By Warren Kozireski —
One does not have to lead a team in goals or points or wins or save percentage to be a leader. It’s the little things such as remembering 20+ games into the season when a teammate scored their first collegiate goal to grab the puck as a souvenir. Or helping to kill off a penalty late in a one-goal game. Or keeping the vibe positive on the bench. Or filling whatever role the coach asks of you.
“She is our Swiss Army Knife,” Cortland women’s hockey head coach and former SUNY Brockport player Rick Filighera said of graduate student Quinn Metcalfe.
“She can do everything; I can have her on the power play in front of the net, she kills penalties, she plays late in games, she can play the wing and she can play with anybody. I tease sometimes and say maybe we’ll throw the pads on you once in a while.
“She comes from a hockey family and just knows how to play the game. And she’s another coach because, even on the bench today, you can hear her telling (her teammates) when to get pucks in deep and when to skate. She’s not overly fast, she’s not going to wow you out there by any stretch of the imagination, but she will chip in points and does the things some other players just don’t want to do.”
In the final regular season home game of her career, Metcalfe won an offensive zone face-off back to the point and the ensuing shot found the back of the net. The assist was her second of the season along with a career best four goals.
Metcalfe started the season slow offensively with no points over the first ten games. But she had three goals and two assists over the final eight games of the regular season—when it matters most.
“He always says he can put me in whether it’s on wing or center, power play, penalty kill; basically, if the lineup changes around he likes to put me in different spots,” Metcalfe said. “I had a slow start in the beginning (of this season) and really didn’t have many points throughout the first part of the season, but lately I’ve been finding a way. My linemates have been scoring to and everything has been clicking into place for the second half of the season; it’s been good.”
After playing four seasons of boys’ varsity hockey at Churchville-Chili, where she was a 2018 Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, and also developing with the Rochester Monarchs program, she headed to Cortland.
“I think playing on the high school boys’ team definitely helped me in terms of being physical on the ice, especially in games when it’s an especially physical game. I think it’s definitely helped me translate it over. They are definitely two different games playing with the guys versus the girls, but I think it was helpful growing up.”
With Metcalfe and other upper-class players, Cortland this season clinched the first home playoff game in the program’s history.
She wears #10 because of that family connection Coach Filighera referred too. Her father is Rochester Americans Hall of Famer and 1996 Calder Cup champion Scott Metcalfe.
“Both my brothers wore it as well and I’ve worn it as a kid, all through high school, travel and all kinds of teams and now, thankfully I have here as well.
And now the Biomedical Services major is making the next career move—she hopes to attend Veterinary school.
“The plan for the future is to go to Vet (veterinary) school; I’m filling out my application right now, so someday I hope to be a large animal veterinarian.”
The hockey player mentality comes to light again—always another goal to strive for and keep working toward it.
(Photo’s By Cortland Women’s Hockey and Warren Kozireski)
