Athlete of the Week: Carrie Schroyer `06

The Brown defense never saw its demise coming. Tied 2-2 in the third period, Harvard women’s hockey captain Jennifer Botterill had skated to the left endline, and the Bear defenders thought they were in position to prevent her from completing any scoring opportunity.

But Brown could not stop freshman Carrie Schroyer. Out of nowhere, she skated past two Bear defenders and moved in all alone in front of the net.

Botterill fed Schroyer a well-placed pass, leaving Schroyer to make a precise shot.

Brown goaltender Pam Dreyer doesn’t make many mistakes, but when she does, the opposition had better take advantage. When Botterill passed the puck, Dreyer was fooled. In switching her attention from Botterill at her right to Schroyer in front, she had left a large gap to her right. Schroyer keyed in on the target and did not miss.

Schroyer’s goal gave Harvard a 3-2 lead. Ultimately, it led to a victory over No. 7 Brown, and within a day, the No. 1 national ranking.

Schroyer never saw her goal coming either, having been on the bench for much of the game. Schroyer had been on the third line all season, and in the tense moments this season, Harvard had tightened up to a two-line rotation. But when Harvard coach Katey Stone saw that sophomore forward Nicole Corriero was still struggling with illness well into the third period, she shifted Schroyer up to the first line with Olympians Botterill and freshman Julie Chu.

“We wanted to give someone with a little more jump in their step a chance today,” Stone said. “It was Carrie, and Carrie made the most of her chances.”

The decision paid off in just one shift as Schroyer scored her first collegiate goal, what she confirmed was the biggest goal of her life.

Schroyer was quick to credit Botterill for her perfectly-placed pass, while Botterill was quick to credit Schroyer for making the timely rush.

“You really noticed her speed,” Botterill said. “It wasn’t like she was left wide open. She beat two players and had her stick there. I saw her open and she just buried it.”

While Schroyer’s first-line switch might have been a temporary promotion, no one doubts her ability to contribute wherever she plays.

“She and Jen Raimondi and Mina Pell make that third line work,” said captain and defenseman Jamie Hagerman. “For her to be put up on the first line and score the game-winner, it’s just a testament to her as a player and as a person. She just goes hard wherever she is on the ice.”

The game-winning goal was also a testament to Harvard’s depth. While other coaches have knocked the Crimson for rotating two lines in close games, Harvard’s ability to seamlessly transition a player from the third line to the first sent a clear message to the rest of the nation.

“Anybody on our team can be a star on anyone else’s team, and we have a whole team of stars,” Hagerman said.