Back-to-back doubleheader games welcomed Sacred Heart University’s women’s ice hockey team to their 2024-2025 season. The Pioneers faced off against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) on their home-opening weekend from Oct. 4-5 and against Saint Anselm College from the following weekend of Oct. 11-12.
The women finished both doubleheaders even, winning and losing two games. Their first victory was against RPI in overtime for the team’s first game of the season. Graduate student Savanah Popick backhanded the game-winning goal with two minutes left in the three-on-three overtime.
“It was great to get that team win and to do it in that way,” said Popick. “It was such a great game and all-around great team effort from top to bottom.”
The women took their celebration on the bus and headed to Troy, N.Y. for the back half of their doubleheader. With less than 24 hours to recover and no home-ice advantage, the Pioneers fell four goals short to the Engineers.
“RPI had a chance to sleep in their own beds and have their own pregame meal, while we hopped on a bus,” said Head Coach Thomas O’Malley.
The next weekend against Saint Anselm would also feature back-to-back games with less than a day’s recovery. The Pioneers lost by one goal on Saturday but came back on Sunday to win with four unanswered goals.
This quick recovery process between games is something the women must master, as their next five weekends in the fall semester are all doubleheaders. This requires the team to understand and take care of their physical and mental body.
“Our athletic training staff takes such great care of us, and we are given so many things to help out with that recovery,” said Popick. “We have the utmost care in the world where we can go into an ice bath after a game, we can take a hot bath, or we can put on thermatech boots to help our legs out.”
Popick describes that her body is adjusted to the quick turnaround between games because of the support from the athletic trainers. SHU currently has eight full-time and five graduate student/intern athletic trainers for Division I sports, with facilities in the Valentine Health & Recreation Center and the William H. Pitt Athletic & Convocation Center
“Our athletic trainer sets us up with all the resources we need, but it’s also mental,” said junior Olivia LaRoche. “Reflecting after the game, if it goes poorly, we have to flush it. If it goes well, we need to play off that energy.”
The mental switch from one game to the next in less than 24 hours is also a challenge that the women face. LaRoche explained how difficult it is to lose the first game, quickly shake it off, and find the energy to play well in the second game.
A driving force that helps LaRoche and her teammates endure the short physical and mental recovery process between games is their shared love for the game.
“I personally have a lot of excitement when I think ‘That was a great win, but we still have tomorrow so let’s get ready for that,’” said Popick. “I think that’s such an underrated feeling.”
Popick’s words were put into play by the women’s third back-to-back games of the season. They were able to adequately adjust to the quick turnaround by winning 4-3 against Stonehill College on Friday and 2-0 against the same opponents on Saturday.
“I think it’s really fun that we get the opportunity to play a team twice in one weekend,” said LaRoche.
The Pioneers will be looking to extend their three-game winning streak when they face off against Long Island University in a doubleheader weekend from Nov. 1-2
