Position Preview: Defenders
10/3/2018 6:00:00 PM | Ice Hockey
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Syracuse hockey head coach Paul Flanagan and his staff continue to work around the clock inside Tennity Ice Pavilion, putting the finishing touches on this year's squad before Saturday's season opener. The Orange play at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 6 against Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Mass.
Position previews will follow on Cuse.com in the days leading up to the season opener. Today's edition examines the defensemen. Read about the Orange goaltenders here.
THE BLUELINERS
The Captains
The Orange's back line returns familiar faces and tons of talent from last year. Anchoring the defense are co-captains senior Allie Munroe and redshirt junior Lindsay Eastwood.
Munroe was named to the All-College Hockey America Second Team after posting 13 points (four goals and nine assists) as a junior. Eastwood, her fellow All-CHA Second Team member, was the Orange's most productive defenseman last season, leading the unit in points (23) and assists (19).
Together, Munroe and Eastwood combined for 95 blocked shots.
"Allie's an all-encompassing player," Flanagan said. "She's going to play five-on-five, power plays and penalty kills. She's one of our leaders, so she's going to see a lot of minutes. 25-to-28 minutes a game depending on our opponent.
"Lindsay's going to play a ton. Similar to Allie, she'll be all over the place. She's a big, physical presence, and it's getting her to the point where she's durable to play those minute like Allie. We're going to count on her and rely on her a lot."
The Veterans
Graduate student Dakota Derrer and junior Allie Olnowich provide additional veteran leadership to the Orange defense. Derrer led the team with 69 blocks as a junior in 2016-17, but appeared in just three games before an injury ended her senior year.
"Dakota's a very good penalty killer," Flanagan said. "We really missed her last year when she went down with an injury. In fairness to her, she hasn't played a lot of games since last September, so she has a ways to go before getting back to game shape and getting her reaction time. We expect to see her do a lot of things, and so far she's doing real well."
Olnowich played in all 36 games as a sophomore. She recorded her first collegiate goal against RIT last season and has 16 career blocks to her name.
"Allie's probably, of the veterans, seen the least amount of ice time, but we're going to work her in there," Flanagan said. "Her game's improved since she's arrived here. She has a real good shot, she's a good skater, and I think for her it's understanding how to play away from the puck. We'll look for her to get increased minutes and really contribute."
The Underclassmen
Sophomore Jessica DiGirolamo returns after her outstanding freshman season. She led all Orange freshmen with 15 points in 36 games and paced all CHA freshmen with 13 assists, landing a spot on the CHA All-Rookie Team.
Fellow sophomore Kristen Siermachesky played all 36 games, as well, tallying two assists and ranking second on the team with 49 blocks.
"Those two stepped in and really played a lot last season," Flanagan said. "[DiGirolamo] has a ton of ability, and she can play in all types of situations. When she plays with a sense of urgency, she's a great skater and can really show off her skill. We're counting on her to really do great things anchoring our power play and being someone that we can rely on.
"Kristen worked her way into a lot of minutes. She's a big, physical presence with a strong shot. In the early going here, she seems to be playing with a lot of confidence. She's a natural leader, and she's only in her second year, but you can see advanced maturity as a student-athlete. She'll be able to contribute a lot of minutes."
The New Kid
Rounding out the Orange's defensemen is freshman Shelby Calof. Calof, who started alongside Munroe in Syracuse's exhibition against Montreal last Saturday, comes from Ottawa, Ontario, where she was a three-year member and a team captain of the Nepean Jr. Wildcats. She tallied four goals and 32 assists in her prep career, and Flanagan expects her to do more of the same at Syracuse.
"I like what I've seen so far from Shelby," Flanagan said. "She has real good instincts, and she knows how to play away from the puck and be a good partner. I'd like to think she'll get a lot of minutes, and that's why we recruited her."
HEAR MORE FROM COACH FLANAGAN
"We're going to rely a lot on our veterans. We're going to try to incorporate all seven [defensemen], so there'll be a lot of mixing and matching. They've been playing with different people throughout this preseason, so I think they'll be familiar with each other. As we go on, there'll probably be certain pairs you see more than others and certain kids you see a lot of just because they can play all three categories - five-on-five, power play and penalty kill."
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For complete coverage of Syracuse ice hockey, follow us on Facebook (Syracuse Women's Ice Hockey), Twitter (@CuseIce) and Instagram (@CuseIce).
Position previews will follow on Cuse.com in the days leading up to the season opener. Today's edition examines the defensemen. Read about the Orange goaltenders here.
THE BLUELINERS
The Captains
The Orange's back line returns familiar faces and tons of talent from last year. Anchoring the defense are co-captains senior Allie Munroe and redshirt junior Lindsay Eastwood.
Munroe was named to the All-College Hockey America Second Team after posting 13 points (four goals and nine assists) as a junior. Eastwood, her fellow All-CHA Second Team member, was the Orange's most productive defenseman last season, leading the unit in points (23) and assists (19).
Together, Munroe and Eastwood combined for 95 blocked shots.
"Allie's an all-encompassing player," Flanagan said. "She's going to play five-on-five, power plays and penalty kills. She's one of our leaders, so she's going to see a lot of minutes. 25-to-28 minutes a game depending on our opponent.
"Lindsay's going to play a ton. Similar to Allie, she'll be all over the place. She's a big, physical presence, and it's getting her to the point where she's durable to play those minute like Allie. We're going to count on her and rely on her a lot."
The Veterans
Graduate student Dakota Derrer and junior Allie Olnowich provide additional veteran leadership to the Orange defense. Derrer led the team with 69 blocks as a junior in 2016-17, but appeared in just three games before an injury ended her senior year.
"Dakota's a very good penalty killer," Flanagan said. "We really missed her last year when she went down with an injury. In fairness to her, she hasn't played a lot of games since last September, so she has a ways to go before getting back to game shape and getting her reaction time. We expect to see her do a lot of things, and so far she's doing real well."
Olnowich played in all 36 games as a sophomore. She recorded her first collegiate goal against RIT last season and has 16 career blocks to her name.
"Allie's probably, of the veterans, seen the least amount of ice time, but we're going to work her in there," Flanagan said. "Her game's improved since she's arrived here. She has a real good shot, she's a good skater, and I think for her it's understanding how to play away from the puck. We'll look for her to get increased minutes and really contribute."
The Underclassmen
Sophomore Jessica DiGirolamo returns after her outstanding freshman season. She led all Orange freshmen with 15 points in 36 games and paced all CHA freshmen with 13 assists, landing a spot on the CHA All-Rookie Team.
Fellow sophomore Kristen Siermachesky played all 36 games, as well, tallying two assists and ranking second on the team with 49 blocks.
"Those two stepped in and really played a lot last season," Flanagan said. "[DiGirolamo] has a ton of ability, and she can play in all types of situations. When she plays with a sense of urgency, she's a great skater and can really show off her skill. We're counting on her to really do great things anchoring our power play and being someone that we can rely on.
"Kristen worked her way into a lot of minutes. She's a big, physical presence with a strong shot. In the early going here, she seems to be playing with a lot of confidence. She's a natural leader, and she's only in her second year, but you can see advanced maturity as a student-athlete. She'll be able to contribute a lot of minutes."
The New Kid
Rounding out the Orange's defensemen is freshman Shelby Calof. Calof, who started alongside Munroe in Syracuse's exhibition against Montreal last Saturday, comes from Ottawa, Ontario, where she was a three-year member and a team captain of the Nepean Jr. Wildcats. She tallied four goals and 32 assists in her prep career, and Flanagan expects her to do more of the same at Syracuse.
"I like what I've seen so far from Shelby," Flanagan said. "She has real good instincts, and she knows how to play away from the puck and be a good partner. I'd like to think she'll get a lot of minutes, and that's why we recruited her."
HEAR MORE FROM COACH FLANAGAN
"We're going to rely a lot on our veterans. We're going to try to incorporate all seven [defensemen], so there'll be a lot of mixing and matching. They've been playing with different people throughout this preseason, so I think they'll be familiar with each other. As we go on, there'll probably be certain pairs you see more than others and certain kids you see a lot of just because they can play all three categories - five-on-five, power play and penalty kill."
Â
For complete coverage of Syracuse ice hockey, follow us on Facebook (Syracuse Women's Ice Hockey), Twitter (@CuseIce) and Instagram (@CuseIce).
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