Being from California rarely suggests a hockey background. Alison Lee didn’t even know what hockey was until she attended a San Jose Sharks game as a young girl. Lee, a junior from Los Altos, Calif., was a staple on the Syracuse club women’s ice hockey team for the past two years and is now a contributing third-string goalie on the varsity team.

Lee’s hockey career began when she started playing roller hockey at the local YMCA and pickup games with her friends in the streets. Her first time actually playing on ice was during her junior year of high school. A year later she was playing goalie for the Junior Sharks.

After high school Lee came to Syracuse, where hockey became more of a hobby – until last summer. She got word that Syracuse was starting a varsity women’s hockey team, and contacted head coach Paul Flanagan about trying out.

At the time, Lee was thinking about transferring. But the chance to play on the varsity team was one of the reasons why she decided to stay at SU. Flanagan saw that Lee was capable and figured he would give the goalie a shot.

‘Rather than coming in here and snubbing the club players, saying, ‘Oh, you’re not good enough here,’ I think it was best for us to just open it (the team) up,’ Flanagan said. ‘Unfortunately, she was the only one that had the ability to be here.’

Flanagan had originally planned to have two goalies on his roster. But after Lee contacted him, Flanagan thought that a third goalie could only benefit the team and allowed her to practice with the team. Lee participated in preseason practice, but wasn’t told that she had made the team until a few days before the first game.

Lee isn’t known as one of the key leaders on the team, but her status as a junior has allowed her to be a great resource in the locker room for the younger players.

‘I guess the part that I bring is that I have been at Syracuse, and I have been at Syracuse as a non-athlete,’ Lee said. ‘I have lived in certain areas, in the dorms, and I know some of the teachers that are better than other teachers. I can give that advice to the freshmen.’

Not only has Lee been able to help the young freshmen adjust, but she has also seen some playing time. Lee’s lone victory won’t go in the record books – it came in a scrimmage against Carleton -but she did play all 60 minutes, turning aside 11 of the 12 shots that she faced in a 3-1 Syracuse victory.

Lee also got some official time in a game against Sacred Heart in November. Lee played the third period and made eight saves, while only allowing two goals.

‘It was awesome,’ Lee said of the game. ‘I was really glad. I actually didn’t think that I would get the chance to play in a game this season. That was definitely awesome.’

Even when Lee isn’t on the ice, she still contributes as a positive influence on the bench. With determination and a smile, Lee serves as a motivator and keeps morale high.

‘She’s been putting a lot of effort into it, and she is smiling all the time and enjoying it.’ Flanagan said ‘For us that’s a reward, to see that she is enjoying it.’

rwmarfur@syr.edu

Published on February 18, 2009 at 12:00 pm