The 14 women who helped launch the Arcadia women’s hockey program three seasons ago have accomplished a lot on the ice as their four-year record of 57-39-6 attests, including 19-3-3 this season. On Saturday the Knights will host Lebanon Valley in a Middle Atlantic Conference game; the winner will play for an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III women’s tournament next week.

Head coach Kelsey Koelzer is justifiably proud of all this. She sensed early on that her first recruiting class was capable of doing some remarkable things.

“Obviously, you never quite know fully what success you’re going to have year over year based sometimes on how your opponents fare year over year as well,” she said.

“But, I think the success we were able to find even within that first year (when the Knight finished 10-15-1, their only losing season) kind of gave me an inkling what the next three years were going to provide.

“I think each year as the team has grown older, we’ve been able to evolve and move past some of those milestones that have tripped us up in the past. A lot of that comes from maturity and experience.

“So, I think when you’re thinking about increased success, some of that is naturally going to come with your team growing together and going through different hardships, which we’ve definitely faced over our first three years.

“But I think it’s also a testament to the mindset that our team, has. I think that goes a really long way because you can’t be complacent with where you’re at, go through it thinking ‘Our experience is going to help us  continue to achieve success.’ But our team has really put in the work”

“I think had you asked me at any point if we’d be 19-3-3 in our fourth season, that’s definitely a surprise, having  a record that strong. But I 100 percent anticipated dour team having success within those first four years and I’m just happy the seniors have been able to bare winless to the hard work they’ve put in and have some of that success.”

The fact that Koelzer has been able to attract players who were willing and able to accept the challenge that come with being part a new program has contributed significantly to the Knights’ success.

“Every single year we’ve looked to bring in players that are going to continue to push everyone,” she said, “but also fit seamlessly and be able to fit in with the mindset that that inaugural class set forth and be able to kind of commit them and their hard work.”

Koelzer spoke to how the Class of 2025 has evolved as hockey players over the course of their careers.

“They’ve done an absolutely incredible job and kept coming together as a group,” she said. That’ something they stressed early on, celebrting each other’s strengths and pushing each other through their weaknesses and finding ways to compliment each other on the ice and off the ice.

“Every year when you add new people into the mix, there’s an adjustment period to kind of figure that out but every single year what has helped a ton is this team’s ability to settle in with “What are those roles that every individual cam play and how can we play them to our best?’ They’ve really understood that, especially this year and worked to find what those best combinations are are and ‘How can I help the team in every single way, even if I’m playing a different role than I was last year or the year before?”

As pleased as she is with the quality of her program on the ice, Koelzer is particularly proud of how her player have evolved away from the ice.

“As individuals, I’ve seem so much growth in every single one of them,” she said. “A lot of them have been through a lot when it comes to learning who they are off the ice and what their goals and aspirations are long term for their lives.It’s been awesome to see how transformative these four years have been for them off the ice.

“So many of them have such big and lofty goals and they now have that confidence to continue pushing forward and achieve those goals and that’s obviously I think what I’m” most proud of.

When you look at the culmination of being a student-athlete over these four years its making sure that these girls feel prepared when they leave Arcadia and are no longer college athletes but are members of society that are going to contribute positively and I know every single one of them is going to do that.

 “It’s been awesome just to see their growth off the ice these four years. It’s just been absolutely incredible.”

The multifaceted success of the Knights on the ice and in the classroom over the past four seasons sends a powerful message re; female empowerment.

“Every single one of our girls has aspirations  to do big things,” Koelzer said. Even within traditionally I would say male dominated fields. Whether its STEM, forensic science, or within the medical fields. We have some that want to be lawyers. Girls that want to work within the sports industry.

All of those have been traditionally considered male dominant fields and it’s awesome to see they have never once hesitated in regards to having the confidence to pursue those dreams and the goals. It’s a huge step for female empowerment, absolutely.”