As a junior last season, Emily Costales had the best year of her career, tying the team-leader in assists and placing second in points. She improved from a minus-seven while she was on the ice as a sophomore to a plus-14 the following year. Costales seemingly positioned the Orange to have three dominant senior forwards for 2017, along with Alysha Burriss and Stephanie Grossi.

Then, Costales left.

Before the school year, she transferred to the University of British Columbia, closer to where she grew up in Vancouver, Canada. One of Costales’ biggest contributions to the team was the way she acted before games, said Burriss, who was roommates with Costales in her time with Syracuse.

“She loved to dance in the dressing room,” Burris said. “She just had this presence and kind of relaxed everyone before the game and made people feel less tense. …

“She was the leader of the team.”

Now, Syracuse will be without Costales for the first time since the 2013-14 season, the last time the Orange failed to make the College Hockey America championship game. Despite the loss of one of its stars, SU believes that the combination of a strong freshman class and the leadership of Burriss and Grossi will prove capable of carrying the Orange this season.

The team dealt with Costales’ exit just as it had with its graduating seniors, SU head coach Paul Flanagan said.

“I really like Emily,” he said. “But I don’t want to comment on someone who’s not here right now. … They moved on. We brought in some freshmen that hopefully will help fill her void … We can’t dwell on it.”

Normally when game time had neared, Costales’ attitude changed from relaxed to intense. One of the most physical players on the team during her tenure at Syracuse, she earned 37 penalties in just three years.

“She definitely threw bodies around out there and hit some people,” Grossi said. “It was always good to have that.”

While the team figures out how to deal with Costales’ lost production, forward Emma Polaski has made her teammates painfully aware that she can step into a similar role.

“I’ve run into her a couple of times and it doesn’t feel so great,” Grossi said. “So, I think she can fill that void in there maybe a little bit.”

Victoria Klimek, a freshman forward from Ontario, Canada, scored in Syracuse’s exhibition against Ottawa and, SU coaches and players said, she could offer offensive firepower from the Orange’s second line. Klimek and Polaski have so far combined with sophomore forward Savannah Rennie to round out the second line, and Flanagan has praised the unit so far.

While Costales’ absence may leave Syracuse with a leadership void on and off the ice, the Orange has not faltered in its preparation for the season.

“I don’t think there’s a hole,” Grossi said. “I think we’re a different team, a faster team, more skilled. The freshmen that we’ve brought in, I think they’ve really added depth to our team. I’m excited to see what we can do.”

Published on October 1, 2017 at 11:04 pm

Contact Eric: [email protected] | @esblack34