Cardinal Points

Issue date: 11/17/06 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Holly Boname

Danielle Blanchard has experienced what very few hockey players get to experience in their collegiate careers - and it's only her second season playing for Plattsburgh State University College.

"An All American and a league all-star as a freshman - you don't see that very often," Head Coach Kevin Houle said.

The sophomore forward was a key member of last season's Division III national runner-up team, earning Second Team East All American honors and also leading the NCAA in game-winning goals.

"(Blanchard) has great speed, good hands and terrific acceleration," Houle said. "She has good vision and a good sense of the game, which makes her one of the best players in the country."

Houle recruited Blanchard, who came to PSUC from Ontario for two years while she was playing junior hockey for the Aurora Panthers.

While Houle said that it usually is a process to become adjusted to the new environment, Blanchard stepped in and made an impact right away.

"She has the work ethic you want all your players to have," Houle said. "It's one of her greatest attributes, and the other players feed off of it. She's a vocal leader and leads by example, getting the girls pumped up to play."

Blanchard, one of the team's three assistant captains, said she was not expecting the success she found during her freshman campaign.

"We all had to earn our spots - we still do, we have to work hard every day," she said. "(Last year) all of us freshmen did well. We came in and picked up the roles we had to play."

As a leader on the team, Blanchard tries to motivate her teammates and encourage everyone to work their hardest both in games and at practice.

"Julie (Devereux) and Jess (Moreau) taught me leadership and how to be a role model," she said.

She also credits her teammates with making her into a better player through the hard work the team puts in.

Blanchard said one area where she has improved on the ice is defense.

"I think I'm more defensive than last year," she said. "I used to get caught standing still, but I've been working on that."

One of Blanchard's favorite memories from last season was when the Cards beat Elmira at home to earn a spot in the Final Four of the 2006 NCAA tournament.

The Cards later lost in the finals to Middlebury, ending with an overall record of 26-3-1. Blanchard finished her rookie season with 21 goals and 20 assists.

The Cards, currently 4-0, do not have any set goals for its season, and instead opt to take each competition one game at a time.

Blanchard said the team prefers to concentrate on each individual game, rather than worry about what lies ahead.

United States College Hockey Online recently named Blanchard, along with senior goalie Bree Doyle, to its NCAA Division II/III Preseason All-America East First Team. Devereux was named to the second team.

Blanchard is currently leading the Cards in points, with five goals and two assists so far this season.

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