This week I got the chance to sit down with women's ice hockey forward Sally Komarek '13 to discuss hockey, life and the team's successful season.
When did you first start playing hockey?
SK: I started playing hockey when I was eight. I had figure skated since I was four years old, but I made the switch from figure skating to hockey when my older sister started playing. I'm also extremely pigeon-toed, so I didn't quite have the grace figure skaters tend to have. Also, everyone in Minnesota plays hockey, so I thought I should probably play as well.
How'd you decide to play college hockey at Dartmouth?
SK: When I was 14, I was coached by Mark Hudak (Dartmouth's head coach) at a USA Development Hockey Camp. I had always thought he was a great coach and got along with him well, so Dartmouth was on my radar. When I came and visited, I really liked the academics, the strong sense of community and the team. After that, I pretty much instantly decided that Dartmouth was the school for me.
The team dominated Brown University and Yale University over the weekend and has only lost once since the beginning of December. What do you think led to the team's success?
SK: Our coach describes it as "getting in the wheelbarrow." This happens when everybody is on same sheet of music, really supporting each other on the ice and playing in unison. I think we have been really good about working together as a team on the ice to win these games. We try and stay focused on what we can do as a team regardless of our opponent. We understand the potential we have to accomplish great things this season, and we trust one another to give everything we have day in and day out. This trust is really what I think is at the root of our success.
How was the experience playing at Frozen Fenway?
SK: The atmosphere at Frozen Fenway was unreal. The stands were packed and packed with Dartmouth fans. There were tons of alumni who came with flags, posters, huge banners, everything you can imagine. It was great to look out into the stands and see all that support. The experience of playing outdoors was fun because it really enabled us go back to our roots. Most of the team started playing hockey outdoors, and to play a competitive college game in that atmosphere was amazing. It's sad to see that outdoor hockey isn't played as often anymore, but I'm thankful that we were lucky enough to be able to play [at] Frozen Fenway. The fact that we won the game just made the experience even better.
It seems like most of your team is Canadian. Is there a big American-Canadian rivalry?
SK: There is a huge rivalry on the team between the Canadians and Americans. At captain's practice, we always play America vs. Canada. A lot of our rivalry comes out in the locker room because of the phrases and sayings that Canadians have. For instance, we don't "write tests" and grades are not "marks." Their pronunciation of some words is pretty ridiculous as well. The dual-citizens serve as translators when the Canadians forget how to pronounce the letter A' when they speak. Fact of the matter is, they left their country to live in ours, and we're happy to have them here to entertain us.
I hear the team has some interesting pre-game rituals?
SK: Our entire team really loves to dance during our warm-ups. Although we're focused when we hit the ice, we like to stay loose and relaxed during warm-ups. During our off ice warm-up, we sing and dance non-stop. Kelly Foley '12 leads some of the team in "The Wiggle" before every game. After we're warmed up, we circle up for a miniature dance-off followed by an emotional rendition of "Not Ready to Make Nice." I like to think that it's our lucky charm and has been a big part of our recent success.
What's the most exciting environment you've ever played in?
SK: Although Fenway was a once in a lifetime experience, I think the best atmosphere I've ever played in was our home game this year against Cornell. The stands were packed, and we had a ton of alums come up. It was a big game and there was just a ton of energy. Cornell is the No. 3 team in the country, and even though we lost in overtime, we outshot them. To dominate the game against the No. 3 team in the country got us geared up for the postseason in hopes that we get a chance to play them again.
