2002-03 Warrior Women's
Ice Hockey Outlook

The Wayne State University women’s hockey team begins its fourth season with a third solid recruiting class coming on board.

Last season with just one upperclassman on the roster, the Warriors struggled to a 6-23-2 record.

Head coach Tom O’Malley’s squad will look to have an improved record in the tough Great Lakes Women’s Hockey Association, which added Niagara University during the off-season and become the College Hockey America Women (CHAW).

A position breakdown follows:

Goaltenders (Returnees 2/Newcomers 2)
Junior Anna VanderMarliere (St. Clair Shores, Mich.) and sophomore Tina Thibideau (Barrie, Ont.) both saw considerable playing time last season.

VanderMarliere had a 1-9-2 record with a 3.78 goals-against average and a .886 save percentage, while Thibideau had 5-12-0 mark with a 3.63 gaa and a .893 save percentage.

Challenging for playing time will be freshmen Kristina Putek (Lincoln Park, Mich.) and Katrina Hodgeson (Davison, Mich.). “Both will look to see some playing time this season,” said O’Malley.

Hodgeson was the starting netminder for the HoneyBaked Under-19 team, while Putek was the starting goalie for the Lincoln Park High School boys hockey team.

Defensemen (Returnees 5/Newcomers 5)
The Warrior blueline corps will be led by senior captain Kelly Meech (Coquitlam, B.C.). She led all WSU defensemen with five goals last year.

Joining Meech on the backline will be senior Kristina Sanfilippo (Trenton, Mich.), junior Joanie Denby (Sterling Hts., Mich.), and sophomores Krissy Langley (Minnetonka, Minn.) and Silva Nazoyan (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.).

Sanfilippo is the lone player remaining from the program’s first year. Denby is a physical presence in the defensive zone. Langley led all WSU blueliners in assists with nine last year, with Nazoyan looking for increased ice time after spending last year adjusting to the pace of the collegiate game.

Looking to crack the lineup on the blueline will be freshmen Rachael Benninger (Huntington Beach, Calif.), Colleen Brennan (Grosse Pte. Woods, Mich.), Lindsey Mareel (New Baltimore, Mich.), Peyton Patterson (Brampton, Ont.), and Kristi Thome (Euclid, Ohio).

Thome was captain of the Ohio Flames, who finished second at the national championships. “Kristi will be paired with one of the returning defensemen,” added O’Malley. Benninger is a Team California veteran and will battle Michigan natives Brennan and Mareel, and Patterson, who played for the Toronto Sting last season, for ice time.

Forwards (Returnees 12/Newcomers 7)
Sophomore Kelly Zamora (Oshawa, Ont.), last year’s scoring leader with 11 goals and 23 points, will be counted upon for increased scoring if the Warriors are to score more than 1.5 goals per game.

Adding scoring punch to the Wayne State offense will be juniors Melissa Wenzel (Canton, Mich.), Kim Spaulding (Farmington Hills, Mich.), Annie Devaney (Detroit, Mich.), Brooke Needer (Rouleau, Sask.), Lindsey Akers (Lincoln Park, Mich.), Katie Jones (Squamish, B.C.), Laurie Petchar (Saline, Mich.).

Jones was second on the team last year with seven lamp-lighters while Spaulding contributed eight assists. Wenzel had four goals in the final nine games last season. Petchar tied Zamora for team-high honors with two power-play goals.

Sophomores Cheryl Anderson (N. St. Paul, Minn.), Heidi Burns (Uniontown, Ohio), and Amie Hickerty (Calgary, Alb.) combined for 10 goals in their rookie campaign. Brooke Sharrard (South Lyon, Mich.) had to sit out last year after transferring from Ohio State.

Looking to make an immediate impact up front will be freshmen Mandy Finkle (Milford, Mich.), Jessica Haydahl (W. Vancouver, B.C.), Naomi Kupferstein (Thornhill, Ont.), Emily McGrath-Agg (New Westminster, B.C.), Keri Richards (Troy, Mich.), Megan Rushlow (Allen Park, Mich.), and Jessica Snelgrove (Tecumseh, Ont.).

“Sharrard will be a huge offensive addition,” stated O’Malley. “She practiced all last year and clearly demonstrated that she is an offensive threat.

“Kupferstein was a linemate of Zamora two years ago with the Toronto Marlies. Hopefully they will rekindle their cohesiveness and combine to add needed offensive punch.”

The newest members of the B.C. connection are McGrath-Agg and Haydahl. “Both will be counted on to add increase the WSU offensive output,” said O’Malley.

Rushlow and Finkle both played on the Little Caesar’s Under-19 team and will challenge for playing time this season. Richards is one of seven Michigan natives joining the Wayne State program this fall. “Snelgrove is a physical, aggressive goal-scorer who will also be a huge additional to the Warriors,” said O’Malley.

The 2002-03 schedule consists of six CHAW contests (two each against Findlay, Mercyhurst and Niagara), plus non-conference road games at Yale (Nov. 1), Princeton (Nov. 2), Manhattanville (Nov. 3), North Dakota (Dec. 6-7), Brown (Jan. 3), Harvard (Jan. 4), Vermont (Jan. 24-25), Northeastern (Jan. 31-Feb. 1). Non-league home series consist of Colgate (Oct. 18-19), Elmira College (Nov. 23-24), MSU-Mankato (Jan. 17-18), North Dakota (Feb. 14-15) and St. Cloud State (Feb. 21-22).

Wayne State will serve as the host institution for the third CHAW (formerly GLWHA) Championship on March 8-9.

“The return of last years total team that really showed its true potential down the stretch combined with the incoming players should put the Warriors over the hump,” commented O’Malley.

“I stated when I first arrived here that it would take at least four years for this team to really do some damage in the women’s hockey standings. I am really excited about this year’s team and season. It will be a great year for Wayne State women’s hockey.”