Abbie Ives Focused on the Process
11/3/2017 11:11:00 AM | Women's Ice Hockey
By Nick Beaudoin
As the 2017-18 season is in full swing, The Quinnipiac Bobcats women's Ice Hockey Team came into the year with a new look on the ice. They transition to CCM equipment along with Adidas jerseys and socks. But that isn't the only new look for the team.
Quinnipiac graduated star goaltender Sydney Rossman in the spring and after a fantastic four-year career as a Bobcat, Rossman heads to the professional ranks as she will play this season for the Connecticut Whale of the NWHL this season.
That means for the first time since Rossman became the full-time starter in 2015-16, Quinnipiac will see a new face in between the pipes. And that face is sophomore Abbie Ives.
A native of Bedford Hills, New York, Ives comes into the season following appearances in six games a season ago. In those six games, Ives posted .983 save percentage and .23 goals against average, only allowing one goal. She finished with a 3-0-1 record with three starts in that time frame. Her freshman year was a positive one but she looks to build on her success as her sophomore campaign has begun.
This year, she will carry the load as the full-time goaltender and she knows she has big shoes to fill. "There are definitely big shoes to fill. She got the first ever ECAC championship [at Quinnipiac.] Sydney was very successful but we have different styles so I'm just going to focus on playing my game." So far through 9 games, Ives has started seven and appeared in one other, posting a .931 save percentage and a 1.59 goals against average. Ives said her focus hasn't changed this year, even though she has moved from the backup role to the starter. "Last year I really learned that I need to prepare for every game even if I wasn't starting and it paid off because I ended up in some games. I kept that routine going and I think that preparation helped."
Quinnipiac also welcomed freshman goaltender Allison Small this year and Ives has done her best to show her the ropes. "Sydney was really good at letting things go when she got scored on and resetting herself. She let the team know that it wasn't going to affect her moving forward. She really looked out for me and showed me the ropes and I try doing the same thing with Allison. There are a lot of small details we focus on in our program so I remind her so she doesn't slip up." Support between the two goaltenders is something Ives makes sure she strives to do day in and day out. She takes pride on how smooth and easy Rossman made her transition to college hockey and she looks to do the same for Small. "Sydney was so supportive of me and we had a great relationship talking in the locker room so I've tried to keep that going with Allison because I think it's helpful."
Ives has attested a lot of her early success to goaltending coach Amanda Mazzotta. Mazzotta, a former goaltender at Cornell, brings a level of competiveness and experience to Hamden that Ives has used to better her game. "Coach Mazz has helped me a lot. We work on rebound control and setting my feet a lot and some other little details. She is a great coach and has helped me with the mental side of the game as well. If I'm struggling in a game I know she is always there to pull me aside and calm me down. It's really nice to have someone do that for me."
Another coach on the bench has noticed what Abbie Ives has brought to the table and that is head coach Cassandra Turner. She is a big fan of Ives and is very fortunate to have the Sophomore in net for her Bobcats. "Abbie is a great goaltender. We were really fortunate to have her come to Quinnipiac. We love her size and we love her desire to want to stop every puck. She is a really neat competitor and has been that way since she stepped foot on this campus and it's been really nice to see how that's coming through this season."
As ECAC play continues, Ives finds herself coming off an award-winning weekend, being named the ECAC goaltender of the week after a phenomenal series against Dartmouth and Harvard. As great as that accolade may be, Ives has goals for this season and she isn't slowing down to reach them. "We talk about focusing on the process and not always the results, so my process is to be my best every day and push myself. I want results and the ultimate goals for me are to win the ECAC, make it to the frozen four and win a national championship."
Nick Beaudoin is a sophomore at Quinnipiac, majoring in broadcast journalism and minoring in public relations. Beaudoin is a member of and contributor to the Bobcat Sports Media Group.
