Through the first half of the season, Jennarae Bateman has put up eight points including the deciding goal of the Lancers victory this past Tuesday night. A native of Forest Lake, Minn., she has come halfway across the country to join the second ever freshman class in Worcester State Women's Hockey history. While Bateman is currently putting together a fine season on a solid squad, WSU was hardly on her radar throughout the recruitment process. But the risk of joining a new program seems to be paying off for the young forward in more ways than one. 

Bateman, who wears number 22 on the ice, has become a key piece on a 10-6 Lancer team. She's also found a true family dynamic amongst her teammates, whom she says are making Worcester State "feel like home, especially since I've never been this far away from home before." 

Though the goal was always to come and play college hockey in Massachusetts, Bateman hadn't heard of Worcester State until late into her search for the perfect university. "This was the very last school that contacted me during the recruiting process, and I didn't take it very seriously at first," recalls Bateman. Perhaps some of that initial hesitation had come with the notion that the school was pronounced 'wor-chester'. Though after hearing head coach Eliza Kelly out, Bateman decided to come to Worcester for a visit which changed everything. "I toured the school and right when I stepped on campus it immediately felt like home." 

With the school itself feeling comfortable and a close-knit group off the ice, the final piece of the perfect puzzle was whether or not Bateman would fit in on the ice amongst entirely new teammates. Understandably, Jennarae recalls that "at first I thought it was going to be hard to gel with people I had never met before in my lifetime." But much to her surprise she has now played on a number of different lines already this season, and no matter who her line mates may be, "I feel like I have a good bond with the team- that I could play with really anybody on the team." 

The future looks bright for #22. She's a part of the second class ever recruited to Worcester State women's hockey, played its inaugural season in 2021-22. As you're looking towards the future of Lancer women's hockey, all signs point to Jennarae Bateman making an impact throughout the foreseeable future.

~Chris Wright~