When Nicole Hensley ’16 was a child, a professional path in women’s hockey was difficult to see. Hensley has since played a part in changing that reality. After building her career at Lindenwood University, she went on to win Olympic gold with Team USA and the Walter Cup in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL).
Hensley grew up in Lakewood, Colo., where a childhood friend introduced her to hockey. By age 10, she committed to playing goalie and played with local boys’ teams. After high school, Hensley was intent on playing Division I hockey. Her only Division I offer came from Lindenwood. “It was Lindenwood or bust at that point,” Hensley said.
Despite expecting to begin the season as the team’s backup, Hensley was thrust into the starting role after the starting goalie was injured. Hensley made 113 saves in the team’s opening series against Ohio State in a performance that she said proved she belonged at the Division I level.
Later that season, Hensley faced another defining test. She faced 92 shots in a playoff game against Robert Morris University. Hensley did not know it at the time, but this record-breaking performance helped get her name in front of USA Hockey. She was invited to a national team camp a few weeks later. Eventually, Hensley worked her way up to Team USA.
After graduation, Hensley stayed connected to Lindenwood as a graduate assistant while training for the Olympics. At the time, continuing in women’s hockey often required players to balance the sport with another job, and few paths existed outside the national team. Hensley said the push for better treatment before the 2017 World Championship helped change the sport, “jumpstarting a lot of what you’re seeing in women’s hockey today.”
Hensley continued to be part of the growth of women’s hockey in the PWHL with the Minnesota Frost, where she helped win the first two Walter Cup championships. For Hensley, the growth of the professional game has changed what young players can imagine. She said girls today can watch professional women’s hockey and understand that there is a future in the sport. “If you can see it, you can be it,” Hensley said.
While that future was hard to imagine during Hensley’s childhood, Lindenwood gave her the opportunity to continue pursuing her passion. Hensley said her years at Lindenwood helped make her the person and player she became. “I loved my time there, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world,” she said. Hensley remains proud of her teammates and the legacy they left on the program. Years later, she is part of the reason the future is easier for young players to imagine.