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CLUB HISTORY
The MSU Women's Club Hockey Team was
formed in the spring of 1995. It was the first women's club hockey team
in the state of Michigan. The first year the roster contained only 13
players, who played a very limited schedule that year. The 1995-1996
season showed improvement, with 15 players were on the team, and a full
schedule of games from early October until Late February.
In 1996-1997, the club became a
member of the Central Collegiate Women's Hockey Association (CCWHA)
along with U-Michigan, Wisconsin,
Illinois, Ohio State and Lake Forest.The team played a 30 game
schedule. Also in 1996-1997, there were enough players to form a second
team; the teams were identified by color. The white team would be geared
more towards new players and developing basic hockey skills. The Green
team played a competitive schedule in the CCWHA.
The Green team has developing into a
very competitive organization. In 2000-2001, the green team also joined
the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA), which is the national
governing body for non-varsity men’s and women’s collegiate ice hockey.
In 2001-02, The Spartans began
carrying a full 20-person roster, and the white team consisted of 15
players. The green team brought home their first CCWHA League and
Tournament championships, as well as a fifth place finish at the ACHA
National Championship tournament, while playing the toughest schedule in
the ACHA.
In 2002-03, a new chapter began for
the club by repeating both CCWHA titles and winning the ACHA National
Championship in dramatic fashion, with the game winning goal scored with
three minutes remaining in the final versus the defending champion,
University of Wisconsin.
In 2003-04, the team won the CCWHA, finished 2nd in
the CCWHA League Tournament, and placed 3rd at Nationals.
The
team has a new focus for 2004-05 by adding multiple varsity opponents
and again scheduling the most powerful non-varsity teams, in its quest
to win another national championship.
THE ICEBREAKERS
The Icebreakers are a booster
club whose purpose is to promote and support
the Women's Ice Hockey Program at Michigan State University, and to
assist with the elevation of the program to varsity status. The
Icebreakers have been involved in three varsity application submissions,
in 1996, 1999, and 2003-04.
The booster club was started in the spring of 1997 by Bill Burgess. Mr.
Burgess was also one of the founders of the men's booster club (The
Blueliners), and was involved with the off-ice officials at MSU for a
number of years. Without Mr. Burgess, the Icebreakers would not be what
it is today.
The first president of the club was Deb Marshall. She served from
1997 until
the spring of 1998. Marge Kick became president in '98-99. Marie McCurdy
served in '99-00, John Munn in '00-01 and '01-02, and Tricia Pulis is
the president this year. The Icebreakers include 9 board members and
about 175 general members. The board meets once a month, and more often
than once a month if something important is going on. (For example,
working on a varsity application) The board meets once in the summer.
Current members include:
Pres - Pete
Didrichsons
Sec - Luanne Fine
Bd. Members - Nancy Didrichsons,
Tom Gallery, Nancy Spensley, Trish Pulis
The Icebreakers have come a long way financially in the last few
years, and are now often able to help the teams out with vans/buses for
some of their farther road trips. The Icebreakers are a great help to
the MSU Women's Club Hockey team, and are working very hard to make the
sport varsity at Michigan State.
Contact Information for the Icebreakers |
