I sat down with Katie Horner '11 to talk about Dartmouth hockey, one amongst her many other activities on campus.
So what are your expectations for this year's season?
KH: Let's just say I didn't buy a graduation ring because I want an Ivy Championship ring this year. We haven't won it since I've been on the team.
Which team presents the biggest challenge?
KH: Cornell [University] is a really good team. We played them this weekend away and lost 6-1. They're number two in the nation. We play every Ivy League team twice and thankfully we get to play them at home later in the season.
What can you promise to the fans to get them to come out for big games?
KH: We're a physical, grinding team and we always give it our all on the ice. Should be fun to watch.
Physical even if there's no checking?
KH: If you've ever seen us in the weight room, you know we like to get after it.
So what are the strengths and weaknesses of this year's team?
KH: This group has great chemistry great camaraderie. There's no class divisions. We really work hard, when it comes down to it we put on our game faces and get it done.
So in addition to being captain of the team, you're also president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). What exactly do you do?
KH: What we do is act as a liaison between the varsity student athletes on campus and the administration. We make sure things are running smoothly between different teams and the athletic department. I've had a couple of sit-downs with [new athletic director] Harry Sheehy. We talk about any problems or issues that come up and also organize sweet events like the dodgeball tournament in the spring.
But that's not even the tip of the iceberg is it?
KH: I also helped start a new group at Dartmouth called Sports Business at Dartmouth, organize part of the D-Block tailgate series and I'm the new member educator for Kappa Kappa Gamma.
Which one is your biggest time commitment?
KH: I'd say the most time consuming is being new member educator and keeping track of 43 new babies.
Hmmm What's more horrifying: facing off against some beast chick on the ice or having to deal with a room of screaming '13 Kappas?
KH: I'd definitely say taking the gloves off on the ice is a little easier than dealing with a bunch of blue-bowed girls.
That is a grim thought. Is there actually fighting allowed in college hockey though?
KH: If you drop the mitts you get kicked out of the game. Our coach is a West Point man so his philosophy is beat em with your game not your words. Also, like in Kappa, we like to keep it classy on the ice as well.
Unfortunately, my job mandates I include that quote in the article. I'm sure it will live in infamy. Switching gears a bit, how do you manage your time with all of your commitments here?
KH: When I'm at hockey I'm not thinking about anything else. I give everything I have to everything I'm involved in. There aren't that many nights I can get to bed before 12, though. I try not to spread myself too thin. There are other things I can get involved in but I have to say no. I'm just trying to make the most and do the most with my time here.
How does college hockey work in the division between the different leagues?
KH: We play in both the ECAC and the Ivy League. The ECAC determines bids to the national tournament so you need to finish top eight out of 32. Ivy is pretty much bragging rights, getting that bling on your finger. We want the bid to Nationals. The Ivy Championship is more about us getting a rock. We're just trying to get ours. At the end of the year we'll be bummed if we don't win, but it's about the Nationals.
So bringing it full circle, what would make this season a success?
KH: My freshman and sophomore year, we got bids to the tournament and lost in the first round. Last year when we didn't make the playoffs, it was a huge blow to our ego and this year we're out for revenge. Not only are we playing to get some revenge for the seniors last year, we want to end the season for us on a high note.
