On the rink, Emma Traylor ’22 is not afraid to be bold. With the goal of hitting the puck into the net on her mind, she accelerates across the ice. Swiftly intercepting the puck, she shoots it toward the goal with no hesitation. Narrowly missing the goalie, it slides straight into the back corner. In high spirits, the crowd erupts in cheers.

Traylor’s ice hockey career started when she joined the cheerleading team during her freshman year. While coaching fall tennis, girls ice hockey Coach Christian Herzog noticed her cheering on the adjacent field.

“She was one of the girls in a leadership position on the cheerleading team. I was looking for players that had an interest in going outside of their own comfort zone. It took some coaxing for [Traylor] to try ice hockey, but once she started, I think she developed a passion for the sport,” Herzog said.

While Traylor was new to the sport, she was willing to do whatever it took to excel. Although early 5 a.m. practices could be draining, she always dedicated 100 percent of her energy to improve her skills. During her first season, after mastering the basics of skating and maneuvering the stick, she scored two goals. After making significant progress in her technique through continuous practice in her second year, she was voted “most improved player” by her teammates.

“She is constantly one that wholeheartedly exerts every ounce of energy she has on the ice. Wherever the chips fall at the end of the game, that’s where the chips fall, but she always knows that she put in her best effort. I think it is something that other players really look up to,” Herzog said.

Now, as a senior and starting center on the first line, Traylor demonstrates her passion for the sport through the aggression and tenacity she brings to the ice.

“Sometimes we’ll get athletes who you have to get into an aggressive mode. It's not always the easiest skill or attribute to teach. But some student athletes have the ability to turn it on and off and [Traylor] is one of those,” Herzog said.

In addition to demonstrating her own love for the sport, Traylor extends her love to all her teammates. Her favorite moments on the team were their annual overnight trips to compete in Maryland at the Women’s Interscholastic Hockey League of the Mid-Atlantic competition. The quality bonding time Traylor had with her teammates translated well to their chemistry on the ice.

“Out on the ice, Emma is a pro when it comes to communication skills. [This] has greatly benefitted the general team dynamic,” said teammate Tessa Solvibile ’22.

During quarantine, Traylor and her team only had the chance to play three games and had to wear masks under their helmets per the COVID-19 guidelines. Since many rinks were closed, the team only practiced basic skills off the ice. Although these setbacks were discouraging, Emma stayed focused by recognizing her improvements and maintaining her work ethic.

Although she does not want to pursue varsity hockey in college, Traylor plans to continue playing ice hockey on a club team.

“I like to pick something and stick to it. I don’t like to quit. I feel like I need to constantly keep that mindset to improve,” Traylor said.