Ice Time
A SENIOR from Rosemont, Pennsylvania, who became hooked on the Philadelphia Flyers 11 years ago, has done a lot to advance the cause of women's ice hockey at Dartmouth. "I really hadn't played until I got up here," says Lea Boiling. "My father had played hockey at Princeton and I had figure skated a long time ago, but my real interest came through the Flyers in 1967. And I jumped at it when I got a chance up here."
Boiling is a charter member of the women's hockey team, plays right wing on the starting line, and is co-captain of the squad this winter. She has also been the team's cohesive force during her undergraduate years. Women's hockey does not enjoy varsity status. It is a financially supported club, which means that Dartmouth gives it about $3,000 a year plus free ice time.
The club was born in the winter of 1975 when a group of sophomores approached Agnes Kurtz, now assistant director of athletics for women, with the idea for a women's team. The dozen or so players were given an hour a week ice time at the hockey rink through the College's intramural program, and they complemented that with practice on Occom Pond. They had two scrimmages with Hanover High and one against the University Of New Hampshire. "We got mooshed 9 to 4," says Boiling, who was a freshman then. "They were a lot stronger than we were, a lot bigger, and a lot more experienced."
"I decided at the end of that year to work on it more and we got club status the next year," explains Boiling. The upgrade from intramural status got the team two 90-minute periods of ice time a week. "We set up six games and we lost all six of them, but we were getting a lot better. There were 20 people on the club and we got a little money from the College for travel. We borrowed most of the equipment and helmets from the intramural program and jerseys from the men's hockey program."
About 25 players turned out for the team last year and ice time at the hockey rink was increased to three two-hour sessions a week. The team posted its first victory, a 2-0 triumph over Middlebury, and added wins over Exeter and Pennsylvania en route to 3-6 regular season record and a 0-1 mark in the Ivy League tournament.
Midway through this season the team had a record of 4-3-1, with four games remaining. Ice time had been increased to five two-hour sessions and cuts had to be made to limit the team to 20 members. The women play their games in Thompson Arena and, in the case of conflicts, Davis Rink. About 50 spectators turn out for the games.
The rules for women's hockey are basically the same as for men's hockey. "There's no checking in women's hockey," says Boiling. "But there is body contact — pushing and shoving in front of the net and in the corners. It's not like nobody touches each other."
Varsity status is the next move up the ladder for the team. "We had hoped to get it next year but probably won't get it for another couple of years," points out Boiling, who in addition to doing all the scheduling for the team since 1976, has managed to score seven goals this year. "It's a very expensive sport and if we do go varsity, we need everything the men's varsity has [because of the Title IX requirements]. We actually could get along with a little bit less. The school has been very good at accommodating our wishes. We are doing all right. Women's ice hockey has a long way to go in Northern New England but we're catching up," she adds.
She gives a lot of the credit for the program's success to Ted Wingate '77, who now serves as a part-time (hockey) coach with the College since his graduation last June. "It would have been rewarding to me to see women's hockey designated a varsity program while I'm here," notes Boiling, who played three years of junior varsity field hockey and will captain the (women's) varsity lacrosse team during her fourth year of that sport in the spring. "But it has been a rewarding experience to see the program grow. I hope it will continue to grow. There sure is a lot of interest in the whole sport here."
The mask is standard equipment, the pigtails optional for the women's hockey goalie.
The Recordsthrough February 13 Men's Basketball (8-11) Women's Basketball (8-5) Hockey (9-11) Men's Swimming (5-3) Women's Swimming (8-2) Track (9-2) Men's Gymnastics (4-1) Women's Gymnastics (2-4) Men's Squash (3-5) Women's Squash (4-1) The men's and women's ski teams both finished second to Vermont at Winter Carnival.
