When Taylor Orlando wanted to start a women's hockey program at Salem State, people told her the interest wouldn't last. But Orlando was determined so she approached rink manager John O'Neill, who agreed to help coach the team.
Three years later, the combined Salem State-Endicott College women's club hockey team has grown so much in both numbers and success that they're getting ready to split into two teams next season.
To prepare for that, head coach Danielle Finocchiaro has separated the squads for the final four games with each school playing in two. The Endicott women will play at Babson Saturday (9 p.m.), while the Salem State players will square off against UMass Lowell Sunday (12:30) and Fairfield (Conn.) University on Feb. 27, with both games at Rockett Arena in Salem.
Orlando, a three-sport captain (soccer, hockey, and softball) from Danvers High, will graduate this spring. She leaves knowing the program is on solid ground.
"We're stronger than ever," said Orlando, a nursing major. "We have a veteran core group back, and the younger members of the team have great skills. We're trying to find our own identity, but we really support each other."
Orlando and the two senior captains from Endicott, Sarah McMahon and Erin Shattuck, have worked hard to bring the team to this level.
"All three of my captains have put so much into this program, along with some of the older regulars," said Finocchiaro, who is from Danvers. "(Replacing) our seniors will be tough because they've been together for so long. Both (schools) want to have their own programs, but the ones that have been with us the longest are sad to see this group break apart. For the new people, it's not such a big deal."
Finocchiaro said she usually dresses three full lines and three sets of defensemen for any given game, with two goaltenders splitting time. All told there are four goalies on the roster.
Vin Grifoni of Peabody, whose daughter Michelle is a SSU softball captain with Orlando, is the assistant coach and scheduling coordinator. This year he purposely designed a tough schedule — and the players have responded.
Salem State/Endicott had a 4-3-1 record at the semester break, winning their first two games decisively over Mt. Holyoke (7-2) and UMass Lowell (6-4) before tying MIT. After suffering their first loss of the year at the hands of ULowell (4-3), they bounced back to beat Wheaton (6-1) and MIT (2-1) before splitting the series with Harvard Business School.
"I've really been surprised at the high level of interest in women's ice hockey around the North Shore," said Grifoni. "I enjoy coaching these ladies because of their strong commitment, enthusiasm and talented hockey skill set. I see a terrific hockey future for them and their respective college programs. I hope more fans will come to watch the games — because these women can play."
Orlando is pleased the program has not only held its own, but that the program's numbers have climbed this year. She hopes that trend continues as more high school athletes realize the program is available.
"The Salem State numbers have grown this year while Endicott's stayed about the same," said Orlando, who is not only is a three-sport athlete but also works two part-time jobs.
"People told me they tried to get a program going a few years back and it fell apart. I'm so glad that hasn't happened; we're getting better all the time and are looking to get the word out that we have a women's hockey program here — and it's a good one. We want to get new recruits interested in helping us grow even stronger."
Finocchiaro thinks one of the biggest reasons for the turnaround has been more ice time, which in turn led to better conditioning.
"We finally got the hang of working together, and having lots of ice time at the beginning of the season allowed us to get in better condition," said Finocchiaro. "When we first started nobody knew each other, but the players have developed into a close group.
Finocchiaro said that even though it's still a club program, they treat it as a varsity sport — which is what both schools are aiming for.
"We're very serious about it and always show up ready to play," said Finocchiaro. "(This season), our players are scoring so many more goals than we ever have; we're on the opposite side than a year ago, when many teams were beating us by a big margin. It's kind of a nice feeling."
