By BILL STEWART

Staff Writer

Devon Gaslin knows her collegiate hockey career is slowly coming to an end. The Sacred Heart senior and Augusta native tries not to think about it, but she admits it's often easier said than done.

After all, with the Pioneers, she was a pioneer.

The Fairfield, Conn., university joined the Division I ranks in the 2003-04 season. The following season, Gaslin, a 5-foot-11 defenseman, joined the Pioneers as a freshman coming out of Cony High School.

As she grew, so did the program.

Now, four years later, she has made an imprint on the program, which competes as an independent.

"I'd like to think so," said Gaslin when asked if she helped the Pioneers (4-8-0) transition into a legitimate Division I program during the last four seasons. "We were one of the first recruiting classes. I've seen the program grow, but all of women's hockey has grown so fast. The players are faster."

They are also become more committed to the game, at least at Sacred Heart, which Gaslin says is attracting more serious athletes.

"When I first came here, a lot of people came in and were like, 'Cool, let's play some hockey'," Gaslin, a co-captain, said. "Now, the bar has been raised in women's training. There are more committed athletes. More people are looking to be serious in a Division I program. It was frustrating. You worked out all the time, and there were a few who didn't. But now, everybody has that attitude that they want to win. They all know why they are here."

Over the last four years, Sacred Heart has won some, lost some and tied some, but mostly lost some. The Pioneers have played an even 100 games since Gaslin came aboard, winning just 37 of them.

Sacred Heart is 37-58-5 over the last four seasons. With 19 games remaining in her senior season, Gaslin knows that making a transition to Division 1 hockey is one thing, but consistently winning in Division I is another.

"Right now, we're still in the building stages," she said. "But we're getting better and better. In the future, things should get better."

One step in that direction will occur next season, when the Pioneers will join the newly founded Atlantic Hockey League. They will join Niagara, St. Anselm, Holy Cross and Rochester Institute of Technology to form a five-member conference. Gone are the days of playing everyone from Division I to Division III teams.

"We're five years in as a D-1 hockey team," Sacred Heart coach Tom O'Malley said. "We're not in a league at the moment, so we play everyone from Maine to Hamilton College. When she came in, she was put right into the picture. She had no other choice but to adapt pretty quickly. She worked herself into being a steady player."

Gaslin is one of Sacred Heart's top defensemen. She sees time on two of the team's three power play units.

"She does everything," O'Malley said. "We put her in all of our critical situations. When we need our best five on the ice, she's out there."

Still, Gaslin isn't satisfied, and says she is struggling. She has just four points, after leading all Pioneer defensemen with 11 points last season.

"This is not my best season," she said. "I've struggled a little bit, but I'm looking to come out of it. I get really frustrated, and I'm letting the mistakes get to me a little bit this year. Last year was my best year here, so coming off that I had high expectations."

But with 19 games to go, Gaslin added she is eager for a strong finish to her collegiate career before moving on to a career in criminal justice.

"The break helped me out a little bit," Gaslin said. "Coming back, I feel better, stronger. I still have half a season left. I'm very anxious."

Bill Stewart -- 623-3811, ext. 515

bstewart@centralmaine.com