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Before college, Syracuse junior Eden Price played on a men’s ice hockey team her whole life. She said female athletics weren’t valued like male athletics in her hometown, which didn’t have a women’s hockey team.

Price’s exposure to women’s athletics at Syracuse felt like a “new world.” After joining SU’s women’s club ice hockey team as a freshman, she decided to plan the inaugural “Women in Sports Weekend” in February 2025. Though the event required significant time and organization, Price hoped to make it an annual tradition.

Last weekend was a major step toward accomplishing that goal.

On Friday and Saturday, Syracuse women’s club ice hockey hosted its second annual “Women in Sports” weekend at Tennity Ice Pavilion. SU beat Norwich University in consecutive games to remain undefeated. The event also featured various raffles, a Chuck-a-Puck challenge and a ceremonial puck drop from Syracuse field hockey midfielder Taylor Bigbie.

“It’s so great to see everyone come out to support us and our journey,” senior Elise Herrick said.

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Herrick said the event was a perfect opportunity to spotlight other Division I women’s athletics. Players wore Women in Sports-themed jerseys, while senior Leah Landry said the planning team tried to spread the word on campus through student organizations. It was drastically different from when Landry and Herrick joined as freshmen.

Back then, the team didn’t have a coach, rostered fewer than 10 players, had no tryouts and wasn’t in a league. Landry said the players created practice plans, and the men’s club ice hockey team helped out a few times.

“We definitely had some growing pains as we lost people who couldn’t commit to the increased number of practices and games,” Herrick said. “But overall, we’ve grown in numbers, we’ve grown in skill, and I think the enthusiasm we have on the team now compared to when I started is so much higher.”

Landry credits Herrick and the former team president for kick-starting the program and hiring a head coach. She said that, while the team was still figuring out schedule logistics in its first season, the transition to an Amateur Athletic Union league transformed it into a more competitive program.

Now, the team practices three times per week, plays two games each weekend and holds annual tryouts.

“We’re really on the ice five days a week, which is a lot, but it’s a really fantastic way to bond with the team and get our chemistry in practice,” Price said. “We’re led by an incredible coaching staff, Coach (Christina) Beam and Coach (Sicilia) Marty, and they work really well with us.”

The team built bonds off the ice, too. SU’s upperclassmen traditionally drive underclassmen to each practice. Though it’s only a 10-15-minute drive, Price said it’s a fun time to strengthen connections between the players.

Occasionally, the team also hosts pasta dinners the night before certain games, gathering to talk about what everyone’s looking forward to and any goals they have.

“It’s just great to have people that you see every day, who you also get to do such an amazing sport with,” Herrick said. “It’s really given me an amazing community from my first month here all the way up to now and at graduation.”

Despite the team’s early hurdles, it won its first AAU National Championship in Jacksonville, Florida, last March to cap an undefeated 20-0 season. Landry was initially uncertain how things would go in the team’s first AAU season.

“(Winning the championship) was really satisfying. We put a lot of work into it,” Herrick said. “It was the culmination of all the work that we put in over the past few years to grow the program.”

The squad bonded while at the tournament. They went to the beach, watched the sunset together and ate at Waffle House.

Although they couldn’t all celebrate their title immediately due to varying flight schedules and spring break, they gathered at Tennity once back in Syracuse to debrief the season. They took photos and named player superlatives. With the trophy and motorized Zamboni speaker side by side, it was a fitting moment for a team built from the ground up.

“It proves we’re a real deal,” Price added. “We’re legit. We’re here to compete, we’re here to play, we’re here to win. We’re not just here to practice and play once in a while.”

Published on February 2, 2026 at 10:27 pm
Contact Spencer: sabrod@syr.edu | @spencerbrod20