It could be said that the season didn’t go according to plan for the Hamline women’s hockey team last year. The team ended with a 9-17-2 overall record and 4-12-2 in the MIAC, on route to a ninth place finish in the conference.

That won’t happen again if the team has anything to say about it.

“One of our main team goals for this season is to make it to the MIAC playoffs,” senior goaltender Mary Shefveland said.

The Pipers come into the season confident, armed with new head coach, Natalie Darwitz. The two-time national champion with the University of Minnesota and former captain of Team USA looks to turn things around quickly at Hamline.

“Coach Darwitz is a great coach, and I think a lot of girls look up to her. We are lucky to have her here at Hamline. We’re all looking forward to the season and are excited to see what happens with her leading us,” senior forward Megan Lawry said.

The team understands what will be expected from them under their new coach.

“[It is] very exciting to have coach Darwitz as a head coach. Us girls knew coming into the season we would be pushed harder than any other year, and it was proven the first week of practice. She has so much knowledge and experience of the game to teach us, and we have already improved as a squad in a short two weeks of practice,” senior defenseman Nina Chase said.

Others will need convincing before they go along with the Pipers’ newfound confidence. Hamline was picked to again finish ninth in the 2015-16 MIAC Women’s Hockey Preseason Coaches’ Poll.

Preseason polls don’t matter to this team.

“The perception of Hamline is we’re bottom of the MIAC. We’re the kind of team others might think they’ll rest their starting goalie against. They won’t necessarily take us as seriously,” Darwitz said. “But I think we’re gonna make teams earn it if they do win, and we’ll surprise some others.”

Hamline will look for their large class of seniors to lead the way.

“I think our seniors are our leaders this season. We have eight seniors so I think our presence and closeness as a group definitely make us the ones people are looking to this season,” Lawry said.

Some strengths for the team this season could be on the defensive side of the puck.

“I think a big strength for us will be our defense. Not only our strong defensemen but our overall defensive play as a team,” Lawry said.

One thing that could really help make the difference this year is an eagerness to learn and master skills as a team.

“The girls are just eager to learn. We don’t have a superstar player, so we’re gonna win games as a team. We keep working to improve skills and that’s just going to make us better,” Darwitz said.

Perhaps that eagerness stems from one of the main goals of the team this season.

“A goal of ours is to prove everyone wrong and show them Hamline women’s hockey is not backing down from the challenge,” Lawry said.

The Piper women began their season this weekend with a 1-1 tie and a 2-3 loss at Concordia (WI). First-Year forward Jessica Goldberg led the way with two goals and an assist on the weekend. Shefveland racked up 48 saves in net for the Pipers, giving her a .923 save percentage and 1.95 goals against average through the two games.

The team returns to Oscar Johnson Arena to battle nationally ranked UW-River Falls on Friday, Nov. 6, before beginning MIAC play with a home and away matchup against St. Olaf on Nov. 13 and 14.