Most freshmen don’t get the chance to start in their first season, but defender Nicole Renault stood out to Syracuse head coach Paul Flanagan enough that she earned a spot on the first line.

“It was really exciting,” Renault said. “I really enjoy it. I love the opportunity he has given me.”

Renault played last year for the Little Caesars Under-19 girls’ hockey team. By playing with the team, she earned valuable experience as to what playing at a collegiate level would be like, as several of her teammates now play for Division-I schools. She was able to tally 12 goals and 28 assists for the team last season, making herself a highly regarded recruit like many of her teammates.

Her coach on the Little Caesars team last season, Matthew Berger, said he believes her ability to create opportunities offensively is what makes her stand out as a defender.

“She is more of an offensive defenseman,” Berger said. “With her vision on the ice, she had the ability to see past the first layer of forecheckers. She was able to set up two-on-ones with this ability.”

Part of the reason Renault has been given a starting opportunity is her ability to work on the ice with fellow defender Caitlin Roach. Their chemistry was a major part of Flanagan’s decision to put Renault into the starting lineup.

Roach said Renault has been a very supportive and helpful defensive partner so far this season.

“She’s really good to play with and she’s always supporting me, so I know she’s always going to be there,” Roach said. “She sees the ice really well and knows where to move the puck and knows what to do with it.”

Renault’s father is a hockey coach, and taught her the game at an early age. He coached both her and her brother when they were younger, and Renault said he was her biggest influence during her time playing ice hockey.

“He’s always positive with me,” Renault said. “He’s a hockey coach. He was my coach for a little bit. He’s always being positive with me. He’s never putting me down, always telling me the good things I do.”

Flanagan knew of Renault’s potential when he recruited her to Syracuse. He knew of the work she had done and the level she was able to play at since she played for the Little Caesars U-19 team.

While Flanagan is pleased with her potential, he said there are several aspects of her game that she needs to refine.

“Coming out of U-19, where she was a very elite player, I think the big thing for her now is that she reads situations very well,” Flanagan said. “Knowing when to jump into the play, when it’s appropriate, when maybe it’s not such a good idea. But I like her offensive instincts and think she has very good skills.”

While Flanagan said Renault has several parts of her game she needs to work on, she still is only a freshman, so she will have several years to improve her play.

Jacquie Greco, who plays the same position as Renault, notices the offensive instincts Renault has for a defender and believes that, with time, she will be able to improve upon some of the flaws Flanagan has noticed in her game.

“She sees the ice really well,” Greco said. “She always kind of knows where the puck needs to go before she even picks up the puck. She has a very good awareness of what’s going on out on the ice.”

Published on October 30, 2012 at 11:45 pm

Contact Ryan: rlraigro@syr.edu