WILKES-BARRE – The Wilkes University women's ice hockey team is set to return to the ice to begin its 2020-21 season on Friday, February 26. The delayed season is now ready to begin with the Colonels set to embark on their third year of competition under the guidance of head coach Earl Utter.

Wilkes finished the 2019-20 season with a 5-17-1 overall record and at 4-11-1 in the United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC), picking up numerous program firsts along the way. Among those firsts were the first win in program history (December 7, 2019 vs. Anna Maria), the first UCHC and Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) victory (January 11, 2020 vs. King's), and the first road victory (January 25, 2020 at Alvernia).

This season the Colonels full schedule will consist of UCHC play with no non-conference games. The Colonels 2020-21 roster consists of 13 returning players in four juniors and nine sophomores along with five first-year players for a total of 18 student-athletes.

"The women were very excited to be able to have a season," Utter said. "They came back to school focused, and they remain focused. Our practices have been fantastic. I attribute that to their desire to play and the fact that we are growing more experienced as a group. Our goals are about the same every year, we want to make the playoffs, but perhaps, more importantly, that we continue to grow into a strong team unit and potential powerhouse in the UCHC, MAC and Pennsylvania." 

Junior forwards Shauna Tubbs (Maumee, OH/) and Kendall Castro (Killingworth, CT/) return after leading the team in goal scoring last year with five goals each. Tubbs was selected Honorable Mention All-MAC for her efforts. Junior forward Laurenne Fraser (Salt Lake City, UT/) became the first player in program history to record a multi-goal game when she did so on February 2, 2020 in a victory over Lebanon Valley.

Allyson Joly (Lincoln, RI/) returns to the net for the Colonels for her junior season. Last year Joly was named Second Team All-MAC and finished with a 4-9-1 record, a .904 save percentage, and a 3.90 goals-against-average with 584 total saves.

Leading the sophomore class is defenseman Abigail Barcless (Hamilton, NJ) who was named Honorable Mention All-MAC last season. She registered one goal and four assists for five points. Fellow sophomore defender Valerie Koenig (Arlington, TX/) led the Colonels with 36 blocked shots last year.

Sophomore Abby Miller (Webster, NY) also returns to the defense this season. Leading the sophomore contingent of forwards will be Julie Patterson (Trenton, NJ/). She tied for the team lead with eight points (four goals, four assists) last season along with Tubbs and Castro. Andrea Delvecchio (Orange, CT/Amity), Gianna Manzi (Aston, PA/), Quinn Rodefeld (Blaine, MN/), Abby Davis (Mountain Top, PA), and Amanda Bunje (Warminster, PA/) make up the rest of the sophomore forwards that gained valuable experience a season ago.

"Each team member has the ability to be a leader on and off the ice," Utter commented about the returning players. "A strong team can only come from everyone buying into the system, structure and culture of the team and I am looking forward to each contributing their unique brand of leadership to our group."

Joining Wilkes this season are five first-year players that will immediately compete for large ice-time minutes. Goaltender Addy Olson (Naples, FL), forward Sarah Uhall (Greensburg, PA), forward Rachel Morey (Buffalo, WY), forward/defense Elizabeth Spoon (Arlington, TX), and defenseman Kiera Lacombe (Buckeye, AZ) are the freshmen additions.

"I am very excited with the potential and the ability of the young women who have joined our group," Utter said. "Each comes from a solid club background, has played at a high level and has competed against the very best players in the nation. We are counting on these young women to step in and play important roles their entire four years here."

The Colonels 12-game schedule will consist of six UCHC opponents with either a Friday-Saturday or Friday-Sunday doubleheader scheduled home and away against each team. Wilkes' first series against Alvernia was postponed last weekend and has not been rescheduled at this point.

Wilkes is in the UCHC Women's South division made up of Alvernia, Chatham, Lebanon Valley, Neumann, and Stevenson. The Colonels are only slated to play Chatham of those teams unless Alvernia is rescheduled. The rest of Wilkes' schedule consists of games against the four UCHC Women's North division teams in Elmira, Manhattanville, Nazareth, and Utica.

"We play five teams that made the playoffs last year," Utter remarked. "I see our schedule as a way for us to grow and develop as a group. The schedule will be a challenge for all of us associated with the team, but the schedule should make us a much better team and put us on the track to where we want to be."  

The Colonels will first take the ice on Friday, February 26 at Chatham with puck drop scheduled for 3:00 p.m. in Pittsburgh, Pa. Wilkes will then face the Cougars at the Toyota SportsPlex on Sunday, February 28 at 3:30 p.m. to open the home portion of its schedule.