Wisconsin Wild Alumnae Newsletter Week of September 29, 2008

Bassett and Fardelmann Earn Spots on U.S. Women’s U-22 Select Team

Two Wild alumnae, Cori Bassett and Meghan Fardelmann were invited to USA Hockey’s Women’s Under-22 Camp. Cori and Meghan were two of the thirty-four players invited to the camp and competing for the 22 spots on the 2008 U.S. Women’s Under-22 Select Team. The camp was held in Lake Placid, N.Y., from June 24 to July 1. After the camp, both Wild alums were named to the U-22 Team USA. August 14-17, the team participated in the 2008 USA Hockey Women's National Festival in Lake Placid, where in the three game series Cori scored a goal and earned an assist, and Meghan also earned an assist. August 20-23, the team participated in the 2008 Under-22 Series in Pierrefonds, Quebec. The three game series against Canada’s U- 22 team resulted in a shoot-out win for Team USA in the first game, a loss in the second game, and an overtime loss in the third game.

Meghan, pictured left (and on left in above picture), a senior forward, was a National Festival attendee in 2007. She led all scoring with five points on two goals and three assists. Meghan was also a member of the U.S. Women's Select Team which competed in the Four Nations Cup in Lesksand, Sweden, in November 2007. She notched a goal in the shutout of Sweden in the first game of the tournament. Team USA went on to claim the silver medal.

Cori (pictured right in top picture), a Harvard University junior defenseman, played for Team USA for the first time. She played in all 34 games for the Crimson in 2007-08, scoring three goals, including two on the power play, and assisting on three other tallies. She finished the year with a +15 rating and was part of the nation's best scoring defense, which allowed only 34 goals in 34 contests. MMeell iiss aa MMoommmmyy!!

Congratulations to Wild alumna Melissa Schaeffer and boyfriend Shane Palmer (pictured top right) who are the proud new parents of a sweet baby boy. Keegin Sirris Palmer made his entrance on April 15, 2008, weighing 6 pounds, 7 ounces, and standing tall at 18.5 inches. The happy family lives in Flagstaff, Arizona where Mel is continuing her studies in speech pathology and linguistics at Northern Arizona University. Mel and Shane plan to marry when Keegin turns two years old. Melissa’s mom, Patty (pictured center right holding Keegin), loves being a grandma, but is called “nana” because she is far too young to be “grandma.” The most recent picture of Keegin is below (left).

Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Chad Huenink Wild alumna Mallory McConnell became Mrs. Chad Huenink on May 31st. Mallory and Chad, who started dating in high school (Brookfield East), were married at Community United Methodist Church in Elm Grove with a reception at Pier Wisconsin on Milwaukee’s lakefront. According to Mallory, “everything was awesome - the weather, ceremony, reception – it all went off without a hitch.” The newlyweds honeymooned in romantic San Diego, and then returned to Wisconsin where they now make their home in Germantown.

Welcome New Alumnae! We are proud to welcome all seven recent Wild graduates to the alumnae ranks. Six of them plan to play college hockey, while one has opted to play Division I Soccer*. Here is where they have all landed:

Emily Brienzo – University of Massachusetts-Boston Anna Donlan – St. Cloud State University (MN) Lynne Erspamer – University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Michelle LaCombe – St. Anselm College (NH) Brookley Rogers – Purdue University (IN)* Rachel Welz – College of St. Benedict (MN) Angela Zevnik – St. Anselm College (NH) School Transfers

• Alyssa Koniar has transferred to Buffalo State College (NY) to study Sciences and Spanish in preparation for becoming a Neonatologist. She will also play for Buffalo State’s Division 3 women’s hockey team.

• Marie-Michelle Poirier has transferred to the University of North Dakota to study nursing. She will also be playing Division I women’s hockey for the Fighting Sioux.

• Heather Rossi has transferred to Lindenwood University (MO) and will play on their ACHA women’s hockey team.

If you have email addresses for the following missing alumnae and/or their parents, please send the information to [email protected].

Kate Bauman * Kelly Crandall Kristin Hoesly * Tina Keaton Jill Luebke * Shelly Stubbe

Here is information about games that will be played this weekend and the Wild alumnae expected to participate:

Friday, October 3 University of North Dakota @ 7:00 pm – Alfond Arena, Orono, ME Featuring Wild alumnae Ashley Paulson (junior, North Dakota) and Marie-Michelle Poirier (sophomore, North Dakota)

Last season, Ashley Paulson (pictured left) played in a career-high 33 games and achieved personal bests in goals (6), assists (6) and points (12). She was tied for second on the team with three power-play goals and ranked third in goals. She scored one of UND’s two shorthanded goals on the season and enjoyed a pair of career-long three-game scoring streaks on the season. Ashley’s three power-play goals are tied for the third-most in UND single-season history.

After attending post-secondary school at Cégep de Saint-Jérôme in Saint-Jérôme, Quebec for the last few seasons, Marie-Michelle Poirier has decided to continue her hockey playing at the NCAA Division I level. She was a starter in the 2008 Sport Collégial Île de Montréal all-star game and notched three assists. She was named second-team all-star and competed in the all-star game three straight years. While playing for the Wisconsin Wild in 2002, Marie was named MWEHL Fastest Skater.

Bemidji State University @ Wayne State University 7:00 pm – City Sports Ice Arena, Detroit, MI Featuring Wild alumna Lexy Parenteau (sophomore, Bemidji State) Bemidji defender Lexy Parenteau saw action in all but one game during the 2007-08 season, scoring one goal and recording three assists. Lexy was the second-highest scoring defenseman. She scored her first-career goal against Ohio State on November 2, 2007 and recorded her first-career two- assist game against Ohio State on February 23, 2008.

St. Cloud State University @ Quinnipiac University 7:00 pm – TD Northbank Center, Hamden, CT Featuring Wild alumna Anna Donlan (freshman, St. Cloud State)

Goaltender Anna Donlan helped the Wisconsin Wild to the 2006-07 State Championship, charting 433 saves, a team-best .921 save percentage and a 1.23 goals against average that season. She was 12-7-5 between the pipes in 2006-07 and had nine shutouts and 23 starts. Anna participated in the Chicago Showcase in 2006 and 2007 and earned the 2007 Don Wehnes Goal Keeper Award. A multi-sport athlete at Hillsboro High School, Anna also participated in volleyball and softball. She was a two-time volleyball team captain and named 2007 Scenic Bluffs Conference MVP after totaling 1,221 career kills, 431 career digs and a .920 serving percentage with 233 career serving aces. Anna is a four-time All- Conference player and an All-State and All-Area First Team volleyball player who helped her team to the Wisconsin State Volleyball Tournament from 2004-2007 and in two of those seasons finishing second in the state.

Boston University @ Union College 7:00 pm – Achilles Center, Schenectady, NY Featuring Wild alumna Holly Lorms (sophomore, )

As a freshman last season, Holly Lorms appeared in 30-of-35 games, mostly at right wing. She earned her first career points on October 6 against the University of Minnesota, tallying a power-play goal and an assist. Holly scored two goals in the second period in the November 7 game against Quinnipiac and notched the game-winner at Vermont on February 9. Unfortunately, Holly had to sit out the month of December with an injury.

Lindenwood University @ Robert Morris College (IL) (ACHA) 7:00 pm – The Edge Ice Arena, Bensenville, IL Featuring Wild alumna Heather Rossi (sophomore, Lindenwood)

Saturday, October 4 Boston University @ Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 2:00 pm – Houston Fieldhouse, Troy, NY Featuring Wild alumna Holly Lorms (sophomore, Boston University)

University of North Dakota @ University of Maine 2:00 pm – Alfond Arena, Orono, ME Featuring Wild alumnae Ashley Paulson (junior, North Dakota) and Marie-Michelle Poirier (freshman, North Dakota)

Bemidji State University @ Wayne State University 2:00 pm – City Sports Ice Arena, Detroit, MI Featuring Wild alumna Lexy Parenteau (sophomore, Bemidji State)

Clarkson University @ Boston College 2:00 pm – Silvio O. , Chestnut Hill, MA Featuring Wild alumna Meghan Fardelmann (senior, Boston College) Last season Meghan Fardelmann played in 32 games and was third on team with 22 points 11 goals and 11 assists). She led the team with 156 shots and recorded five multiple-point games. Meghan put together a four- game scoring streak of six points from October 27 to November 16. She also tallied five power-play points (3g, 2a), the second-highest on team and registered a +18 rating for the season, ranking third on the team. Meghan earned the Athletics Director's Award for Academic Achievement and was named to All-Academic Team.

St. Cloud State University @ Quinnipiac University 4:00 pm – TD Northbank Center, Hamden, CT Featuring Wild alumna Anna Donlan (freshman, St. Cloud State)

Lindenwood University @ Robert Morris College (IL) (ACHA) 8:00 pm – The Edge Ice Arena, Bensenville, IL Featuring Wild alumna Heather Rossi (sophomore, Lindenwood)

Calgary Oval X-Treme @ Strathmore Rockies (WWHL) 8:15 pm – Strathmore Family Center, Strathmore, AB Featuring Wild alumna Kendall Newell

Sunday, October 5 Clarkson University @ Boston College 2:00 pm – Silvio O. Conte Forum, Chestnut Hill, MA Featuring Wild alumna Meghan Fardelmann (senior, Boston College)

Heather Rossi’s ACHA game schedule at Lindenwood University began last week. The team played two games against Grand Valley State University in Michigan. Game results are as follows:

September 26 Lindenwood University 9, Grand Valley State University 1

September 27 Lindenwood University 10, Grand Valley State University 2 Heather made her Lindenwood debut in this game, played the entire game and made 15 saves.

Our New College Graduates

Katie Coyne graduated from Bowdoin College (ME) with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology as well as a Teaching minor. Katie has accepted a teaching position at Hebron Academy in Maine. She will spend the year teaching two sections of 9th grade World History, as well as working in Hebron's Academic Support Center. She is living in the boys' dorm and will be "on duty" for either 10th or 11th grade boys, which she says, is “sure to be an adventure!” On top of her academic responsibilities, Katie will coach JV soccer, varsity hockey, and varsity softball. Pictured right is the Coyne family (l-r): Tom, Mike, Katie, Grandma Betty, and Peg.

Amy Goodney graduated Summa Cum Laude from (MA) with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, and minors in Elementary Education and History. Amy is currently teaching gifted and talented 4th & 5th graders at George Mason Elementary School - which is part of the Alexandria (Virginia) Public School system. Amy is pictured right with her parents, mom Laura and dad, Dick. (Notice the “Penalty Box” sign in the background of the picture to the left!)

Kelsey Hunt graduated from St. Anselm College (NH) with a Bachelor of Arts in degree in Criminal Justice. She was also awarded the Judy Meelia Service Award. Pictured right is Kelsey with her parents, Cathi and Bob, and below is Kelsey and Cathi at a Brewers game at Fenway Park. Kelsey will spend the next two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Eastern Caribbean. She started training in August, beginning with two days of pre-training in Miami, Florida, followed by a three-day training retreat on St. Lucia, and finally to the island of St. Kitts for a seven week training program. When she finishes training Kelsey will serve as a Youth Developer. The Peace Corps in the Eastern Caribbean focuses primarily on providing job skills training and health services to youth, as well as integrating information technology, disaster preparedness and mitigation, and HIV/AIDS education and prevention into their program. You can follow Kelsey’s endeavors on her blog at http://kelshunt.spaces.live.com/. You can also write to her at: Kelsey Hunt, United States Peace Corps, P.O. Box 246, College Housing Projects, Basseterre, St. Kitts.

Katharine Kelly graduated Magna Cum Laude from Amherst College (MA) with Bachelor of Art degrees in French and Anthropology. Katharine wrote her honors thesis in the department of Anthropology/Sociology on the French Environmental Movement over the course of the 20th century, and its relation to French political and cultural identities. Kat is taking a Corporate Finance and an advanced French class this semester and plans to take the LSAT in December. She hopes to attend a JD/MBA program at some point, with a focus on international law and business. She is also waiting for an application to become available for the Young Professionals Program at UNESCO. If that happens, Kat would work in Paris at UNESCO headquarters for up to two years, and then go out on a field assignment at one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Jessica MacKenzie graduated from Harvard University (MA) with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology, with a Secondary Field Major in Government. Jess moved to Manhattan in July and is working on Wall Street at Lehman Brothers Investment Bank in the Capital Markets Sales and Trading Division as an Analyst.

Mallory McConnell graduated from Dordt College (IA) with two Bachelor of Arts degrees in Elementary Education and K-12 Art Education. Mallory returned to the Milwaukee area after graduation and is student teaching 3rd grade in the Elmbrook School District.

Carrie McGonagil graduated Cum Laude from Carroll College (WI) with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing and was selected to Sigma Theta Tau, the Nursing Honor Society. Carrie is now working as a Registered Nurse at Waukesha Memorial Hospital. Carrie is shown right with her parents, mom Diane and dad Jay.

Emilie Midtling graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude from St. Olaf College (MN) with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology and Molecular Biology. Emilie has been accepted into medical school at the University of Wisconsin but has decided to defer entrance for a year in order to study in Kiel, Germany. Emilie received a scholarship from Christian Albrechts University where she joined a biomolecular laboratory. She will be in Kiel from September through June and will take July to backpack around Germany before returning to Wisconsin to start medical school. Pictured right is Emily with her sister, Anna, and her mom, Kaye.

Kendall Newell graduated from St. Cloud State University (MN) with Bachelor of Arts degrees in Psychology and Communication Studies. Kendall decided she was not quite done playing competitive hockey so she moved to Calgary where she will play this season for the Calgary Oval X-treme of the Canadian Western Women’s Hockey League (WWHL).

Sarah Nowakowski graduated with honors from Williams College (MA) with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology. Sarah is now enrolled in the Bioengineering Ph.D. program at the University of Washington in Seattle. Pictured left is Sarah with her parents, Ken and Lisa. Pictured right is the Nowakowski family – Lisa, Sam, Sarah, Tessa, and Ken.

Rylee Olewinski graduated from Brown University (RI) with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology.

Claire Parda graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire with a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Care Administration. Claire has moved to St. Cloud, Minnesota with her fiancé, Joe Lasley, who is pursuing his Masters Degree. Claire will be taking her board exam for nursing home administrators in September. Eventually she plans to work in the area of Group Home Management and/or Assisted Living/Apartment Housing. Claire and Joe (pictured lower right) are planning their wedding for June or July 2009. They also plan to move out of country in a few years and experience Europe by living in Ireland and traveling. Claire also plans to continue coaching youth and adult hockey, particularly girls and women. Pictured bottom left is Claire with her parents, Steve and Pat; pictured bottom center is Claire with her sister Rebecca and brother Michael. Claire’s brother, Philip wasn’t able to make it to the ceremony.

Erin Shepet (pictured left) graduated Cum Laude from the University of St. Thomas (MN) with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, with an Accounting major and a concentration in Computer Science. Erin is continuing her education at St. Thomas’ Graduate School, where she is working toward a Master of Science degree in Accountancy. She will intern with Ernst & Young this winter. (Pictured right is the Shepet family (l-r): Phil, Kevin, Erin, Joyce, and Colin)

Receiving her Masters Degree was Nadia Sarkarat who graduated from National-Louis University (IL) with a Master's Degree in Elementary Education. Nadia is now a junior kindergarten (3-4 year olds) assistant teacher at Roycemore School, a private college-preparatory day school in Evanston, Illinois, directly across the street from the Northwestern University campus. Nadia is excited about taking this first step in her career. She says that she even enjoys the beautiful drive to Roycemore from her home in the Lincoln Park area.

What I Did This Summer

• Shortly after graduation, Katie Coyne went on a cruise to the southern Caribbean with some friends from high school. They left from Puerto Rico and traveled to Aruba, Curacao, St. Thomas and St. Martin. The weather was perfect and they spent their days horseback riding, swimming with dolphins, kayaking, snorkeling, and soaking up lots of sun! Katie says that “The cruise ship was a mini-island of its own - we filled our time on the ship with swimming, nights of karaoke, volleyball tournaments and eating tons of delicious food!”

• Amy Goodney trained for and participated in the YMCA Teal Lake Triathlon. The training paid off – Amy won the women’s division with a time of 1:12:02.50.

• Immediately after graduation (in fact, in a rush to the airport from the graduation ceremony), Katharine Kelly spent ten days in Ireland with her family. She then met three friends from Amherst in Paris and spent three weeks traveling around Europe by train! Kat says that she loves Paris, but Barcelona was definitely her favorite city. They also visited Rome, Venice, Vienna, Munich and Amsterdam. In July and August, Kat lived with friends in Madison and worked as an intern for an environmental law firm that focuses on water, energy and land management issues in Wisconsin and the Great Lakes region.

• Alyssa Koniar again went to Panama this summer for a service project. She worked with children in need and said the project was extremely successful. After spending countless hours with the little ones in Panama as well as experiencing her cousin being born two months premature, Alyssa has decided to pursue a career in Neonatology.

• Emilie Midtling spent the summer at the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN) working in immunology research.

• Kendall Newell worked at the Minnesota Hockey Camps as a counselor at their facility on the shores of Clark Lake near Brainerd, Minnesota. This was Kendall’s fifth summer working at the camp.

• Sarah Nowakowski spent the summer working at Clearwater Camp for Girls in Minocqua teaching waterskiing. Sarah used to be a camper at Clearwater and has been a teacher for the last couple of summers.

• Claire Parda finished her year-long internship with Benedictine Health Center at Innsbruck. Claire learned how to be a Nursing Home Administrator by rotating through all the facility departments. Her requirements were four major leadership projects and included writing a Welcome Concierge book, planning the Annual Gala that raised $13,000, writing the First Innsbruck Angel Cookbook, and helping write a safety grant for ceiling lifts in the facility (which was awarded).

• Nadia Sarkarat played in an adult hockey summer league on the Angry Beavers team at Johnny's Ice House in Chicago, which she said brought “back GREAT memories!”

• Samantha Ritt worked as a English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher at Northfield Mount Hermon School in Mount Hermon, Massachusetts for five weeks at their summer school.

• Erin Shepet did something she said she would NEVER, EVER do. She went skydiving in August! To see all the pictures, go to http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2079666&l=3a196&id=40100138

More Alumnae News:

Jenna Maser quit her corporate job doing technical consulting and went back to school at New York University to get her teaching degree. Jenna is student teaching at a school in Brooklyn and says she “is loving every minute of it!” Jenna is also playing competitive hockey again. She is on the NYU men's ACHA club hockey team. She is excited to be playing again and thrilled that the team allows graduate students AND girls to play!

Samantha Ritt took a personal role in the fight against cancer by being part of the American Cancer Society Relay For Life® in April. She volunteered as a member of a team in Culver, Indiana that raised money for the fight against cancer. Sam personally raised over $500 and her team raised almost $2000. According to Sam, “it would be quite an understatement to say that the event was a huge success. Our original goal was $35,000 and we ended up raising over $100,000.” She also said, “Although it rained during part of the event, that did not stop us from continuing to walk the laps on the track and stay awake from 7 pm until the closing ceremony at 9 am.”

Also, after finishing one year as an intern at the Culver Academies in Culver, Indiana last year, the school offered Samantha Ritt a full-time position as a French teacher for the 2008-09 academic year. She is also the assistant cross country coach for both boys and girls in the fall, and will be the head coach of the JV girls' ice hockey in the winter. The Culver team will play the Wild U-16s during the weekend of February 14-15 at the Ponds in Wisconsin.

Year-End Awards

Katie Coyne (Bowdoin) has been named an All-American Athlete by the National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA). Nominated by Bowdoin Strength & Conditioning coach Jim St. Pierre, the program recognized 239 student-athletes from 165 schools across the country for their dedication to strength training and conditioning. Coyne, a captain on the women's ice hockey team, played in 102 career games and scored 69 points on 37 goals and 32 assists. "Katie's dedication to our dry-land strength and conditioning program allowed her to make significant performance gains on and off the ice," according to St. Pierre. "She is a two-time captain, serving as a terrific leader and role model for her teammates. She is always positive and her work ethic can be seen in all aspects of her life." Meghan Fardelmann (Boston College) was named to the 2007-2008 Hockey East All-Academic Team. In order to qualify, Meghan had to achieve a grade point average of 3.0 or better in each of the two academic periods during the 2007-08 season. This was the third year Meghan has been recognized with this honor.

Maggie Mickelson (St. Cloud State) was recognized as the Most Improved Player on her team’s squad. Maggie came on strong late in the season, appearing in the last 15 games of the year despite playing in just four games prior to that.

Kendall Newell (St. Cloud State) was named her team’s Most Valuable Player, as the senior goaltender finished her career as SCSU's all-time leader in save percentage (.908), goals against average (2.69), win percentage (.480) and ties (9). Newell also tied the SCSU single-season record for shutouts with three.

Marie-Michelle Poirier (St. Jerome) was named to the ARSCIM league All-Star second team.