Lifetime of Hockey Prepares Maschmeyer for Goal

Sophomore women’s hockey goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer is used to being the only girl around.

In 2004, she was the second female goalie ever to compete in the Brick Tournament, a seven-day amateur tournament for 10-year-olds in Edmonton, Alberta. In 2012, she was the second female to take part in the Alberta Junior Hockey League.

In fact, Maschmeyer said she hadn’t officially played women’s hockey until joining the Crimson last year.

“The games are a lot different,” Maschmeyer said. “The guys are more aggressive—they’re allowed to be with the rules. The girls have to rely more on their sticks. Naturally guys are going to be taller and stronger, so they’re going to be faster and their shots are going to be harder. The skill level in girls hockey is very good, especially at this level.”

The fourth in a line of five siblings, all of whom play hockey at various levels, Maschmeyer has been on the ice for as long as she can remember. And as the only goaltender in the family, she’s gotten a lot of practice.

“I started hockey when I was three years old,” Maschmeyer said. “We really have an easy outdoor rink at home and my dad would always take us out there for hours every night to practice. I actually started out as a player. I played out until I was seven, and then switched to goalie. I loved it right from the start.”

After being named to the Bantam AA and AAA Boys All-Star teams, Maschmeyer joined the Lloydminster Bobcats in 2010.

The goaltender helped her team win a gold medal at the Canada Winter Games later that season. In 2012, she led her IIHF Ice Hockey team to the U-18 Women’s World Championship, winning the title over Team USA.

While remaining on Team Canada’s U-22 team, Maschmeyer has led the Crimson to a successful season thus far, compiling a 9-1-2 overall record.

“It comes naturally to her,” coach Maura Crowell said. “She wants to be the best goalie in the country and that’s what fuels her, that’s what motivates her. That comes from within.”

In Harvard’s contest against Boston College on Sunday afternoon, the sophomore achieved a career-high 51 saves, the third highest in Harvard history, keeping the back of the net empty until the final two minutes.

“She was unbelievable on Sunday and we played well in front of her,” Crowell said. “[She had some] insane saves that 99 percent of the goalies out there wouldn’t be able to make, but she comes up with them. That’s part of her athletic ability…She always gives us a chance to win.”

When Maschmeyer arrived at Harvard last year, she played in rotation with then-senior Laura Bellamy, who had already proven her talent, leading the team to two NCAA tournaments and the Ivy League Championship during her career.

With the two alternating playing time, they helped each other improve throughout the season. Maschmeyer was named to the ECAC All-Rookie team and became the first goaltender to win Ivy League Rookie of the Year since 1995.

“Last year it was really competitive, but a friendly competition between us,” Maschmeyer said. “[Bellamy] was someone I could really look up to and turn to her if I had any questions. It was really great to work with the goalie team.”

The addition of freshman Brianna Laing this season has allowed Maschmeyer to give back to her team, offering the same support she received as a rookie.

“I’m trying to do the same thing for [Laing] because I have a year of experience now,” Maschmeyer said. “I’m trying to guide her through something whenever she has questions. She’s a very good goalie, too, so it’s a really good competition. And, again, a friendly competition, which helps us both get better.”

As a sophomore on a squad with only two seniors and seven freshman, Maschmeyer recognizes her place as one of the team’s “upperclassmen” leaders on the ice.

“I try to lead by example, through my actions,” said Maschmeyer, who leads the nation in save percentage at 96.4%. “We have a short roster this year. I want to be supportive to all of the freshmen and everyone else on the team. I [try to] take it one game at a time and give my team the opportunity to win every game. We can’t leave anything behind.”

Crowell acknowledges Maschmeyer’s tendency to churn out high performances without demanding the attention.

“She’s a quiet leader,” Crowell said. “It’s not like she’s a big talker in the locker room, but she goes about her business in a way that is consistent [and] reliable, and [she] always plays at an extremely high level. It’s something that we’ve come to depend on and she hasn’t let us down…She knows what she needs to do to be at the top of her game and she brings it every time she gets a chance to play.”

Despite her success thus far, Maschmeyer’s career is far from over. She looks to continue to break both personal and program-records.

“First, I want to win a national championship,” Maschmeyer said. “I want to beat my stats from last year and just have the best season that we can have. I have the long-term goal of breaking the number one shutout [record], set by Christina Kessler, who had 25 in her four years.”

—Staff writer Orlea L. Miller can be reached at omiller@college.harvard.edu.