Women’s Ice Hockey Ranked No. 1 in Nation Ahead of NESCAC Semifinals

The women’s ice hockey team continued their record-breaking season this past weekend; they hosted eight-seed Wesleyan on Saturday at 1 p.m. in the NESCAC quarterfinals. The Mammoths secured the 2-0 victory with goals from Senior Captain Avery Flynn ’23 and Rylee Glennon ’24, improving their record to 22-3-0 on the season. The number one seed in the tournament, the Mammoths will host the NESCAC semifinal round on Friday, March 3, and the championship on Saturday, March 4. As they prepare for the upcoming clash against No. 4 Middlebury, we take a look back on what they’ve accomplished thus far.

The Mammoths opened up conference play immediately in November, with a tough double header against Hamilton. They split the series 1-1, and then went on a tear, winning their next 18 straight games. These include wins against conference foes: Middlebury 4-2 (two games back to back), Bowdoin 7-1 on Senior Day, and Wesleyan 6-0.

Headlined by 10 shutouts from first year keeper Natalie Scott ’26, we checked in with Stott on how she felt the team had progressed this season: “I think our team’s culture has really contributed to our success this season. We always talk about winning the culture battle and showing our heart on the ice, which is easy to do when you have a team that is so close.”

Stott is one of seven freshmen, and we spoke to Senior Captain Leslie Schwartz ’23 on the impact this talented young class has had on the program this season. “Each first year was able to step in and immediately play college level hockey as if they have been for years,” Schwartz said. “Defense is a huge part of the game and with half the D-core as first years, they have stepped up in a huge way by making sound defensive plays in the D-zone and also getting huge game winning goals in the O-zone as well.” Senior Flynn continued the praise of the first-years, describing them as “smart, gritty, and selfless players, who fit perfectly into the AWH family.”

But the young class isn’t the only reason for the Mammoths’ success; the program is loaded with senior leadership, excellent coaching, and dedication to the game. Emily Hohmann ’26 chimed in on the profound impact that the culture has had on the program’s achievements: “Our team culture has led to our success so far. We focus on the little elements within the game — like back-checks — that lead to big opportunities. Each player brings their own skills to the team, and all those individual skills gel together so well with the hard work and the energy everyone brings collectively.” These small details have proved critical, and the team’s commitment to every aspect of the game shines through their impeccable record.

With the post-season underway, the team is looking forward to further successes, both on and off the ice. An overarching theme was an emphasis on the team’s culture. Maeve Reynolds ’26 echoed Stott’s earlier sentiment, adding that the “team goal both on and off the ice is to win the culture battle. That means everyone is being a good teammate supporting one another and lifting each other up.”

The Mammoths are keeping up this momentum and looking to do everything they can this work week before they begin the NESCAC semifinals on Friday. With the top four seeds in the tournament all advancing to the semifinal round, the competition looks stiff. But, it’s nothing the battle-tested Mammoths are not prepared for.

As they head into their match against No. 4 Middlebury this weekend at Orr Rink, the team feels really excited to be hosting the NESCAC championship. Schwartz went on to comment that “winning a championship on home ice would be an incredible feeling with this group.” The Mammoths enter this week of play at No. 1 in the NESCAC Rankings and No. 1 in the Women’s Division III PairWise National Rankings. This Friday, the Mammoths take on the Middlebury Panthers at home.