Sue Yovic Hoeller '73, who organized the first women's team [related story], was among those
who returned to skate against today's players, two of whom--Barb Gordon '97 and
Meaghan Sittler '98, were among the nation's elite players this season. Also
returning for the anniversary was Rick Drake '75, who, as a goalie for the
junior varsity men's team, was recruited to coach the first women's squad.
The earliest women's teams scavenged used equipment and practiced at 6 a.m.
and 11:30 p.m.--the only times the ice was available--and inspired an earnest
and enthusiastic following. Within three years of its inception as a club,
women's ice hockey was elevated to varsity status, making it the third oldest
program in the country. It also became a catalyst for an aggressive expansion
of varsity athletics for women at Colby in the middle and late '70s.
