Colin Albright ’18, Staff writer

The women’s ice hockey team made program history by competing in the Dutchmen Outdoor Classic on Saturday, Jan. 27.

The Dutchmen Outdoor Classic is an event hosted at Hersheypark Stadium that allows ice hockey teams to play on an outdoor ice rink. This year, the women’s ice hockey team was invited to compete in the program’s first-ever outdoor game since the team was formed in 2016.

The outdoor ice hockey game is a spectacle for fans to enjoy but means even more to the women who got to compete in the game.

“Playing outdoors is a dream to almost all hockey players because, as it may not be a pond or lake, it takes you back to the roots of hockey,” Nikki Lloyd, a senior captain, said.

Although there was an electric atmosphere leading up to the game, the women were unable to defend against Elmira College’s balanced attack. The Dutchmen stuck with the No. 3 team in the country for most of the first period but fell behind in the second and third periods. The Soaring Eagles defeated the Dutchmen 9-0 after a hard-fought game in the warm weather.

“The excitement building up to the game and the atmosphere during the game was unreal,” Lloyd said. “No matter what the outcome was, our team had a great time.”

Despite the loss, the women were thankful to have been able to compete in the program’s first outdoor game.

“I’m thankful for Lebanon Valley College and the town of Hershey for allowing some of my dreams to come true,” Lloyd said.

The women’s ice hockey team is back in action on Friday, Feb. 2, as they travel to Reisterstown, MD to take on the Mustangs of Stevenson University.

cja004@lvc.edu