University of Arizona has a competitive women’s hockey team for the first time since 2007. 

The team, part of the Western Women’s Collegiate Hockey League, competes in the American Collegiate Hockey Association Division.

In its first season, which ended in early March, the Wildcats finished with a 7-20 record, scoring 50 goals while allowing 73. However they dominated the in-state rivalry against GCU, going 4-0 in their matchups. 

The team had only seven practices together before their first game under Coach Caitlin Hogan, who had to build the program from the ground up.

That was  no small feat especially with a roster as young as Arizona’s; 12 freshmen, two sophomores, three juniors and one senior, Jocelyn Hazzard. 

Hazzard, a forward from Chicago, never planned to play collegiate hockey. But when she heard they were looking to build a team, it piqued her interest.  She landed on the roster after trying out with Hogan. As the lone senior, she took on the role as team leader.

“To be honest, you might not anticipate my leadership role. I’ve learned as much on the ice from this bunch of girls as they have from me,” Hazzard said. “In addition to hockey, I give them advice on academics and social interactions based on my own four years of experience.”

With more than half of the roster coming from outside the U.S., the Wildcats have not only had to adjust to the speed and skill of D1 hockey but also to each other. The mix of different playing styles and experiences has made team chemistry an ongoing focus. 

“We actually went through a lot of adversity this season, we had some players leave midway through the season for all different reasons, but the team continued to come together and grow stronger as a unit with each challenge,” Coach Hogan said.

In addition to roster changes, the team had to juggle the Tucson Convention Center’s schedules to find ice time. The Tucson Roadrunners professional hockey team and UA men’s hockey team also compete at the arena. 

“There are weeks at a time when we don’t have ice available to us and are unable to practice,” Hogan said. “We found a lot of opportunities to continue to come together as a team and work on our hockey-specific skills off the ice. No other team in the country has to deal with situations like that and the girls took it all in stride.”

Junior Essi Toivanen from Finland has been one of Arizona’s rising stars. She has played on 22 games, scored one goal and had one assist in her first season. Hockey has been a huge part of her life and she knew she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to be part of this team. 

“Once I met the team and the coach, I knew I would regret it if I didn’t play,” Toivanen explained. “I have been skating since I was 3, so when I told my family that they are building a team here my mom was all in on me playing.”

The Wildcats have had to adapt to the speed and roughness of elite collegiate hockey when playing against reputable institutions like the University of Jamestown, and No. 2-ranked Maryville University. 

“I’m beyond proud of our performance,” Hogan said. “Most first-year teams have one or two wins all year; we had a ton of close games with top teams in the nation and competed hard every step of the way.”

Arizona Sonoran News is a news service of the University of Arizona School of Journalism