This past year, women’s ice hockey has been brought to the University of New Mexico.
The UNM Lobo women’s ice hockey team had its first home-opening series on Oct. 25 and 26, taking on the New Mexico Mustangs, based in Rio Rancho. The Lobos finished with a strong 7-2 win on Oct. 25.
Lobo Head Coach Jarrod Ronquillo, expressed his pride in the players’ performance.
“I think they all left everything they had on the ice. I’m proud of them,” Ronquillo said.
Coming off their first home win, the stakes were high going into Sunday night’s game on Oct. 26. Both teams battled hard, tying the score 4-4 by the end of the second period. The Mustangs eventually pulled ahead in the third period, ending the game with a 6-4 win over the Lobos.
For Lobo goalie Bella Luke, the weekend was a personal milestone, she said.
“Vibes were high coming into the first game; it was a big game, and I knew that I was starting,” Luke said. “That meant a lot to me personally. I’ve been a goalie since I was six, so I was really excited for that.”
Luke joined the team halfway through last season while playing in the North American Hockey Academy. She was drawn to UNM for its strong sense of teamwork and passion, she said.
“(Defensemen) Kiki Langenwalter and (winger) Mia Hollister are both really passionate about this program, and I think that was really important to me,” Luke said.
Langenwalter and Hollister are cofounders of the women’s team and have been working for over a year and a half to establish the team.
Lobo Assistant coach Edgar Solis said the first games were meaningful for both the athletes and coaching staff.
“It’s very important for the coaches to see the skill level, conditioning level and overall energy of our team. We’re so new to each other, so it gave us an opportunity to create chemistry and some flow. I was super impressed with how they played,” Solis said.
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Ronquillo echoed that sentiment, noting the significance of the moment.
“It was a historic game, it was the first game of the season, the first game of the program, and it went off in New Mexico,” Ronquillo said. “They came out firing on all cylinders — it was really fun to watch.”
With the UNM women’s hockey team beginning their first official season, it’s unclear how they will perform against their opponents. Their next series will be against the University of Denver on Nov. 7 and 8, away in Denver, Colorado.
Elizabeth Bolke is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on X @dailylobo