By Josh Wagner\/\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The women\u2019s ice hockey team is gearing up for the 2025 season with a more experienced roster and a talented freshman class.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After showing flashes of potential in their inaugural season, the Blazers enter year two determined to turn close games into victories. Hood went 5-18-1 in its first season, gaining valuable experience that head coach Josh Funk believes will pay off this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Funk said last season gave his young team a better understanding of the pace, physicality and structure required to win at the collegiate level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m very excited,\u201d Funk said. \u201cI think last year we set a lot of really good foundations and finished on a high note. We got a lot better as the season went on. Now, having a full offseason under our belt and bringing in some strong talent in the freshman class, I\u2019m very excited to see what we can do this year.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Entering their second season, Funk said the Blazers are no longer focused on just finding their footing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur goal is to make the playoffs,\u201d Funk said. \u201cI know it\u2019s a big one, given our record last year, but I thought there were a lot of games we could have won. We just had some learning bumps and bruises. I\u2019m very confident that this year we can turn a big page.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the biggest changes, Funk said, is the team\u2019s maturity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think the biggest thing is experience,\u201d he said. \u201cLast year it was a team full of freshmen going through college hockey for the first time. Now, they\u2019ve already gone through it. They know college hockey, they know how to play and they know my expectations as a coach. That\u2019s what makes it different there\u2019s an experience level now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sophomore forward Sofie Ancona returns as the centerpiece of Hood\u2019s offense after finishing in the top 50 nationally in scoring last season, establishing herself as one of the most dangerous forwards in the MAC. Despite her breakout freshman year, she was left out of MAC Player of the Year honors, a slight that has only fueled her motivation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe had a great year last year,\u201d Funk said. \u201cShe finished in the top 50 in scoring in the nation, and that was awesome.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Funk said he is also excited about the new freshman class, which he described as talented and hardworking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe freshmen have already shown a willingness to buy into what we\u2019re doing,\u201d Funk said. \u201cThey\u2019ve integrated themselves into the locker room culture, and their work ethic is right where it needs to be.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Among the newcomers is freshman winger Grace Spicher, who was expected to make an early impact before suffering a serious knee injury. Spicher tore cartilage in her kneecap and recently underwent a MACI procedure, a two-stage surgical treatment for knee cartilage damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey went in and took out the sheared pieces, then scraped off my cells, regrew them and put them back in,\u201d Spicher said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She hopes to return to athletic activity by February.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy goal is to be back by February at the latest fully healed and stronger than before,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Spicher said her decision to attend Hood was an easy one because it allowed her to combine athletics and academics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI chose Hood because I could play two sports, I liked the coaches and they have a good nursing program,\u201d she said. Once recovered, Spicher plans to play both ice hockey and lacrosse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another first-year player expected to make an impact is freshman forward Molly Hawkins from Perkasie, Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAfter looking at a bunch of colleges, this just felt the most like home,\u201d Hawkins said. \u201cI loved the town because I\u2019m from a small town in Pennsylvania. I like the small-town vibe, and I really liked the coaches and the girls on the team.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hawkins, who has played hockey for seven years, said she\u2019s eager to finally take the ice in her first collegiate season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m so excited,\u201d she said. \u201cI love games. Practice is fun, but I\u2019m more of a game player. This is a step up from club schools, and I\u2019m ready for that intense level. I think Coach Josh is a really good coach.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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