College game a learning experience both on and off the ice

As her second season gets underway, the opportunity to play college hockey was a learning experience both on and off the ice for Sault Ste. Marie’s Lauren Halcrow.

A skilled defenceman with Sault College’s women’s hockey team, Halcrow is coming off a successful first season in the blue and white.

With the offensive side of the game being a key element to her game, Halcrow scored eight goals and 24 points in 19 games last season with the Cougars as the team advanced to the American Collegiate Hockey Association Division II National Championship.

Making the jump to college hockey was an adjustment, but the transition was a smooth one overall for the Sault product.

“I had never played with anyone that was (much) older than me,” Halcrow said. “It was definitely different to play with people (that were older). Even people from different cities too. I always grew up with all the same girls. It was definitely different, but it was fun.”

Growing up and playing with familiar faces locally, Halcrow said the opportunity to play with some new players was a good experience during her first year with Sault College.

“You knew your friends style, but going to a new team, you had to adjust,” Halcrow said. “You saw a lot of new styles of preparation and playing styles and what worked.”

“I loved the change,” Halcrow said of making the jump to Sault College.

Halcrow said she also learned from her teammates off the ice as well, playing with some players who are also nursing students and were ahead in the program, having attended the school prior to her joining the team and beginning classes.

“I’m in my second year now, but there were two girls on the team and in January, a third student was in nursing,” Halcrow said. “I was able to connect with them and ask them what should I be working on, what classes I should be focusing on on the road. It was nice to have people on the team that were older that were kind of like your mentors.”

On the ice, Halcrow enjoys the offensive side of the game from the blueline.

“I’m always looking for someone who’s open,” Halcrow said. “I’m always looking to give that nice pass for someone to have a breakaway. I’m very much a rushing defenceman. I’m always wanting to skate the puck to the blueline and then hand it off to someone at the other blueline for a breakaway. I like the stickhandling, quick hands part of that. Working it on the blueline on the power play is my favourite part of the game and I feel like it’s my strongest part.   

“She’s a standout player,” said Sault College coach Brianne Veale. “Both through the regular season and playoffs, it was very evident that, when she was on the ice, we had a lot of offensive rushes. She’s not your typical stay-at-home defenceman. She’s going to rush the play. She’s going to find an opening in the offensive end in order to get a good shot off. With her on the ice, a majority of our goals did come from the blueline, whether it was a shot from the point or she was able to find someone close to the net. She really amplified our game last year.”

The 2021-22 season wasn’t an easy one with COVID-19 playing havoc at times with travel and illness, but Halcrow was impressed with her team’s ability to battle through it.

“Last year we did really good for all of the bodies that we had and all of the obstacles we had to go through,” Halcrow said. “For COVID, we had to do all of the testing and stay over in the States when we were supposed to be coming home. Not being able to play in our home rink was hard. People having COVID and not having a full bench definitely put a lot of pressure on all of us as a whole.”

Despite the trying circumstances surrounding playing through an uncertain season due to COVID restrictions, Halcrow said the team bonded well as part of it.

“It was very hard, but we all supported each other,” Halcrow said. “If someone was sick, we would bring them stuff. We were always in contact with each other, pumping each other up, just because we had a smaller bench. Everyone was really supportive with all of us being sick and we had a lot of injuries.”

With the 2021-22 season well behind them, Halcrow and her Sault College teammates opened up ACHA play this month with the 20-game regular season set to run through early-February.