Rainy River Community College — with two national titles and a combined 40-5-4 record over the past two seasons — enters the 2009-10 season looking for title No. 3
Rainy River Community College spent last season defying the odds — while learning a thing or two about conditioning — en route to a second straight national championship.
The Voyageurs scratched and clawed their way to a title with only eight skaters and a goalie. In the run to the title in 2008, they had only 10 skaters and a goalie.
This season?
“It’s nice to have two lines,” RRCC head coach Evan Amdahl said.
Amdahl enters his second season with just a shell of the team that finished 20-3-2 last year and defeated rival St. Scholastica 4-2 in the national championship. But they have 12 skaters and a renewed enthusiasm, because the new recruits have plenty of talent.
“We for sure have the potential to be that good,” sophomore captain Stevie-Lee Langford said, comparing this year’s team to the national championship teams.
Langford and fellow sophomore Kylie Harala are the only two returning players from a season ago. Langford was a first team All-American and first team All-National Tournament team selection.
“I’m looking forward to getting to the games,” Langford said. “We’ve had a scrimmage, but it’s different. It’s way more intense. I’m pumped. Start scoring goals with my line.”
The Voyageurs, who are 40-5-4 over their past two seasons, open the 2009-10 schedule Saturday night at home against the University of Minnesota Duluth. The two teams play again Sunday.
Former Voyageurs Jackie Cumber and Megan Pinette are expected to suit up for UMD. Cumber made the All-National Tournament team in 2008 with RRCC, while Pinette was the national tournament MVP last season, along with being named as a first team All-American and first team All-National Tournament team selection.
UMD, RRCC and St. Scholastica are once again the favorites to come out of the American Collegiate Hockey Association West Division. In the three seasons of the ACHA national championship format, there hasn’t been a national title contest that didn’t involve two of these three programs. UMD topped CSS in 2007 before RRCC defeated UMD and CSS in back-to-back seasons.
“And I’d be surprised if this year was any different,” Amdahl said.
A glance at the new RRCC roster shows recruits from as far as Alaska and as close as Fort Frances and International Falls. Fallon Andy and Cassandra Cochrane hail from Fort Frances, while Harala and Courtney Scholler are from the Falls.
“The camaraderie is very big,” Amdahl said. “We have a girl from Alaska all the way to Madison and everywhere in between.”
The players are used to each other now after a couple weeks of practice and the transition has gone smoothly.
“It’s better, because we have a lot of different backgrounds and you get to learn more about people, about the team,” Harala said.
If the Voyageurs continue to learn about themselves, they could be celebrating a third-straight national championship come March.
“We’re awesome,” Harala said.
2009-10 RRCC Women’s Club Hockey Schedule
DATE OPPONENT TIME
11/7 HOME vs. UMD 7 p.m.
11/8 HOME vs. UMD Noon
11/14 at Minot State 7:30 p.m.
11/15 at Minot State 11 a.m.
12/5 at South Dakota State TBA
12/6 at South Dakota State TBA
12/12 at St. Scholastica 8 p.m.
12/13 at St. Scholastica 11 a.m.
1/16 HOME vs. North Dakota State TBA
1/17 HOME vs. North Dakota State TBA
1/23 at UMD TBA
1/24 at UMD TBA
1/30 HOME vs. St. Scholastica TBA
1/31 HOME vs. St. Scholastica TBA
2/12-14 RRCC Tournament TBA
3/10-14 ACHA National Tournament (must qualify)
