Ice

My life as a goalie began in 1996. I began playing for the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire women's club team as a center, but was soon called to the net because we needed a back-up. By the end of the season, I was starting between the posts, with an excellent save percentage and a new nickname: "Gforce"! Obviously this stuck with me! I played for four years as a starting goalie, and still play every now and then in an open hockey league. Read on for more on my hockey career...

When I began playing in 1996, the team was headed into it's 2nd season. At that time, the team was part of the MWCHA (Midwestern Women's Collegiate Hockey Association). Rivals included such giants at the U of M, UW-Superior, UW-Madison, UW-River Falls and UMD. We placed in the top three in end of season tournament play two of my four seasons. We played against now Olympian players like Karyn Bye and Jenny Schmigdall. As the league evolved, the bigger school began forming into a separate league, but we continued to face them in non-conference play. Conference play typically included division II and III schools. More schools recruited heavily from the high school hockey pool, so competition stiffened. With our tradition of letting everyone who tried out skate on the team, we sometimes suffered humiliating losses at the hands of much more experienced teams.

In our 1998-1999 season, we petitioned for varsity status and funding, following the lead of many of our competitors, like UW-River Falls, UW-Madison, and UW-Stevens Point. We were denied, and denied again when we petitioned at the outset of our 1999-2000 season (my senior year). This time, we filed a Title IX complaint with UW Systems. Shortly thereafter, our petition was approved and our team was added to the budget for the 2000-2001 school year. Although I didn't get to play on a varsity team, I enjoyed watching the new team take the ice with varsity jerseys, equipment, and fans in the stands in October of 2000. I encourage you to read on for more information on Title IX and how to file complaints regarding the unequal funding and support of women's athletics today.

Title IX is an act of congress that states women have the right to equal (or proportional) funding and representation in athletics in schools and communities. It allows groups of women to fight for their rights at public school, universities, and any other place that receives federal or state funds. If any organization receiving state or federal funds is found to be non-compliant, the government removes ALL, not just athletics related, grants and funds. So the consequences for non-compliance are grave! Usually just the threat of an investigation or lawsuit is enough to encourage the offending organization to comply. Please follow this link for more official information on Title IX:

The UW-Eau Claire women's varsity hockey team has enjoyed moderate success in it's new conference since it's inception in 2000. To visit their current site, click on the following link: