Robert Morris’ Britney Howard glided down the ice on Saturday afternoon with only one skater to beat, Syracuse freshman Allie Munroe.

Howard slowed as she approached the net, forcing Munroe to skate toward RMU’s leading goal scorer. But Howard extended her hands past Munroe’s body, firing a shot that skirted SU goalie Jenn Gilligan.

The goal was all Robert Morris needed to beat the Orange, as the third-period empty-net goal cemented a 2-0 loss.

While Munroe’s mistake was costly, it proved as a learning experience for the young defender. She’s still adapting her talent to a new pace of play while being thrown into unfamiliar territory as a starter.

“Young players are going to make mistakes,” Syracuse head coach Paul Flanagan said. “No one felt worse about it than (Munroe).”

Munroe and the Syracuse (4-5, 2-1 College Hockey America) defense may face their toughest conference opponent twice this weekend in Lindenwood (3-4-1, 1-0-1), led by CHA leading scorer, Shara Jasper. With a potential conference title in sight this season, Munroe continues to refine her game to bolster SU’s defense.

As Munroe learns the complexities of collegiate hockey, she holds a great advantage: no one on Syracuse’s roster has been forced to change her playing style as many times as Munroe.

She didn’t grow up playing organized hockey with girls because no leagues existed in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Munroe’s hometown. Instead, she competed with boys.

“I got a little tougher that way,” Munroe said. “I learned to keep my head up.”

But she had to stop checking when she arrived to New Hampton (New Hampshire) School to play competitive hockey against girls. With a toned down physical approach, she had more time to make decisions with the puck.

The transition was seamless as she notched 53 points in 63 games, becoming a New Hampshire state all-star.

“I give her a ton of credit from transitioning from prep school to being a solid Division I player,” Flanagan said. “She’s one of the better recruits we’ve been able to land here.”

Munroe blew teammates away in Syracuse’s first practices of the season. She never shied away from the puck, making impressive shots and taking leadership on defense. Her talent propelled her to the first line on opening night, and she hasn’t left it since.

The freshman’s quick, accurate passing stood out immediately to defender Heather Schwarz.

“It’s almost as if she’s been playing college hockey for years now,” Schwarz said. “I can always rely on her to give it to me on the tape of my stick and get it out really easily.”

After slowing down when transitioning from boys’ to girls’ hockey, Munroe’s latest adjustment has been acclimating herself to a smarter style of hockey than she has played in the last four years.

Flanagan noticed Munroe’s difficulty keeping up against St. Lawrence, which he believes will improve with more game experience.

“It was a fast game,” Flanagan said. “She wasn’t terrible, but I could tell when she came off the ice that she wasn’t pleased with herself. Hopefully, that’s just a little dip.”

Published on November 4, 2015 at 11:57 pm

Contact Chris: cfthomse@syr.edu