Throughout sports history, a standout player or two has usually buoyed the best teams. Jordan had Pippen, Ruth had Gehrig, and Montana had Rice. But no sport showcases the importance of a dynamic duo like hockey.
Where would Gretzky be without Kurri? Okay, maybe that’s a stretch, but how about Backstrom and Ovechkin? Kane and Toews? McDavid and Draisaitl? These pairs of players have carried their teams to championships (except for the latter) with their exceptional chemistry and ability to change the game on their own.
The University of Tampa’s juggernaut Women’s team has a fearsome duo that has dominated the College Hockey South landscape since the inception of the Women’s Division last year: Ava Johnson and Laura McGregor. Outside of Johnson and McGregor’s gaudy offensive numbers, their chemistry on the ice is unmatched.
As someone from the North Atlanta area, I didn’t have the opportunity to see the Tampa Lady Spartans play in person before. That changed last November when I attended the Columbus Hockey Classic (won by Tampa). What struck me immediately was the grace and fluidity that Johnson and McGregor played with.
Their passing and skating around the offensive zone was so smooth that it looked choreographed. They both showed incredible patience, never losing possession of the puck until they found an opening for an offensive opportunity. The defenders could only hope either was tired and would end their shift because the puck seemed magnetically attached to Johnson and McGregor’s sticks.
“I think being on the same team for most of our lives has helped because we were coached the same way and have the same playing style,” said Johnson. Ava and Laura share a long history of playing hockey together. Both hail from Minnesota and have been on the same teams since middle school.
Johnson and McGregor's connection also enables their teammates to play more confidently and freely. Lady Spartan’s defenseman Avery Gugliotta expands on this, “even when the play moves into a defensive position, their chemistry and puck movement allows us to quickly regain possession.”
Defense is one area that Tampa has excelled in this year, allowing eight goals in their eight conference games. The Lady Spartan’s improved defensive structure goes well beyond Johnson and McGregor, but it was certainly an aspect of their game that needed to level up to finish what they started a year ago.
Last year, Tampa dominated their conference schedule, going undefeated through the College Hockey South tournament. Ava Johnson led the Lady Spartans with 13 goals in 11 games, with McGregor in second with 12. However, Tampa fell short of achieving the highest honor in AAU College Hockey.
Tampa received an invite to the AAU National Championships in West Chester, PA, where the dream for a perfect season and a National Championship died one game short. The Lady Spartan’s vaunted offense dried up, and they fell to Paul Smith’s College in the Championship Game, 4-2.
Perhaps the offensively minded 2023-24 Tampa team had been a Johnson & McGregor dry spell away from crumbling the whole year; there’s no way to know now, but the 2024-25 team is a different story. No longer are the Lady Spartans reliant on offensive explosions from their top two players, but rather a balanced attack coupled with stifling defense.
Laura McGregor averaged nearly three points a game last season as Tampa’s leading scorer, but this year only has 11 points in eight games. This hasn’t held the Lady Spartans back, though, as the emergence of Molly Braga (14 G, 6 A, 20 P in 8 GM) and Lauren Cloherty (6 G, 5 A, 11 P in 8 GM) have leveled the scoring across Tampa’s forward group, and relieved the pressure off Johnson and McGregor to be the top contributors.
Ava Johnson and Laura McGregor remain the impact players on College Hockey South’s top championship contender, but the Tampa Lady Spartans are far from a one (or two) trick pony. Though it may only be their second season, the 2024-2025 version of Tampa’s Women’s team is their best in program history, and the sky's the limit for them.
The College Hockey South Women's Division playoffs will take place from February 7-9, 2025, at the Akins Ford Arena in Athens, GA. For more information, visit 2025 Women’s Division Playoffs.
ABOUT College Hockey South: Founded in 2008, College Hockey South is a 30-school, 50-team intercollegiate hockey conference spanning eight southeastern U.S. states that competes in AAU College Hockey. College Hockey South is a 501(c)3 not for profit organization.