The women’s hockey game on Feb. 16 against the University of Ottawa Gee-Gee’s was the last of the Ravens’ 2019-20 season, but it also marked a rare accomplishment for two of its graduating players.
Captain Leah Scott and assistant captain Jennifer Semkowski became the first two players in program history to play 100 games as a Raven. This means the pair never missed a game throughout the 20-game regular season for five consecutive years.
“This is longevity, this is an absolute great accomplishment,” head coach Pierre Alain says.
“We think of the 100 games, but if we think outside the box, all the hours at the rink they’ve spent practicing, or at high performance centre working on their fitness, it’s unbelievable.”
For the record-breaking achievement, the two players were met with balloons that said “100” in front of their stalls according to Scott.
“It was cool … Jen [Semkowski] knew at the beginning of the season, she said, ‘If I play all the games I’ll reach 100,’” Scott said. “I had no idea until my last three games, I was like, ‘You know what, I think I might do it.’”
With all the teams’ struggles over the past five years, the entirety of the 100 games came in the regular season. In total, Scott, a forward, earned 11 points, six goals and five assists, while Semkowski, a defenceman, totalled 23 points, six goals and 17 assists.
“Hitting that for me was kind of big just because it meant you were there through it all,” said Semkowski. “You didn’t miss anything, which is kind of cool.”
Being key pieces of the team on the ice and off the ice for so long, both players were awarded letters on their jerseys and had anew found responsibility within the team.
“You can tell leaders emerging from groups and they simply emerged from our group,” said Alain.
“In their second and third year you could tell they were good leaders, they were dedicated and committed to the cause, dedicated to help the team succeed and also because they’re such good people.”
On and off the ice both Scott and Semkowski took the responsibility of the job to heart.
“Obviously it was really humbling, and it was super nice that other girls saw you as somebody to look up to or that they can depend on,” Semkowski said. “It’s nice that the coaches think of you like that, but it hits me harder that the girls think of you like that.”
“To have younger girls come in and see you as the captain or the assistant captain, you know what your role is and it’s nice to know that they’re kind of looking up to you and that you can have an impact on their hockey experience,” Scott added.
Between all the on-ice moments, good and bad, both expressed that the off-ice moments would be the biggest takeaway from being a Raven for so long.
“Looking back on it, I’m obviously just going to be happy for the friends that I made,” said Scott. “I think that’s an important factor and the fact that I was able to play at the highest level I could for that long is pretty amazing. I wouldn’t change it.”
“All the opportunities you get just being here and being an athlete with all the people that support you and help you through it,” Semkowski said.
“It was unbelievably awesome, I didn’t meet anybody I didn’t like or that didn’t help me along the way.”
Now, after five full seasons representing Carleton as members of the women’s hockey team, the pair who started together are graduating and saying goodbye together.
“This was like my home away from home, and my family away from home, this is my life and I had a lot of fun,” said Semkowski.
“I loved my five years, if I could do a sixth, I would come back for a sixth.”
Feature image by Tim Austen.
