The Wayne State University women's hockey team will begin the 2010-11 campaign with an exhibition game Friday night at York University in Toronto before opening the regular season Oct. 1-2 against Bemidji State at the City Sports Center in Detroit.

The WSU women's hockey team will enter the 2010-11 season looking to bounce back from last year's campaign in which the Warriors went 9-18-4 and exited the College Hockey America tournament in the opening round.

Wayne State returns 17 letterwinners including an eight-member junior class. Three of those juniors – forwards Veronique Laramee-Paquette (Mont-Tremblant, Que./Les Cheminots) and Alyssa Baldin (Mississauga, Ont./Mississauga Jr. Chiefs), and defenseman Ciara Lee (Toronto, Ont./Etobicoke Jr. Dolphins) – will serve as team captains for the upcoming season.

The lone senior on the squad this year is forward Adrianna Pfeffer (Farmington Hills, Mich./Belle Tire), who has played in 80 career games and totaled a career-high six points last season.

Laramee-Paquette, an assistant captain last season, was selected to the All-CHA Second Team as well as the CHA All-Academic Team. She collected 12 points including five goals in 2009-10 after bursting onto the CHA scene with a 20-point freshman campaign the year before, finishing sixth among all rookies in the conference.

“She has another year of experience to understand what it takes to be a leader,” said head coach Jim Fetter, the three-time CHA Coach of the Year who is entering his eighth season at Wayne State. “The team admires her work ethic both on and off the ice.”

Baldin led Wayne State with 11 assists and 20 points, both career-highs, a year ago. She also matched her career-best with nine goals and enters the 2010-11 season as WSU's active leader in career points (38) and assists (20).

“Baldin is a first-time captain but has much experience,” said Fetter. “She was a captain for past teams growing up, and she is a player who brings a strong work ethic and leads by example.”

Lee was voted Most Improved Player by the team a year ago and will help anchor a defense also guided by junior Jill Szandzik (Warren, Mich./Little Caesars), a 2010 All-CHA Second Team selection who tied for fifth among league blueliners with 12 points last season.

“Jill was a great addition two years ago. She may not be the flashiest player, but she gets it done,” said Fetter. “She's steady - every time she steps on the ice you know what you're going to get, and as a coach you want consistency.”

Goaltender Delayne Brian (Winnipeg, Man./Notre Dame Hounds) enters her junior season with WSU's all-time best career winning percentage (.551). She is one of two third-year goalies on the squad, along with Brittany Zeches (Westland, Mich./Victory Honda).

“Delayne came into camp in really good shape this year,” said Fetter. “Goaltending wins championships, and so she's definitely a person we're going to be relying on.”

Redshirt junior Lauren Ragen (Grosse Ile, Mich./Connecticut Polar Bears) proved particularly valuable on faceoffs in her first season after transferring from Mercyhurst. Ragen won nearly 59 percent of her draws while contributing three goals and eight assists.

Micheline Frappier (Val Caron, Ont./Sudbury Lady Wolves) missed two series early in the season but came on stronger in the second half, accumulating six of her seven points from January on.

Seven players who were rookies a year ago will now look to blossom as their sophomore seasons unfold in 2010-11. Fetter hopes that, while his team learned a great deal through the adversity of last season, the second-year players will now put those lessons into practice.

“One thing that you just can't teach is experience,” said Fetter.

Among the key components of that class is defenseman Jenaya Townsend (Sherwood Park, Alta.), a CHA All-Rookie selection last season. Townsend tied for fourth among league blueliners with seven points and was a vital part of WSU's special teams.

Julie Ingratta (Markham, Ont./North American Hockey Academy) was WSU's Rookie of the Year in 2009-10 after collecting 15 points including nine goals, both figures ranking in the top 10 all-time for freshmen at Wayne State. She also had a team-best 85 shots on goal.

“Ingratta has been looking great in practice so far. She worked hard on her skating, which was definitely something she needed to improve on,” said Fetter. “She has great hands and can really shoot the puck.”

Speedy forward Gina Buquet (Lafayette, La./Ohio Flames) collected six goals and 14 points a year ago, finishing in a tie for sixth among CHA freshmen in points. She totaled half her points in conference games.

Julie Hebert (Chelmsford, Ont./Aurora Jr. Panthers) had nine points in 30 games last season and will supply greater depth to the front lines along with Lauren Coxon (Kitchener, Ont./Waterloo KW Rangers) and Jaclyn Stapleton (Westbank, B.C./Pursuit of Excellence). Lauren Lovold (MacTier, Ont./Mississauga Jr. Chiefs) will continue to provide stability to the defensive corps.

Wayne State will welcome four new Warriors into the fold this season. Cari Coen (Manhattan Beach, Calif./L.A. Selects), who can effectively play both forward and defense, was captain of the L.A. Selects in 2009-10 and was a three-sport athlete at Rolling Hills Prep.

“Coen is quick and sees the ice well,” said Fetter. “Her work ethic is as good as anyone's, and she's challenging our veterans.”

Captain of the Durham Jr. Lightning last year, defenseman Katie Gaskin (Pickering, Ont./Durham Jr. Lightning) will be counted on right away to bolster the WSU blueline unit.

Also joining the program is a pair of teammates from Little Caesars 19U – forward Rachel Hardwick (Algonac, Mich./Little Caesars) and goaltender Lisa Marshall (Powhatan, Va./Little Caesars).

Wayne State will open the regular season Homecoming Weekend with a home series Oct. 1-2 against Bemidji State at the City Sports Center. WSU will subsequently play its next eight games on the road against perennial contenders St. Cloud State, Minnesota, Boston University, and Colgate before opening conference play Nov. 12-13 at Robert Morris.

“We have a tough schedule, but it's a challenge for our players,” said Fetter. “We want to continue to get better and improve, and I think we need to play those programs so that our players can see where we need to get to.”

WSU has back-to-back home weekends Nov. 19-20 against Mercyhurst, which is Skate for the Cure Weekend, and Nov. 26-27 versus Minnesota State.

Other highlights of the schedule include a New Years series Dec. 30-31 at Ohio State, and Jan. 29-30 against Syracuse which will be Doc Andrews Night/Alumni Weekend.

Wayne State's final home games of the season are Feb. 11-12 against Robert Morris. A trip to Niagara and an idle weekend precede the 2011 College Hockey America Tournament, which will be played March 3-5 in Syracuse.