Seeing the big picture
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Colleen Shouldice (foreground) and younger sister Emma look on during the national anthem prior to their game against Mount Mansfield at Spartan Arena recently. TONY CIRELLI / |
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By CHADWICK CIOFFI Herald Correspondent - Published: January 24, 2010
After stealing the puck and splitting two defenders, she quickly becomes a green-and-white blur with a ponytail bobbing up and down as it hangs out the back of her helmet. She circles the opponent's net and evades another three defenders. Finding herself 1-on-1 with the goaltender, she lifts a wrist shot high to the blocker side and puts the puck top shelf.
Colleen Shouldice, a junior at Mount St. Joseph Academy, recorded her 16th goal of the season and 60th of her career on Jan. 20 in a 10-1 loss to cross-city rival Rutland High School.
Losses have become a familiar feeling to the Mounties, who were 0-9 heading into Saturday night's game against Rice, but Shouldice has proven to be a diamond in the rough, according to head coach Joe Ferrara.
Because the Mounties have only three substitutes on their bench, Shouldice has been forced to tone her normal aggressive play down by picking her times to attack more strategically. Ferrara says that this new style of play has given Colleen the ability to catch her breath on the ice, allowing him to let her play the entire 45 minutes of the game.
Another sacrifice Shouldice has chosen to make for the good of the team this season is switching her position from center to defender, helping to compensate for the loss of defenseman Brooke Wisell to a broken wrist.
Shouldice has proven to be a strong defensive presence so far, but all who have seen her play, including Ferrara, know that she could shine even brighter playing center. She proved her offensive prowess with a five-goal performance in MSJ's season-opening 9-5 loss against Woodstock.
"With the production Colleen is able to give our team, it's unfair of us to ask her to do what she is doing. It's just unfair," Ferrara said. But it's necessary.
Another key component to Shouldice's game and life is her ability to always look past a negative situation and focus on the big picture with a positive attitude.
"I try to just relax and take deep breaths and explain that, 'This is not the end of the world and things will be bigger than this,'" Shouldice said, explaining the chemistry she has with her teammates. "If they don't cover the points, don't yell at them to cover the points. You have to ask if they know where the points are and tell them you just have to be around that area when the puck is there."
Ferrara agreed.
"She talks to them. She gets opinions from them and she gets further that way than yelling at them. She knows I'll do that," he said jokingly. "She has a great ability to ask them a question and follow it with some sort of direction. That's what makes her a leader."
Ferrara was quick to point out that Colleen's leadership extends past the hockey team to the soccer and softball teams. Off the field, he says Shouldice is a leader in doing volunteer work.
"She has the drive, the dedication, the self-motivation," he said. "I go watch her in her other sports and she's the same way. She plays the same way in softball, the same way in soccer. She does the same thing for Project Help."
Ferrara said Shouldice's self-motivated drive in and outside of sports is what really defines her. Colleen also volunteers at Rutland Regional Medical Center.
Even with a schedule full with volunteer work, schoolwork, and whatever sports season it is, Colleen Shouldice breathes hockey. She can almost always be found at stick and puck, even if she's already had team practice. She's a regular rink rat.
Last year, Shouldice was chosen to the Vermont Stars, a female select youth hockey team. She pushed herself to be one of the most skilled and hardest working players on the team. Although Shouldice is the most talented player for MSJ, Ferrara said she remains unselfish and sticks to the team's game plan.
"She doesn't go out there and say, 'This is the Colleen show.' She plays within the boundaries she has to. She understands she's not going to get a rush every time, and she's really smart about that."
Although Shouldice has reached the 60-goal mark, she continues to look at the big picture and sees beyond the milestone.
"I understand there is more to life than hockey," she said. "But I love to play it. I still know I can't just get by in my classes and that I need to do well to succeed, and do volunteer work to make me a better person."
Ferrara smiled as he looked on before he brought up the milestone once more.
"I think Colleen could have 70 goals if she just kept the puck on the ice," he said laughing at her reaction.
"I knew you were going to bring that up," she said, blushing.
Colleen said out of the seven or eight coaches she has played for, none of them have had the tight bond her and Ferrara share.
"If you can coach one special person, it makes all of the bad times get wiped away," Ferrara said. "When you're able to have a player like Colleen Shouldice, you know what, there is nothing that bad."
Shouldice said she aspires to play college hockey after high school. But with another year left at MSJ, the junior will remain the star player for the Mounties.
Ferrara couldn't be more excited for Colleen's future endeavors.
"I honestly think the sky is the limit with her. I really do," he said.
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