OH YES: Princeton University women’s hockey player Emerson O’Leary tracks down the puck in recent action. Last Friday, junior forward O’Leary tallied the game-winning goal and had two assists as Princeton defeated Dartmouth 3-2 in overtime. The Tigers, who defeated Harvard 2-0 last Saturday to improve to 16-8-1 overall and 10-7-1 ECAC Hockey, play at Clarkson on February 7 and at St. Lawrence on February 8. (Photo by Steven Wojtowicz)

By Bill Alden

Emerson O’Leary has emerged as a key playmaker for the Princeton University women’s hockey team.

Skating on a line with Issy Wunder and Mackenzie Alexander, junior forward O’Leary was second on the team in assists with 22 coming into last Friday’s game against Dartmouth.

“I love it, it is so fun playing on a line with them,” said O’Leary. “We all play our role really well. We all do what it takes to work together. If that means I am more getting the puck in the corner and pass it to someone else, whatever it takes to win, I am on board with it.”

As the Tigers hosted the Big Green at Hobey Baker Rink, O’Leary displayed her passing excellence, setting up goals by Katherine Khramtsov and Issy Wunder to help Princeton rally from 1-0 and 2-1 deficits and force overtime.

“I don’t think that we got nearly enough shots in the first half of that first period,” said O’Leary. “Honestly, my mindset was get it on net and good things will happen and they did.”

In overtime, O’Leary went from playmaker to finisher, taking a pass from Sarah Paul and slotting the puck into the back of the net to give Princeton a 3-2 win.

“I saw the girl on the other team fall down, we got a 3-on-1 somehow,” said O’Leary. “Sarah Paul had it going down the left side and I was honestly like Sarah Paul shoot the puck please. She slid it back and somehow I picked my head up and found the back of the net.”

In the view of O’Leary, the victory exemplified the team’s resilience this winter.

“I think in years past, we wouldn’t have the same mindset as this group does this year,” said O’Leary. “We all have the collective energy that we are going to battle hard. We all have the same mindset that we are in it to win it. I think that takes everyone buying in and everyone working as one.”

Princeton head coach Cara Morey sensed that her team was going to knot the game in the third period as it outshot the Big Green 17-10 in the frame.

“I felt fairly confident that if we kept playing well, it is going to have to go in,” said Morey. “I thought we were playing fine. There were times where we were playing hurried instead of like playing fast but not hurrying. Sometimes we were just throwing pucks when I thought we could have been a little calmer with it. I figured it would come, I just hoped the clock wouldn’t run out.”

Morey was pleased to see O’Leary come through with the game-winning goal.

“She was working her butt off today,” said Morey. “Emerson has an un-glorious role where she is doing most of the work and moving the puck. I was pretty happy and surprised that Paulie passed it and we finished. That goalie (Michaela Hesová) is very good, she is going to be hard to play against for the next three years. I am surprised it went through her. Emmie’s release is hard to read.”

Noting that the ECAC Hockey has developed parity across the board, Morey knows that each league game is going to be hard.

“There are no gimmes any more, they know that,” said Morey. “I keep trying to say put it in the frame. When I played we didn’t have this league, you would have four or five teams that you get ready for. We are in a playoff mindset right now. It doesn’t matter who we are up against, we are going to try to find ways to win a game. I don’t think they took Dartmouth lightly at all, it is just that every game is hard.”

Morey is looking for her team to play hard from the opening face-off.

“I think when you playing with desperation, it looks different,” said Morey, whose team defeated Harvard 2-0 last Saturday to improve to 16-8-1 overall and 10-7-1 ECAC Hockey, and plays at Clarkson on February 7 and at St. Lawrence on February 8. “They started playing with desperation in the third and they are going to have come out with that mindset at the drop of the puck.”

O’Leary is hoping that the Tigers can bottle that desperate mindset going forward.

“If we play like we did in the third period, I don’t think we will have a problem with Harvard or any other team in our league,” said O’Leary.