College Hockey:

This Week in D-I Women’s Hockey: Jan. 31, 2008

View from the Middle

If you want to get the scoop on what makes a baseball team click, as a catcher. He sees it all.

Likewise, if you want to know what makes a hockey line click, ask the gal in the middle. The good ones seem to have eyes in the back of their heads, and can thread those tape-to-tape passes to waiting wingers for proper burial.

Such is certainly the case with Wayne States Lindsay DiPietro, who centers D-Is most prolific line.

With wingers Melissa Boal (29-22-51) and Sam Poyton (24-24-48) on her flanks, DiPietro (12-36-48) has racked up more helpers than anyone else in the country.

The trio, all of them juniors from Ontario, occupy spots No. 2, 3, and T-3 in the national scoring parade, with only Mercyhursts Meghan Agosta (36-22-58) seated above them.

Ive got talented wingers, said DiPietro, dishing out compliments as deftly as she doles out pin-point passes. Its unbelievable. Just the plays they make, and just how they get open, (makes) it some much fun to play. I havent had this much fun in a really long time.

Fun for her, not so much fun for beleaguered backliners who have to try and stop her from stick handling through them.

Its in that same slippery manner that DiPietro (no, Im not related to Rick, but I wish I was”), tries to swivel through a reporters questions.

Such as, so Lindsay, whats the scouting report on your wingers?

And give away their strengths, she replied with a laugh. Come on now.

Reminded that there are no secrets in hockey, she shifts speeds and motors on.

Both of them are pure goal scorers, she said. Its pretty easy when the find open ice. If you can get them a pass, theyll put the puck in the net. It makes my job a lot easier.

Mel is really fast. Her take off speed is just phenomenal. So she can beat a lot of players, one on one. Sam is bigger (5-foot-10, seven inches taller than Boal) and shes more of a grinder. But a finesse player at the same time. Shes not afraid to go into the corners and get the puck, which helps me out a lot. Theyre just phenomenal players, both of them. They have different assets, but they both put the puck in the net.

Still, they cant finish without the puck, and thats where DiPietros own skills come to the fore.

I think Im good at seeing the open ice, she said, after a little prodding. The fact that they can break into that open ice helps a lot. I like to pass the puck. Thats no surprise. So I just try to find them. They just play off my ability to get them the puck. They make good plays, and I just dish it.

A key to any lines success lies in its ability to communicate. But each troika has its own communication style.

With this bunch (somebody please, come up with a catchy name for them, huh), mum seems to be the watch word.

You know, she said, we dont talk a lot, to be honest. We just know where were going to be. Weve been together for so long. We just have a feeling. Theyll call Linds, Linds, Im open. But for the most part, I can sense where they are, and I can make a lot of blind passes. Not to say I like to. But I can, knowing that theyre going to be there. I just tell them, keep your stick on the ice, and Ill find you.

Of course one cant discuss Wayne State pucks and avoid bringing up the impending demise of the mens team, which will disband after this season.

The sense of loss is felt deeply in the womens dressing room.

Its disappointing, DiPietro said. Having a mens program is like having 25 other guys who know exactly what youre going through, day-to-day. How long the season is, how grueling. They know exactly what we go through. So its a really good support system. So for the girls who have close friends on the mens team, its sad to see it go.

DiPietro said its up to the women to pick up the Warrior hockey banner and hoist it aloft.

It puts a lot of pressure on us, now, she said. But its okay. At least were still around and kicking.

As we were saying, she sees the ice.

Every square inch of it.

Bowl Runneth Over

Not that the field for the NCAAs Hockey Humanitarian Award, now down to eight semifinalists, isnt worthy enough.

But you could make a case for adding precisely 5,377 more souls to the list of nominees.

Thats the number of good-hearted people who streamed into Wisconsins Kohl Center last Saturday for the contest between St. Cloud State (now No. 10) and the fifth-ranked Badgers.

The crowd, the largest ever for an NCAA womens game, came out to root on their Badgers, the two-time national champions, in response to UWs Fill the Bowl promotion.

More importantly, a $1 donation from each ticket sold was made to the Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin.

The event was a tremendous success, said UW spokesman Adam Augustine. Since 5,377 fans showed up for the game, that amount of money was presented to Second Harvest following the game. That translates into roughly 37,639 meals for the local community.

Oh, gosh by golly, thats good goin, dont ya know.