MORRISVILLE, N.Y. – The SUNY Morrisville women's ice hockey team will make the 2022-23 season debut Saturday, playing host to William Smith College in a 4 p.m. puck drop in the Mustangs home arena on the Morrisville campus.
 
Morrisville, who returns 20 from a year ago to the lineup this season, is looking to gain on the overall mark they had last year, capitalizing on the strength of it's returning class combined with new incoming talent.
 
"We are excited about our newcomers," assistant coach Michelle Van Slyke said. "We added two forwards, two defensemen and a goalie during the summer to help elevate our level of competition; and with the loss of only one senior to graduation last year, our returners are looking to play big roles in a number of different positions on the ice."
 
The Mustangs return the top five leading scorers from last season, including captain Rhys Brown (Kemptville, Ont.) who collected a total 19 points off 10 goals and nine assists.
 
Sophomore Allie Davidson (Niagara Falls, Ont.) came on strong in the second half of her inaugural collegiate season and matched Brown's 10 goals, assisting three others.
 
Alongside Brown, the depth provided with Alana McDonald (Potsdam, N.Y.) and Kendra Johnston (St. Albert, Alta.) returning to the lineup, Morrisville is looking to up their 2.0 goals per game average this season.
 
Three will be competing for time between the pipes, two that gained considerable experience a year ago and newcomer Maggie Jones (Marystown, N.L.). Emma Plett (Grunthal, Man.) and Elizabeth Timby (Getzville, N.Y.) combined for a .896 save percentage a year ago.
 
Morrisville will get the season underway Saturday with a non-conference home-and-home with William Smith College.
 
"We are excited to continue our tradition of competing against the best DIII programs in our area in Hamilton, Utica and William Smith," Van Slyke said.
 
"It will serve as great preparation for our league play, which is one of the strongest conferences in the nation, pushing each member to a new level each year."
 
The puck will drop at 4 p.m. Saturday before the Mustangs hit the road Sunday for a 4 p.m. contest at William Smith.
 
The following weekend they meet Plattsburgh for a dual on the Mustangs home ice, a tough challenge out the games for Northeast Women's Hockey League (NEWHL) play, as the Cardinals are preseason ranked no. 3 in the latest DCU/USCHO.com Division III poll.
 
Morrisville will then split action the following weekend against Oswego, hosting the Lakers on the 11^th, with an outing up north on the 12^th, followed by a non-conference mid-week trip to Wilkes University on Nov. 15.
 
The Mustangs head to Plattsburgh on Nov. 19, and return to central New York on the 22^nd at nearby Hamilton to kick off a three-game non-conference skid. On Nov. 27 they will head to Lebanon Valley before making an appearance at the Adirondack Bank Center against nearby Utica University on Nov. 29.
 
A conference battle with Cortland on Dec. 6 will send the Mustangs into the holiday break, resuming action on January 2^nd as they host Alvernia University.
 
Back-to-back battles with SUNY Cortland on Jan. 6 and 7^th will have the Mustangs seeing Buffalo State for the first time on the 13^th, followed by Canton on the 14^th on their home ice.
 
A final home January outing on the 20^th against Potsdam will see the Mustangs traveling for the next four league contests, the 21^st to Oswego, 27^th and 28^th to Buffalo State and a February 3^rd trip to Potsdam.
 
Morrisville will wrap up their home schedule with a Feb. 4 battle with SUNY Canton and Feb. 17 outing with Potsdam, heading to Canton on the 18^th for the regular season finale.
 
A full schedule and roster are available on the Mustangs athletic website at www.morrisvillemustangs.com.
 
SUNY Morrisville's curricula are enriched with applied learning and pave the way for opportunity at both the Morrisville and Norwich campuses. An action-oriented, interactive learning lab, the college is a national leader in technology and has been lauded for its exemplary, innovative and effective community service programs.
 
The college was ranked among the Best Regional Colleges in the North by U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges 2022 issue and was among the top 10 performers for social mobility, and was also recognized in the Top Public Schools, Regional Colleges North in the 2022 Best Colleges rankings. For more information about SUNY Morrisville, visit www.morrisville.edu.