Last year as a freshman, Emma Polaski played too passively. She often deferred to more experienced teammates. She was just “learning the ropes” like most freshmen, SU head coach Paul Flanagan said. Both Polaski and Flanagan agreed she had all the necessary offensive skills and instincts, and she didn’t necessarily need to address specific flaws in her stickwork or fundamentals.

A change in mindset was, apparently, the only thing she needed.

“This year I definitely have more confidence when I have the puck,” Polaski said. “I just decided this year that scoring is really where I’m going to make an impact on the ice.”

After contributing as a role player in her freshman season last year, Polaski leads the team in scoring through 15 games with eight goals, two more than she had in her first year in Orange. She scored three goals in a weekend series sweep against Lindenwood in mid-October and notched her first career hat trick versus RIT on Nov. 16. For the bulk of the season, Polaski has played on the first line with senior Brooke Avery and Kelli Rowswell. She’s also on the power play unit.

“She’s just picking up where she left off,” Flanagan said. “It’s not a surprise at all because she does have really good offensive instincts.”

Polaski joined the team last year as a recruited, preferred walk-on. Before Syracuse, she attended the Lawrenceville (New Jersey) Prep School, where she trained daily in a college-like hockey program.

Flanagan remembers coaching against Polaski’s dad, who played at Princeton, when he was an assistant at St. Lawrence in the 90s. “She shoots it like her dad,” Flanagan said. “She’s got that gift.” Freshman center Lauren Bellefontaine said Polaski has the hardest shot on the team.

In her freshman season, Polaski played all 36 games, scored six goals and tallied 13 points on 2.1 shots per game. Her first collegiate goal came against No. 1 Wisconsin in the fourth game of the season, but she struggled to find her footing as she scored one goal in her next 16 games.

She admits to being “flat-footed” in the offensive zone last year. Polaski grew more comfortable with the team as the season progressed, registering seven points in the final seven games.

This year, in 15 games, she’s netted eight goals and recorded 11 points on 2 shots per game. She’s making her shots count, converting on 26.6% of her attempts, the highest mark on the team.

Where Polaski makes most of her impact is in front of the net — screening goalies, redirecting shots, corralling rebounds. Flanagan describes it as a “nose for the net.” She often scores ugly goals, but being scrappy in the danger zone is a strength of her game.

“I’m just going to get myself to the front of the net and get my stick on the puck wherever I can, so that’s just been my mentality all season,” Polaski said.

Her third goal against RIT, which gave the Orange a two-goal lead in the third period, came off a redirected slap shot from defenseman Lindsay Eastwood. Her scoring breakout was overshadowed by disappointment, though, as Syracuse blew a 4-2 lead in the last eight minutes of the game. Polaski was nonetheless named an NCAA Women’s Hockey star of the week after her performance.

“She did a really good job going to the net,” Flanagan said. “She just always wants the puck. When she’s out there, whether it’s in practice or in games, she’s always calling for it. She wants the puck, she wants to score goals, and that’s what I want to see.”

The biggest area Polaski needed to improve in after her freshman year was tracking back on defense, she said, adding her defense was “all over the place” last year. Toward the end of last season, she watched film on her lack of awareness in the D-zone and keyed in on how the senior forwards defended. She now feels more comfortable in that area.

Polaski began her SU career with a goal against Wisconsin, and she’ll get a chance to do more damage against the No.1 Badgers in their upcoming weekend series. All she has to do is continue her aggressive mentality and make her way to the front of the net.

“Getting the puck to her is really key in getting our chances,” Bellefontaine said, “because she’ll capitalize.”

Published on December 1, 2018 at 12:12 pm

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