(Photo: Reagan Smith/WCSN)
Ah, the end of the fall semester of college. For many, it signifies the payoff of the past four months of studying, testing, and all-nighters. For the Arizona State Women’s Hockey team, it signifies a lonely month without organized team activities.
No 5 a.m. wake-ups for 7 a.m. practices. No end of practice bag skates. And certainly no media presence to surround them after.
Even still, the month reprieve wasn’t a time that the players could afford to sit back idly and forget about the world of hockey.
In fact, it was quite the opposite. Head coach Lindsey Ellis made sure of that.
Before heading into the winter break, Ellis tasked the players to execute a workout program consisting of a cardio challenge where each player had to complete 100 miles.
“I think it’s important for not only [the coaches] to be able to give them a solid program, for them to do, but for the captains to hold everybody accountable,” Ellis said.
For every player, the long break was spent just a little bit differently. Sophomore forward Amy Gulliksen spent the break back near Chicago, IL, where her and her extended family took a trip to downtown and grab lunch at the Walnut Room inside of Macy’s.
“It’s kind of nice just to see everyone and go downtown and see what’s going on down there,” Gulliksen said.
For freshman defenseman Morgan Benson, her family carries the spirit of hockey and skating every Christmas morning by doing their own morning skate before opening the presents.
Even though the players had all left the Valley and returned to their homes in the various parts of the US and Canada, there were a few constants — spending time out on the ice and participating in cardio exercises.
“I think you can’t understate the importance of staying active over the break,” senior goaltender and alternate captain Jordan Nash-Boulden said. “It makes a big difference, but it just takes a little bit of initiative.”
One player who has consistently demonstrated that initiative to work on and off the ice has been sophomore alternate captain Danielle Dupont.
When tasked with completing the 100 mile challenge back in July, Dupont shattered that goal running 270 miles in total.
More than that, Dupont uses the winter break to spend time with her brother and father on the ice and in the gym to continue to hone in her skills.
“I attribute a lot of my growth on the ice to them, and that they keep pushing me to get better and never give up on being the best I can be,” Dupont said. “They believe in me and I want to make them proud.”
To cap things off, the family competes in a competitive 3-on-3 tournament to claim ultimate bragging rights.
Dupont’s team finished second, losing to her brother in the finals.
“The sibling rivalry is like we both push each other and believe in each other,” Dupont said. “I’m his biggest fan, and he’s mine.”
Dupont added, “We started a comeback, but weren’t able to complete it. Now I have to live with the fact that he can brag about his back-to-back titles.”
It’s nose to the grindstone once again. Back to the 5 a.m. wake-ups and 7 a.m. skates. Next up for the team: Up the road rival Grand Canyon University.
“The whole team seems ready to be back and they clearly put in the work over break so that they would come back prepared,” Dupont said. “We’re all ready to pick up where we left off, and continue our dominant season.”
