When Syracuse elected its captains for this season in the spring, Paul Flanagan — though he’s rarely seen his juniors become captains — expected Nicole Renault to be in the conversation.

Playing a large role in her freshman and sophomore seasons, Renault had impressed the head coach with her work ethic and presence on the ice and in the locker room. The issue of age was offset by Renault’s involvement in the offense, defense and special teams.

“I think being able to step up as a freshman and sophomore and playing a lot helped her become captain,” senior defender and captain Akane Hosoyamada said. “She’s so smart and is on the ice so much that it was the right choice.”

A staple on the team’s power play and penalty kill units, Renault brings a versatility that’s been critical to the Orange’s (10-14-10, 8-6-6 College Hockey America) success this season. She is Syracuse’s most aggressive and offensively oriented defender and the junior has recorded 16 points this season, fifth on the team and the most of any defender.

“When I see a lane to skate, I do,” Renault said. “It brings offense, whether I’m driving to the net or looking to pass and creating. I’m good at creating an odd-man rush and pushing the puck up the ice.”

Fellow defender Danielle Leslie said that those rushes up the ice help catch opponents on their heels and open up opportunities for the team’s forwards to get open shots on the net. She runs the point with authority, Flanagan said, and distributes the puck to her teammates with ease, tying her for the second-most assists on the team with 11.

Flanagan doesn’t think Renault is necessarily the most skilled player in the offensive zone, but she is smart about what she does with the puck and where she moves it.

“She knows when to shoot and when to pass,” Flanagan said. “I know that’s easy to say, but she combines her IQ with her athleticism to make the right reads almost all of the time.”

When Renault does shoot, she says she is trying to get the shot through or find someone near the net to get a tip. She trusts the forwards to corral rebounds and will aim toward the corners of the net if she isn’t certain that her shot is going to go in.

She does a good job of maneuvering from the point and running the offense, especially during the power play. Flanagan praised the way she used her size and skating to help facilitate things and protect the puck at the top of the offensive zone.

The very way she gets open and protects the puck makes her valuable to the Orange attack.

“She’s got good technique for faking players out or moving side to side to find an open lane,” Leslie said. “Even sometimes just being able to beat a player flat out with her speed, she does a good job at getting open to take shots.”

Renault will play a huge role for SU this weekend in the second round of the conference tournament and the versatility she offers from her spot in the defense will be crucial.

“We’re hoping that she’s able to do all of those things this weekend,” Flanagan said, chuckling. “She’s very capable, very reliable and steady. She comes through when we need her.”

Published on March 3, 2015 at 12:05 am

Contact Liam: lpsull01@syr.edu