Syracuse will rely on senior leadership to stabilize a young team seeking to advance to its second consecutive College Hockey of America championship game.

Seniors goalkeeper Jenesica Drinkwater and defenders Caitlin Roach and Brittney Krebs have been anchors for the Orange (18-13-3, 9-8-3 CHA) on defense this season.

Drinkwater has been the go-to goalie for head coach Paul Flanagan since senior goalkeeper Kallie Billadeau went down with a season-ending injury, and Krebs and Roach are ranked first and second respectively for most blocked shots on the team. All three have been essential to SU’s success this season and have come a long way since their days together as freshmen.

“All of them have lent a lot of stability to our program and their team,” Flanagan said. “The leadership from them almost goes without saying.”

The senior class extends past just those three individuals, with eight players in all headed toward their last postseason. They have experienced moderate playoff success, but have lost to Mercyhurst to end each of the last three seasons.

“This year we’re more of the underdogs,” Drinkwater said, “People are already starting to underestimate us.

“But I think that’s the best way for us to come in and take the championship. We deserve it.”

That’s been the goal for them since they first walked into Tennity Ice Pavilion as freshmen.

All three players laughed and shook their heads as they recalled their playing days four years ago. Krebs remembers how scared she was when she first stepped on the ice.

“My God, it was really scary for me,” Krebs said, “it took some time to get comfortable but it was great having some of the older players take us under their wing.”

After going through the experience as young players themselves, the three of them have gone out of their way to provide the same leadership and role model status to younger players that was provided to them.

Flanagan has praised their leadership on and off the ice. On the ice, Drinkwater, Roach and Krebs are all turning in their best seasons yet as seniors.

Drinkwater isn’t particularly surprised.

“Us three have really stepped up this season,” she said, “I mean, it is your senior year.

“You don’t want to go out thinking, ‘Aw man, I didn’t do this right or I didn’t do that right.’”

All three seniors have faced substantial adversity in their time playing for Flanagan.

Drinkwater was prepared to split time with Billadeau in the net this year, but was forced to step up to play nearly every minute of the past 21 games since Billadeau was forced out due to injury.

Krebs has built her confidence to an all-time high. Bouncing back from two lackluster seasons to start her collegiate career, she is now on the cusp of leading the team in blocked shots for the second consecutive year.

The adversity for Roach has been overwhelming, starting her hockey career at Syracuse by breaking and then re-breaking her collarbone, followed by appendicitis.

Roach recognized her weaknesses from her early playing days and made a point to get better each year.

“I played scared my freshman year,” Roach said, “But I had a good group of girls behind me who had my back and helped me want to get better each year.”

As the seniors lead their squad in a week’s worth of practices leading up to a weekend playoff series, the mantra being spread by the elders of the team is clear.

“Going out with no regrets is probably the best thing we can do,” Drinkwater said, “And hey, if we can go out like that, that’s the best way to go.”

Published on February 25, 2014 at 11:17 pm

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