While the 2020-2021 school year will look different for all universities across the nation, it holds special meaning for women's athletics at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire as they celebrate 50 years of women's athletics in the Wisconsin Women's Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WWIAC) and later the WIAC.
Though there were Blugold teams prior to 1971, this was the first time that women's athletics had a governing body and started the organizational model that led to what we know today. Throughout the fall semester, the UW-Eau Claire Athletics Department will take a look at the history of Blugold Women's Athletics and share the stories of our women's programs and the people who made it all possible.
Each week will feature a Blugold women's sport as part of "Memorable Mondays" with the first week giving the overall history of women's athletics and note some of the key pioneers that led the way for future Blugolds. Follow the journey of the Blugold women through articles, photos and videos on Blugold Athletics social media.
The women's hockey program at UW-Eau Claire is relatively young as they played their inaugural game on November 3, 2000, starting the program with a 10-4 win over Hamline University.
The Blugolds originally competed in the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA), which while it existed as a men's conference at its inception, didn't begin as a women's league until 2000. As girls hockey grew at the high school level, particularly in Minnesota, several colleges, including UW-Eau Claire saw the need to add a women's hockey program to their sport modules.
Watch Marilyn Skrivseth talk about the evolution of women's athletics
Watch Marilyn Skrivseth talk about adding women's hockey at UW-Eau Claire
On April 8th, 2000, NCHA athletic directors, which included Blugold pioneer Marilyn Skrivseth, met in Black River Falls to discuss a women's conference. Led by then-NCHA President and UW-Stevens Point Athletic Director Frank O'Brien, their plan was ratified, and the NCHA women's league was born. UW-Eau Claire joined Lake Forest, UW-River Falls, UW-Stevens Point and UW-Superior as the five charter members of the league. As more teams were added at the high school and collegiate level, the NCHA saw its membership expand and grew to 11 teams by 2010-11.
Mike Collins was the first Blugold women's hockey coach building the program for its first 15 seasons. Amassing 145 wins, Collins coached the Blugolds' first NCHA Player of the Year and All-American, Kristin Faber (2007-11).
"Coming in as a freshman was like being welcomed into a family," said Faber. "The group was a fun, hardworking and determined group. Coach Collins put a lot of time into the program for years and set the foundation for the program to continue to grow."
A four-time all-conference player, Faber earned NCHA Player of the Year and the Scholar-Athlete Award in 2011 and became the first person in the league's history to claim both honors. She was also named the Blugolds' first All-American that season. Leading the team in scoring all four years, Faber put her name all over the Blugold record books. At the end of her career, she was the program's second Super Six winner.
"I will forever be grateful for having the opportunity to be a student-athlete at UW-Eau Claire," said Faber. "Not only was I able to play the game that I love but was also provided with an exceptional education and experience that has shaped me into who I am today. The hockey program taught me a lot about the game, but more importantly skills and lessons that I carry with me today. Each and every person from coaches, athletic trainers, and teammates have had an impact on who I am and how I live my life. I have made lifelong friends and memories with some of those individuals and couldn't be more grateful."
In 2013 UW-Eau Claire, UW-River Falls, UW-Stevens Point and UW-Superior left the NCHA as the WIAC added women's and men's ice hockey to the conference. Two years later, Erik Strand took over the program and has led the Blugolds for the past five seasons.
The program continued to flourish under Strand's leadership, and he has quickly turned the Blugolds into a national contender.
In just his second season in 2016-17, Eau Claire doubled their win total from the season before (18) setting a program record for wins. Each year the Blugolds have broken the single season win record, and last year tallied 22 wins before a promising season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Blugolds, having won the program's first conference title, were set to host the NCAA Quarterfinals before the sports world was shut down in March.
The past five years have seen tremendous growth for the program with players like Courtney Wittig who helped lift the program to new heights.
The program's second conference Player of the Year winner and first since joining the WIAC, Wittig was also an All-American. Wittig further cemented herself in women's hockey history, becoming the first NCAA Division III player to ever be drafted by the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL). Drafted by the Metropolitan Riveters in the third round as the 11th overall selection, Wittig joined elite company – the top five picks were all members of the United States National Team, including Wisconsin's Annie Pankowski.
Describing her time in a Blugold sweater as some of the best of her life, Wittig said she will always appreciate what UW-Eau Claire provided.
"I will always miss the sport of hockey, but what I miss the most is the friendships that I have made over the years," said Wittig. "If I could tell one thing to every new freshman coming to the team it would be to love the sport you have in front of you for the four years but cherish the friendships you will develop, because you will have those for a lifetime."
The Blugolds have certainly made some positive memories in their short history, particularly in recent years. UW-Eau Claire earned their first NCAA post-season appearance in 2017-18 and quickly recorded the program's first NCAA post-season win with a thrilling 3-2 win over Gustavus Adolphus College in triple overtime. Playing the very next night, the Blugolds fell to Hamline, 3-2. Eau Claire again earned a bid into the NCAA tournament in 2018-19, and last season established themselves as a team that can consistently compete on the national stage.
In addition to the team's success, many individuals have tallied awards for the Blugolds and have shown the progress of the program. Of the 69 players to earn all-conference honors, nearly half have been named in the past five seasons.
"It is awesome to see the continued growth of the program, and I am excited to watch and see the success they will have in the future," said Faber. "Athletics has been a major part of my life and seeing the number of opportunities for female athletes continue to increase is great. Sports teach so many important life lessons and empower young woman to be leaders within their careers and communities."
Watch Marilyn Skrivseth: "You have to see it to believe it to achieve it."
In honor of the 50th anniversary celebration, two Blugold men's hockey alums and current members of the UW-Eau Claire Foundation Board of Directors, Todd Eberhardt ('89) and Eric Wan ('96), are teaming up and will match the first $2,000 donated to the Women's Hockey. To contribute to the Women's Hockey Fund or to Women's Athletics in general, visit the UWEC Foundation website.
