Wildcat Hockey Shoots for NCAA Goal

By Kathryn Dillenback

Bay Path College goalie Kathryn Bromley watches from the opposite end of the rink. Lauren Belliveau slides the puck to Ashley Cimmino, who hits it to the other side of the rink where Tina McNeilly grabs a hold and makes a slap shot to the inside of the net of the opposing team.

The crowd goes wild.

Scoring on the opponent is the general goal of any ice hockey team and their fans, but more importantly, for the Bay Path College Wildcats. Although the team has yet to win a game, their strong willed players make every day enjoyable. Each goal scored is proof that this team has worked from the bottom up and is achieving more each and every day.

The team was founded in 2004 by Bay Path students Tina McNeilly and Lauren Belliveau. Tina was an ice skater and Lauren had played hockey in high school. The two girls were just looking to become active and get involved in something they both enjoyed.

“I had posted on the [Bay Path] website for incoming freshman that I was a figure skater and was looking to play hockey in college and Lauren replied. We decided to start a team and the rest is history” said McNeilly.

Pure determination is what makes the ice hockey team special compared to the other teams. The team started out as a club and with little support from the college, began working on recruiting interested teammates, collecting equipment, and learning how to skate.

While the team played floor hockey during practices, others on their own time took lessons and learned how to skate.

“I had no experience. I didn’t even know how to lace my skates,” laughed Bromley. “I’ve always wanted to play since I was a kid. I decided if I was going to do something new college was the place to do it.”

It was difficult to start an all-women’s ice hockey team. For the first year, the Student Government Association would not pass their fundraising requests and would instead pass the idea off to another club without any reasons why. The girls put their minds together, their dedication, and teamwork and fundraised without any help from the school. Over the past four years the team has raised over $6,000. The first two years were spent having meetings and fundraising.

“The school did not give us funding the first year, which was hard," explained McNeilly. "Here we are trying to start something to help promote athletics and expand the college but they refused to fund us as first. Once we made is clear that we weren’t going anywhere they gave us enough money this year to practice ten times.”

It was also very difficult to get service from sports shops.

“When we would go to get our skates sharpened, guys would walk in after us and get their skates done first. Bertelli’s in West Springfield was the only place that gave us a chance. We were helped out tremendously by them and they never made us feel bad for playing in a predominantly male sport,” said McNeilly.

The team has been told that they will be receiving more money for next year which made everyone happy. “We networked and we never stopped trying,” said Bromley.

The college rule for becoming an official team is that the original club needs to successfully run for two years before it can be approved.

The team fundraised in order to get ice time and equipment.

“We overcame [the obstacle] by working really hard to fundraise and make enough money to keep our team running,” said Bromley. The team fought hard to be recognized over the years.

Bromley said, “My favorite part of the experience is spending time with the girls and fundraising, oh… and making big saves.”

“My favorite part is watching the team grow. I’m so proud of what we’ve accomplished over the years,” said McNeilly. “I love playing together whether it’s during practice or in a game. I love being on the ice with my teammates, making passes connect and helping each other score.”

The team is finally funded a small amount of money to practice on the ice, but without the dedication of the students and the will to succeed, they would not be standing proudly as they do today.

“Ice hockey is the best thing I have ever done at Bay Path hands down. It taught me more about people than books ever could have” commented Bromley.
McNeilly gave some words of wisdom to anyone who is interested in joining, “If you are willing to work hard and you want to make memories that will last you a lifetime, look no further. We need people who can skate, teaching them how to play hockey is easy.”

The team still has a long way to go and knowing the success so far pushed the players to the limit.

“No one believed it would continue to happen after the first year,” said Bromley. McNeilly remarked, “I’m glad we were able to prove them wrong.”

The club has finally made it to team status and is qualified to play in the NCAA hockey league.

“The group is still considered a team, but [we] will continue playing as a club on campus because the team is still so new and new girls are still joining,” said Bromley.

This coming fall the team is looking to join a league that some of the surrounding colleges are a part of. “Joining the NCAA is a huge step,” said Bromley.

Although the senior co-founders will be leaving this year, all members are certain the team is here to stay. The team contains a great group of leaders, strong underclassmen, and hardworking coach Larry Nault. “I believe the sport will continue. We have really strong freshman and sophomores,” said Bromley, “Plus, I’m coming back to coach in the fall!”

The Bay Path Wildcat ice hockey team claims they have the best fans of any sport on campus. “The bond our team has is different than any other,” says Bromley.

This team has made it to the top and is ready to rock next season. Look out for passion, the power, and the excitement this team has to offer. These women are ready for a new year.

“We aren’t the best team you’ve ever seen but we have more dedication, drive and willpower than any other team around. Look out because these ladies are up and coming and before you know it, Bay Path Wildcats will be on top,” said McNeilly.