They got a taste of success last year. The Hamline women's hockey team opens the 2017-18 season Thursday at Wisconsin-Eau Claire looking to improve on last year's overall mark of 12-13-1 and their MIAC standard of 10-8-0. The latter mark was good enough to lift HU to its first MIAC playoff berth in a decade. Under third year head coach Natalie Darwitz, they look to do better this year.

They will do so with 11 new faces mixing in with 14 who were on the roster last year. The returnees include last year's top three scorers, five players who saw considerable action on the blue line and two goalies who played in 18 of the season's 26 games. 

The offense is led by  sophomore Bre Simon, who scored 17 goals last year (tops on the Pipers and second best in the MIAC) and senior Darby Dodds (pictured), who registered 16 markers. Both forwards tied for the team lead in points last year with 25. Sadie Baker, a sophomore, who was third on the team with 14 points, also returns. 

On defense, sophomores Zoey Lobejko, Dani Perry and Peyton Devinny returns as does junior Taylor Ramthun. The quartet played 67 games between them. 

The returning goalies are Annie Juergens, who finished with a 2.87 goals-against mark in 17 games and Mari Johnson, who allowed four in her only appearance. 

The new faces are a combination of freshmen and transfers. The transfers have pedigree but that was in different programs. How will they mingle together for HU? Darwitz is anxious to find out. 

The Pipers start with a pair of non-conference games against Badger state foes. In addition to the opener in  Eau Claire, HU will play at Wis-Superior Tuesday, November 7. The MIAC opener is Thursday, November 9 at St. Benedict with the home opener the following night against the Blazers at Oscar Johnson Arena.

The Pipers drew some preseason attention when they earned a single vote in the USCHO.com Top 15 poll. The MIAC coaches' preseason poll pegged HU in a tie for third place.with St. Thomas. Gustavus Adolphus drew the top nod with Augsburg placing second. 

Darwitz, a former Olympian and one of the best players in the history of the University of Minnesota, knows the preseason numbers are nice but mean little. Last year, HU was picked for seventh place in the coaches' poll and finished fifth to earn a playoff spot. 

The Blugolds are 1-0, having defeated St. Benedict, 6-0, on October 27. Last year, the teams split OT games. Each team won on the road.