Katie King-Crowley in attendance, Kaz-Mania ran rampant throughout Boston College athletics.

Getting the chance to play for Team USA in a gold medal effort at the 2015 IIHF Women's Worlds in Malmo also represented a unique bookend to her season. In November 2014, she was not only named to the US roster that competed at the 2014 Four Nations Cup in Kamloops, British Columbia (where the 2016 IIHF Women’s Worlds shall be hosted), she was bestowed the honor of team captain, testament to her superb talents.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Cheyenne Matus looking to make her mark with Rowan University

-
The road that Cheyenne Matus followed on her way to university hockey is one that many have taken before her. Competing in boys’ hockey, the feelings of resentment add to an uneasiness that is all too often, a sad yet character-building rite of passage. While she competed in other sports, such as soccer and softball, the Friday Night Skate at the local armory had captivated her. Three years later, the experience of house league hockey and private lessons paid dividends as Matus became a budding star in the various Boys Leagues. Reality would rear its ugly head once Matus became of high school age. Despite the fact that her skills were such that she was invited to compete in the high school spring league (before her freshman year was to begin), she found herself unfairly isolated and ostracized because she was the only girl competing. Once summer became autumn and school bells filled the air, Matus had endured three difficult days of tryouts. Despite showing hard work and d
Read more

Sarah Davis contributes three points as Minnesota Golden Gophers capture first game of 2014 Hockey City Classic

-
Image
For a Minnesota Golden Gophers squad that has made its share of NCAA women’s hockey history, January 18 marked a new milestone for the proud program. Competing at TCF Bank Stadium, the Golden Gophers competed in their first home outdoor game. It was also the first NCAA Division I outdoor game ever held in the state of Minnesota. With an attendance of 6,623 fans, it was the largest attendance for a home game since November 2, 1997, the first game in program history (an 8-0 win against Augsburg). Of note, the Golden Gophers played in one other outdoor game, a January 29, 2011 contest on the road versus the Wisconsin Badgers. Attendance for that event was 10,668 fans, the highest attendance for a road game in program history. Playing against fellow WCHA rivals, the Minnesota-State Mankato Mavericks, the Hockey City Classic marked what fans hope can become an annual tradition. Improving their mark to 21-1-1 on the strength of three points by Sarah Davis, the Golden Gophers have
Read more

Acquisition of Bailey Bram by Sweden’s Linkoping a revolutionary step in women’s game

-
Image
While the world of women’s hockey is dominated in international play by Canada and the United States, the borders in the global game are slowly dissolving. Last season, All-World goaltender Florence Schelling spoiled Canadian hockey fans by competing with the CWHL’s Brampton Thunder. In January 2014, Sweden’s LHC Dam (also known as Linkoping) has reciprocated by bringing Bailey Bram into the fold. Truly a historic signing, it recognizes the value that women's players from North America mean to the growth of the game globally. Ironically, Bram was Schelling’s teammate with the Thunder for the 2012-13 season.   The sojourn to Sweden represents the third country where Bram shall play competitive hockey. In addition to her native Canada, she played four years of collegiate hockey in the United States with Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pennsylvania. Reputed as a great team player and a friendly personality, Bram is the perfect ambassador for the game in Sweden.     Having pla
Read more