The Colgate Raiders women's ice hockey team is an NCAA Division I ice hockey team that represents Colgate University and play in ECAC Hockey. The Raiders play their home games at Class of 1965 Arena. The Raiders have played in Division I hockey since the 2001–02 season after playing at the NCAA Division III from 1997 to 2001.
History 1973–1983: The early years
From 1973 to 1974, Colgate Women's hockey started as an intramural team. Despite interest from the players in making the team varsity, the Athletic Director said the team would require "sustained interest." In 1974, Colgate Women's Hockey became club team. For the players from 1974 to 1983, 57% had never played on a team before Colgate women's hockey. 92% had never played hockey before, and 62% started by playing on figure skates, using masking tape over the toe picks. Many pieces of equipment and uniforms were "hand me downs" from the men's team. Players had to purchase their own sticks, skates and jerseys. The women's team practiced when ice time was available, which was usually late, after intramural games were completed, usually at 10 p.m.. Damp, smelly pads would be passed from intramural players to the women – given a brief spray of sanitizer by the student intramural equipment minder during the transfer.
During these years, the team played other colleges up and down the east coast, including Cornell, St. Lawrence, Oswego and Ithaca. The team played at Middlebury and Williams, but since they didn't have hockey rinks, they played in a curling rink. Whether checking would be allowed was determined before the game by the coaches. If a team didn't have pads for each suited player, there was no checking.
One memorable game in the early years included an 18–1 loss to Cornell, during which the Colgate goalie stopped 72 shots.
In the early years, players travelled to games in their own cars or used university vans, which they had to drive themselves. With no funding for transportation and accommodations, the players would often try to play near where some of the players lived and stayed at the player's family's house. For many games, players had to call around to find out who could make the game, what positions they could play and if they had a jersey.
Coaching the team was a volunteer job, and it was an unpaid and time-consuming one, so it was often difficult for the team to find coaches. One of Colgate women's hockey's first coaches was Mike Milbury.
Cook v. Colgate University
In 1993, the Colgate Women's Hockey Team was granted varsity status after a decision from the United States Court of Appeals, Second Circuit.
Colgate University appealed an original judgment entered in the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York, ordering it to elevate its women's club ice hockey team to varsity status and to provide equal funding and benefits to its men's and women's ice hockey programs. The plaintiffs were Jennifer Baldwin Cook, Melissa Ehlers, Christine Price, Thayer Jaques and Julie Wolff, who were all either current or former Colgate students and former members of Colgate's women's club ice hockey team. Frustrated by Colgate's continued reluctance to elevate the program to varsity status, the plaintiffs filed in court on April 10, 1990, alleging that Colgate's failure to provide a comparable ice hockey program to men and women students violated Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C. §§ 1681-1688 (1990), the regulations of the Department of Education, as well as the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution. For its part, Colgate denied any discrimination and argued that its compliance with the mandates of Title IX should be measured by its overall athletic program, not by a sport-by-sport comparison. Ultimately, Cook et al., won the judgement.
1997–2001
Colgate women's hockey went varsity in 1997. The team was initially Division III but transitioned to Division I in 2001.
2001–11 In 2008-2009, Kimberly Sass set a school record for most wins in a season by a goaltender with 14 games. Sass finished the season as one of the top ranked goalies in the ECAC. Her .941 save percentage was first in the ECAC. Her 1.85 goals against average was sixth while her .656 win percentage was fourth. From October 7–8, 2011: In a pair of victories over the Lindenwood Lions, Brittany Phillips accumulated a total of 10 points. In the 7–2 victory on October 7, she notched two goals, while logging an assist. One of the goals was the game-winning goal.
The following day, she had seven points (two goals, five assists) in an 8–2 win. Of the four goals she scored, two were power play goals. Her seven points ranked second in program history for most points in one game. The five assists ranked second for most assists in one game. In addition, Melissa Kueber registered six points in the sweep. On October 8, she led the team with four goals scored in an 8–2 triumph over the Lions. She also notched an assist. The four tallies tied for first in program history for most scores in one game.
2012–2024 Greg Fargo began as head coach in the 2012–13 season. Prior to coaching at Colgate, he was head coach for the women's ice hockey team at Elmira, in NCAA Division III, for four seasons. Fargo played his college hockey career as a goaltender, at Elmira.
In 2015-2016, Colgate had its first 22 win season, setting a program record.
Colgate had its most successful year in program history during the 2017–18 season. The Raiders finished 34–6–1, setting a new program record for wins. They finished tied with Clarkson for first in the ECAC conference, with a 19–3 (.864) record, earning their first ECAC league title. They qualified for the NCAA tournament for the first time, and advanced to the championship game after beating Northeastern in the quarterfinals by a score of 3–1, and Wisconsin in the semi-finals in a 4–3 victory.
The championship game against conference rival Clarkson was a close contest. Clarkson scored first, at 16:29 in the opening period, on a goal by forward Cassidy Vinkle, assisted by Kelly Mariani. It was the only goal Colgate goalie Julia Vandyk allowed in regulation. Colgate tied the score at 2:27 in the second period, on an equalizer by Malia Schneider, her 16th of the season, with assists from Olivia Zafuto and Bre Wilson-Bennett. The teams went scoreless in the third period and ended regulation at 1–1. At 7:55 in the first overtime, Elizabeth Giguere scored the game-winner, to give Clarkson the national championship. Finishing as national runner-up, the season saw the highest finish for the Raiders in Colgate program history. Head coach Greg Fargo won the 2017–18 Division I AHCA Coach of the Year award, given by the American Hockey Coaches Association.
2024–present On July 9, 2024, former assistant coach Stefan Decosse was named the fifth head coach of Colgate, after former head coach Greg Fargo was named head of the New York Sirens of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL).
Year by year Won championshipLost championshipConference championsLeague leader
Year Coach W L T Conference Conf. W Conf. L Conf. T Finish Conference Tournament NCAA Tournament2024–25Stefan Decosse3090ECAC18402nd ECAC Won Quarterfinals vs. Princeton Won Semifinals vs. St. Lawrence Lost Championship vs. Cornell Lost Quarterfinals vs. Minnesota 2023–24Greg Fargo3271ECAC1840 1st ECAC Won Quarterfinals vs. Brown Won Semifinals vs. Cornell Won Championship vs. Clarkson Won Quarterfinals vs. Cornell (3–1) Lost Frozen Four vs. Wisconsin (1–3)2022–23Greg Fargo3262ECAC18312nd ECAC Won Quarterfinals vs. Princeton Won Semifinals vs. Quinnipiac Won Championship vs. Clarkson Lost Quarterfinals vs. Wisconsin 2021–22Greg Fargo3081ECAC16513rd ECAC Won Quarterfinals vs. Cornell Won Semifinals vs. Quinnipiac Won Championship vs. Yale Lost Quarterfinals vs. Yale 2020–21Greg Fargo1571ECAC1040 1st ECAC Won Semifinals vs. Quinnipiac Won Championship vs. St. Lawrence Lost Quarterfinals vs. Minnesota-Duluth 2019–20Greg Fargo17156ECAC11836th ECACLost Quarterfinals vs. Clarkson Did not qualify2018–19Greg Fargo23105ECAC15432nd ECACWon Quarterfinals vs. Harvard Lost Semifinals vs. Clarkson Did not qualify2017–18Greg Fargo3461ECAC1930 Tied 1st ECAC Won Quarterfinals vs. Harvard Won Semifinals vs. Cornell Lost Championship vs. Clarkson (0-3) Won Quarterfinals vs. Northeastern (3-1) Won Frozen Four vs. Wisconsin (4-3 2OT) Lost Championship vs. Clarkson (1-2 OT)2016–17Greg Fargo22113ECAC13815th ECACLost Quarterfinals vs. Cornell (1–2, 0–1)Did not qualify2015–16Greg Fargo2297ECAC12554th ECACWon Quarterfinals vs. Harvard (4–1, 1–4, 3–2 OT) Lost Semifinals vs. Clarkson (2–5)Did not qualify2014–15Greg Fargo7252ECAC416210th ECACDid not qualifyDid not qualify2013–14Greg Fargo10222ECAC7150Tied 9th ECACDid not qualifyDid not qualify2012–13Greg Fargo11213ECAC61338th ECACLost Quarterfinals vs. Cornell (4–5 OT, 2–3)Did not qualify2011–12Scott Wiley10212ECAC515210th ECACDid not qualifyDid not qualify2010–11Scott Wiley11193ECAC8122Tied 8th ECACDid not qualifyDid not qualify2009–10Scott Wiley12204ECAC81048th ECACLost Quarterfinals vs. Cornell (1–2, 0–5)Did not qualify2008–09Scott Wiley19143ECAC12735th ECACLost Quarterfinals vs. Dartmouth (7–6 OT, 1–2, 3–7)Did not qualify2007–08Scott Wiley12175ECAC9946th ECACLost Quarterfinals vs. Dartmouth (3–4, 2–4)Did not qualify2006–07Scott Wiley17152ECAC14715th ECACWon Quarterfinals vs. Princeton (1–0 OT, 3–2) Lost Semifinals vs. Dartmouth (1–4)Did not qualify2005–06Scott Wiley12157ECAC983Tied 6th ECACLost Quarterfinals vs. Princeton (0–3, 4–5)Did not qualify2004–05Scott Wiley16154ECAC9747th ECACLost Quarterfinals vs. Dartmouth (0–4, 2–3)Did not qualify2003–04Scott Wiley16173ECAC61117th ECACLost Quarterfinals vs. St. Lawrence (1–5, 1–0, 1–7)Did not qualify2002–03Scott Wiley12211ECAC41117th ECACLost Quarterfinals vs. Dartmouth (0–8, 2–8)Did not qualify2001–02Ted Wisner12211ECAC21228th ECACLost Quarterfinals vs. Dartmouth (1–11, 0–6)Did not qualify
Roster 2022–23 Raiders As of September 6, 2022.
Awards and honors Cheryl Setchell, Forward, 2002 ECAC North All-Rookie Team Kiira Dosdall, Canadian Women's Hockey League Draft, Boston Blades, 8th round, #40 overall (2013) Kiira Dosdall, Defense, 2009 Second Team All-ECAC Jessie Eldridge: Women’s Hockey Commissioners Association Player of the Month - February 2019 Melissa Kueber, ECAC Rookie of the Week (Week of October 17, 2011) Rebecca Lahar, Goalie, 2002 ECAC North All-Rookie Team Brittany Phillips, ECAC Player of the Week (Week of October 17, 2011) Kimberly Sass, 2009 All-ECAC First Team (Sass was the first Raiders player to be named to the First Team) Kimberly Sass, ECAC All-Rookie Team Greg Fargo, 2018 AHCA Coach of the Year
All-America honors Danielle Serdachny, 2020–21 CCM/ACHA First-Team All-American
ECAC Awards Kimberly Sass: 2009 ECAC Goaltender of the Year Danielle Serdachny: 2021 ECAC Player of the Year Danielle Serdachny: 2021 ECAC Best Forward
ECAC Monthly Awards Jessie Eldridge: ECAC Player of the Month (December 2018) Jessie Eldridge: ECAC Player of the Month (February 2019) Kayle Osborne, ECAC Adirondack Health Rookie of the Month (January 2021) Kayle Osborne, ECAC MAC Goaltending Goalie of the Month (March 2021) Sammy Smigliani, ECAC Army ROTC Player of the Month (March 2021)
ECAC All-Rookie Team Sydney Bard, 2019–20 ECAC All-Rookie Team Danielle Serdachny, 2019–20 ECAC All-Rookie Team
Team awards Brad Houston Most Valuable Offensive Player 2017Jessie Eldridge2016Megan Sullivan2015Melissa Kueber2014Taylor Volpe2013Brittany Phillips2012Jocelyn Simpson2011Brittany Phillips2010Katie Stewart 2007-2009 Sam Hunt2006Allison Paiano 2005 Amanda Barre2004Becky Irvine2003Allison Paiano2002Cheryl Setchell, Amanda Barre2001Heather Murphy2000Heather Murphy Most Valuable Defensive Player