Monique Lamoureux-Morando knows there will be a day when she and her son will walk around the Ralph Engelstad Arena concourse at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks.
Her son will see the display honoring his mom and aunt, Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson, as the school’s two greatest women’s hockey players, not to mention two of the greatest athletes — regardless of sport — to play at UND.
They will then have what Lamoureux-Morando knows will be a difficult conversation.
“Someday, my son is going to ask why women don’t play here anymore and I have to explain that,” Lamoureux-Morando said. “I want to give [her children] opportunities. You hope when your daughter grows up, she has a chance to flourish and excel in what she’s passionate about. But you are also aware of the opportunities she does or does not have.”
At some point in the college hockey season, the questions will be asked: Why aren’t there more Division I women’s college hockey programs and for every school that fields a D-I men’s program, why is there not a women’s equivalent?
This season, there are 62 active D-I men’s programs compared to 37 D-I women’s programs. (The highest level of women’s hockey technically is called the National Collegiate division and includes the 37 Division I teams plus five Division II…
