CHRISTINA ROMBAUT ’20 MAJOR: UNDECIDED HOMETOWN: ROTHESAY, NEW BRUNSWICK, CANADA
“Beep.” Christina Rombaut’s second season as a member of the Dartmouth women’s ice hockey team begins with a beep, and without skates. It’s a fitness test that has her running back and forth across 20 meters. As the time between each beep decreases, she keeps accelerating. Christina’s performance today represents an improvement over last year. “That was great,” she says, an hour or so later. “That’s really what we’re trying to do, just keep improving day to day and year to year.” After visiting Dartmouth as a senior in high school, Christina knew she had found a new home. Fast forward a year and she arrived in Hanover both excited for her Dartmouth experience and uncertain about one important part of it: the coach who had recruited her had retired. Enter Laura Schuler. Schuler’s resume as the head coach of the Canadian Olympic hockey team and a silver medalist on the Canadian team from the 1998 Nagano Olympics was impressive, but also intimidating. “I was pretty nervous when we first met,” says Christina. “But then right away she was super nice. And it was obvious that she knew a ton about hockey. And it was clear she was so excited and so ready to coach us.” There were a lot of highlights in that first season. What she doesn’t mention — the fact that she appeared in all 28 of the team’s games, was second on the team in both goals scored and points, and was recognized as the team’s rookie of the year — is as telling as what she does, specifically the way she highlights an off-ice, team-building exercise: “We were up to our necks in cold water in this lake miles off campus for what seemed like forever. And Coach Schuler was right in there with us. I don’t think many coaches would do that. That sort of thing plays into the hockey, and into the team.” One of the first things visitors notice upon entering Thompson Arena at Dartmouth are the banners hung around the perimeter of the rink. Many of those banners celebrate Dartmouth alumnae who have played — and won gold — for the Canadian Olympic team. “That would be my biggest dream, playing for team Canada,” says Christina. “I’d love to do that, and I’m going to keep working hard to improve. But really I want to improve for Dartmouth. I’m trying to get better for my teammates.”
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