Third-year hockey players Kinsley Rolph and Liv Haley see playing what people assume to be a predominantly male sport as just a part of their normal life. Despite not finding any women’s hockey programs at Chapman, they continue to play the sport competitively in an unexpected new home.

Women’s hockey was — and is — a typical part of life for Rolph, a broadcast journalism and documentary major, and Haley, a screenwriting major. Both are New England natives, though they had no knowledge of one another’s existence prior to coming to Chapman, who grew up on skates and played in competitive female leagues throughout high school. 

“I’ve been skating my whole life, my mom had me on skates before I could walk,” Haley said. “They had a bunch of leagues in our area for girls. Before I came to Chapman, I had actually only ever played on women’s teams. On the east coast, a girl hockey player is as common as a girl lacrosse player or a girl soccer player.”

When they came to Chapman in the fall of 2019 with an interest in continuing their hockey careers, they were confronted with the reality that there was not a women’s hockey team. However, Haley and Rolph soon discovered the existence of the university’s club hockey team, which took on sophomore broadcast journalism and documentary major Rachel King as their sole female athlete the year prior.  

Playing hockey at Chapman has proven to be a different experience than expected for both Rolph and Haley, but their passion for the game pushes them to continue their hockey careers, even if it means playing for a predominantly men’s team. 

“After my high school season ended, I was going back and forth about continuing (hockey),” Haley said. “But every time I’m back out on the ice, I’m reminded why I love it.”

As they were joining the Chapman team in 2019, neither Haley nor Rolph knew what to anticipate from their first time playing on a co-ed team. For most members already on the team, it would be their first experience playing with girls in an organized league. 

“I was actually very excited,” said Dexter Corley, the team’s captain and a junior business major. “I’ve played with girls in the past and they’ve always brought good energy to the rink.” 

Rolph and Haley said they were pleasantly surprised to see how close they got with their teammates.

“Looking back on it, the guys on the team are what have kept me coming back,” said Haley. “Even this year, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to play again, but having them telling me how much they want me to come and play another year was a really good feeling ... After that, I was like, ‘I gotta do it.’”  

Rolph mentioned how, despite the differences in gender, all the players were able to find common ground.

“Coming from a women’s atmosphere in a locker room, I thought the men’s experience would be very different, but it really wasn’t,” said Rolph. “They were really accepting from the start of having us there and made us feel at home.” 

While the transition into the team culture might have been smooth, both Rolph and Haley had to work through personal adjustments on the ice. 

“There was a large transition in learning the differences with men’s hockey. Men’s hockey is more physical and faster,” Rolph said. “Fortunately, the guys on our team told us there is an unspoken rule that you don’t hit the girls while on the ice.” 

With this unspoken rule, both Rolph and Haley know that the boys on their team will have their back if someone on the other team hits them with a cheap shot. 

“We really appreciate that kind of support from the guys on our team because it shows the respect they have for us,” said Rolph. “With that said, it’s still remembered I can take a hit too!” 

While women’s hockey usually lacks physicality compared to men’s hockey, players have to look at different aspects of the game in order to have success. Both Rolph and Haley spoke about how growing up in women’s hockey prepared them well for the more technical aspects of the game, like strategy or play formation. 

“I’ve heard my dad say how women’s hockey really has to rely on strategy since checking isn’t allowed; we have to know our plays,” said Rolph. “A lot of people don’t think hockey is like that — that it doesn’t have plays. But, sometimes you have to follow the Xs and Os, because we aren’t allowed to hit.”

Corley acknowledges both women’s skills relating to strategy and their ability to recognize the mental aspects of the game. 

“They’re both really good at being able to see the plays develop,” Corley said. “They both have high hockey IQ.”

The team is looking forward to this season as an opportunity to prove their legitimacy as a hockey program. Corley, Haley and Rolph all mentioned how excited they are to be playing back out on the ice after a year off. 

“We have a real shift in mindset this year,” Rolph said. “We’ve dropped our losing mindset from years past … Not playing last year has given us the opportunity to feel like a new team.” 

Chapman’s hockey team will get an opportunity to showcase this year’s athletes at their first game at USC on Sept. 17. After that, they’ll host the USC team at Anaheim Ice for the Panther’s first home game since 2019.