By By Alex Faust, News Correspondent

One year after Dave Flint took the helm of the women’s hockey program, he said the outlook is brighter, the talent pool is deeper, and the season’s win total is heftier.
The Huskies’ 12-20-3 record (7-13-1 in Hockey East) was their best finish in five years. The team qualified for the Hockey East Tournament and was competitive in a 2-1 loss to Boston University Feb. 28 in the quarterfinal round. This turnaround was the focal point of the year-end banquet held April 21.
‘The theme of the event was to keep our momentum going,’ Flint said. ‘We took steps in the right direction. Entering the position not knowing what to expect, having never seen them play, I didn’t know where we would finish, but I at least wanted to get seven wins.’
The team won seven games during the 2007-08 season.
Among the players honored at the event was freshman goaltender Florence Shelling, who was named Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player.
Shelling’s goaltending was the ‘backbone of the team,’ Flint said, noting her teammates, not the coaches, voted her MVP.
Senior forward Missy Elumba enjoyed a brilliant season on and off the ice and was recognized at the banquet for winning the national Hockey Humanitarian Award for her exceptional volunteer work at home and abroad.
‘ During the event, the team announced senior defenseman Katy Applin, senior forward Annie Hogan, and junior defenseman Julia Marty as next year’s team captains. Hogan, who wore the assistant captain badge on her jersey during the 2008-09 season, said she was awestruck by the appointment.
‘It’s so humbling, an honor beyond belief,’ said Hogan. ‘It’s hard to put into words. It’s one of the highest honors that you can get from a team. The position of captain comes naturally ‘- I’m a talker, and I speak with emotion which sometimes gets me into trouble ‘- but I’ve always tried to be a leader on the ice and help build the team behind the scenes.’
Hogan spoke highly of her fellow team leaders, Applin and Marty.
‘They’re the two best people you could pick for the job, and we really worked well together last year,’ Hogan said. ‘Our bond is going to be much closer, and it is really going to show out there on the ice.’
The coaching staff announced a recruiting class of seven new players, including two late additions:’ Lindsay Domaas from Minnetonka, Minn., and Brittany Esposito from Edmonton, Alb. Both join the Huskies with impressive credentials, but Esposito in particular has piqued the interest of the coaching staff for her ability to score.
In April, Esposito helped lead the Edmonton Thunder of the Alberta Major Midget Female Hockey League to a fourth place finish in the national Esso Cup tournament, scoring six goals and 11 points in six games, as well as leading the league in scoring on the season. Flint said NU is looking to put the puck on net ‘- something they struggled to do last season ‘- by combining Esposito’s talents with other touted’ previously announced recruits, including Casey Pickett from Wilmington, and Rachel Llanes from San Jose, Calif.
The goal is to continue to build on last year’s progress, Flint said.
‘We started out strong, cut down our goals against average, and made the Hockey East quarterfinals, but faded towards the end,’ Flint said. ‘The biggest thing we wanted to do was change the culture and get everyone committed to being successful. In the past, we haven’t had that. Getting the players to experience success was importance to give them confidence ‘hellip; It’s not an overnight change, but a small step in the right direction.’