NORTHFIELD, Vt. – The 2011 NCAA Division III National Champion Norwich women's hockey team will welcome four newcomers when the team hits the ice in October to begin preparations to defend its title.
Norwich head women's hockey coach Mark Bolding announced on Wednesday that Tyne Gove, Kaycie Anderson, Vanessa Champagne and Caroline Barth will make up the incoming class of 2015.
Tyne Gove is a forward from Berwick, Ont. and played for the father of NU sophomore defenseman Kayla Lascelle at the Ontario Hockey Academy (OHA). She will be reunited with three former OHA teammates in Haley Gibson, Renee Lortie and Lascelle.
"Tyne is a huge pick-up for us with loads of potential," Bolding said. "She can play center or wing, has an offensive flair, and we expect great things from her right away. She has good size, a powerful stride and excellent hockey sense, and we project her to be a top-rated player in our league very soon."
Tyne's sister, Teal, is a standout junior forward at SUNY Plattsburgh. The two sisters will get a chance to play against each other twice this season, as the Cardinals and NU renewed their home and home series for the 2011-12 season.
Kaycie Anderson is a forward from Maple Plain, Minn. that most recently played for the Minnesota Crunch U19AA club.
"Kaycie is a consistent scorer with good hands, vision and is creative with the puck," Bolding said. "She was a very good Minnesota high school player and was a key member of the Crunch the past two years. We are thrilled to have her here to help as a scoring threat, and she should be an excellent college player."
Anderson marks the first player to come to Norwich from "The State of Hockey."
"It's awesome to have Kaycie on board and perhaps she can lead to a connection to more Minnesota players," Bolding said. "They love their hockey out there, and Kaycie is bringing that love of the game with her to NU."
Vanessa Champagne is a forward/defenseman from St. Nazaire, Que. and most recently played at Stanstead College, which was the same school sophomore defenseman Brittany Sharman came from.
"Vanessa was one of Stanstead's top players last season, logging a lot of minutes for their team," Bolding said. "She can play forward or defense, makes very few mistakes and has a very good hockey IQ. She will bring more depth to our roster and is a very athletic kid. She comes highly recommended from her Stanstead coaches as well and is a great character kid."
Caroline Barth rounds out the class of 2015. She is a goalie from Friedens, Pa., and last played for the Pittsburgh Pens Elite U19AA.
"Caroline is a talented goalie with good size and better potential," Bolding said. "She played a split season with a boys high school team and really benefited from the heavier shots there, and learned to really compete and play tough in her crease. She will be a good addition to our young goalies here, and we think she will push both Jo (Plamondon) and Kelly (Fisk) early which is great for the team."
The Norwich women's team will host its annual Welcome Back Barbecue this Saturday, Aug. 27 in front of Kreitzberg Arena at 2 p.m. The event is free to the public. All are welcome to attend and enjoy hot dogs, hamburgers and dessert while socializing with the defending national champions.
The team will also be presented with their 2011 National Championship rings making Saturday's barbecue a can't miss event!
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