Katie Barbor is hands down the MVP of the University of Maryland's 2014-2015 Women's Ice Hockey team. Katie was the difference maker on the team without Katie we would not have been the team we were. She not only lead the league in goals but she was also a stronghold for the Terps on defense. Katie played no less than half of every game. She double shifted constantly because she was our top line center, our top line power play and our top line penalty. Katie basically did it all. Katie's love of the game and of her teammates drove her to push herself to succeed daily whether it was in practice or in a game. I will not forget our game against Towson at Wells because Katie had the flu the entire week leading up to it. Katie's teammates voiced their concerns not only because of the possibility that the backbone of the team may not be able to play but also for Katie's health. Katie took one practice off that week and that was it. She refused to let how she felt keep her off the ice. Katie pushed through and played a tremendous game dispute being so under the weather. She herself says the entire game was a blur but she doesn't regret playing. Her desire to play through the illness pushed her teammate to work through any exhaustion they had. Without Katie the game would not have been the same.

Katie also pushed everyone in practice bringing the overall speed and intensity up a notch. We skated the mile two separate times in our first practice back from Christmas break and Katie proved how she had worked so hard over break and it was her the other girls needed to push to keep up with. Katie not only lapped girls but she beat the next fastest girl by over a minute. I was blown away.

Katie's drive, desire and love of the game is a big part of what makes Maryland the team we are. She not only adds to things you can see on paper like the score sheet but adds value to the team through her heart and I turn giving her teammates a role model day in and day out. 

A good goalie is priceless. Brown, a natural athlete,  has trained and practiced her way to becoming the backbone of the team. Despite being out of the game for a while, Brown stepped up in our time of need to fill the vacant goalie position.  Brown's outstanding performance, heart, determination, and positive attitude proved to be the foundation for the past two seasons, the best in club history. 

While Mo did not lead our team in any category, she still averaged over two points a game.  Her role was the leader, utility player and certainly sacrificed herself to show how leaders serve.  She had 19 assists and worked hard to set up other players on the team.  She played any position needed on the ice without hesitation including Defense and Center.  She motivated the team and stepped in to stand up for her teammates when necessary.  Her hustle, attitude, servitude and blue collar work ethic set an example for the team that all others followed.  Mo is a big part of why this team has won back to back championships.  A team must have a personality and that needs to be selfless and they must bond like a family. Mo made that happen and certainly has been the glue that holds that team together.  Without this type of leader, the past two years would never have been so successful without her. She is great at encouraging the team and leading them in the right direction. She has great knowledge of the game and is always advising and teaching her teammates. She helps players get better individually so that the team can be successful as a whole. As one of our graduating seniors, she will be greatly missed on the ice, but we plan to see her involved on the coaching staff is coming seasons.

Our young team took its cues from its seniors, and Taylor was the standard they had to live up to from the very first game. Our senior captain was a consistent offensive producer, a tireless worker, and a tremendous leader. As our short bench rendered some legs tired, she always seemed to be the one taking the extra shifts late in games to keep teammates fresh.

She blocked shots, then left opponents in awe when she came back from the injuries they caused. She played our first playoff game with six skaters and no goalie coming off a crippling illness. And she still managed to lead the team in scoring. We didn’t have enough players for someone to focus on only scoring goals, but we were lucky to have someone like Taylor who did it all.

At first glance, Alexa looked like a middle school girl. I remember doing a double take when she walked into our first meeting as a team. She was petite, thin, and through introductions, I learned the only thing that was big about her was her voice. She had this shrill voice that could cut through any conversation. However, when we had our first game I realized that this girl was far from small. Not in stature, but in presence, Alexa could not go unnoticed on the ice. Her aggressive and fearless play was a huge motivator for our team and her energy was contagious whether it was her making a huge rush up the ice, making a great defensive play, or just screaming with her high pitched voice from the bench. I believe her most important contribution to the team was that she brought the girls together. In family terms, she was a little sister to many of the players on our team. If any of our opponents tried to take a cheap shot or went after her, our veteran players came together to watch her back. For this reason, I believe Alexa Jaume should be the M.V.P this year. Not because of her skills and play, but because of how much she helped bring the team together when we needed it most. 

-Jen is an incredible hockey player.  She has a knack for scoring and is a well-rounded player who contributes to every aspect of the game.

-Jen Morgan brought fight and determination that our team needed to do as well as it did. Her attitude motivated and energized the team. She affected the team more than any other player and put up points to back herself up.

-Jen is the real MVP because that girl can shoot and score. I look up to her skating and stick skills. She makes it look effortless as she skates the puck around the other team and advances forward, sometimes all by herself. She knows how to make plays and helps the rest of the team play to her level.

-I think Jen is a great candidate for our MVP. She consistently made things happen whenever she was out on the ice. Whether that was assisting a shot, scoring a goal, or just handling the puck well, we could always count on her to contribute to our team success out on the ice. I also love the way she plays with so much passion!

-I have never seen Jen Morgan give up, ever. She finishes each shift with the same tenacity that gets her on the ice. Not only can we always rely on her for a goal or two when we are down, but she reads the ice better than anyone on our team. She has a great sense of awareness when she's on the ice that we will certainly miss next year.

Ally is our most valuable player both on and off the ice; she is an amazing inspiration to her teammates.  In games, she is tireless; she never quits.  She plays offense and defense, and is ready to anything that is asked of her.   While she has the most points on our team this season, she is not a puck hog.  She is always looking to make a great pass and a great play.  She is selfless, and it shows.

However, behind the scenes is where Ally consistently makes contributions to the overall betterment of the team.  For the past two years, Ally has taken time out of her busy schedule to lead powerskating classes for the team outside of regular practice times.  In the warmup time at the beginning of practice, she is always helping teammates improve on individual skills.  She makes herself available to everyone on the team.

Most importantly is her leadership and mentoring off the ice.  She is always there to talk to her teammates, and support them when they are having troubles.  She has also been integral to the success of the team, and has taken on wide array of administrative responsibilities in order to maintain our good standing with the school administration.  Finally, she has accomplished all of this while maintaining a stellar academic and military record.  She is ranked 18 in a class of over 1100 students.  She was also recently selected as the Naval Academy’s nomination for the prestigious Truman Foundation Scholarship.  She is not just our most valuable player, she is our most valuable person.