Eleven members of the former University of North Dakota women’s hockey team have filed a class action discrimination lawsuit against the school in regards to the school dropping the program after the 2016-17.
Robert Morris junior Sarah Lecavalier is part of the lawsuit. She spent her freshman season with North Dakota before transferring to Robert Morris after the team closed its doors.
According to the Grand Forks Herald, the lawsuit alleges that North Dakota’s deletion of the women’s hockey program was a Title IX violation.
The aim of the lawsuit is to get the school to reinstate its program.
“We want the university to start playing women’s ice hockey again,” Dan Siegel, attorney for the players, told the Herald. “The sooner we work it out, the sooner the program could be put back to work and the less money UND will spend fighting the case and less money we will spend fighting the case. Hopefully, we can get an early resolution.”
North Dakota did not comment for the Herald’s story.
It’s unclear what would happen to the 11 players that transferred if the lawsuit is successful while they still have college eligibility remaining.
Lecavalier was a productive two-way threat for Robert Morris in 2017-18. Frequently skating on a scoring line, she scored six goal and recorded three assists in 33 games. She also maintained a plus-nine rating.
“Sarah has been an excellent addition to our team,” Robert Morris assistant coach Chelsea Walkland said to Pittsburgh Hockey Digest last season. “Her fun-loving personality, tough style of play and strong work ethic has been contagious amongst her teammates and it embodies what Colonial Hockey is all about.”
