Jan. 31, 2014
By Jackson Thibodeau, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Freshman defender Kelly Seward made an immediate impact at the beginning of this season, scoring her first collegiate goal and the team's first score of the season on the same slap shot against Vermont.
Coaches and veterans praised her consistent and multi-faceted playing style back in October and now, with 20-plus games under her belt, Seward continues to impress her teammates.
"She has brought and continues to bring a tremendous skill set to the ice," said head coach Josh Brandwene, "and that's something she's brought since her first day at Penn State."
The 5-foot-9 Williamsville, N.Y., native likes to consider herself an "offensive defender" because of how her defensive stops can translate into goals for the Blue and White.
"I try to play solid defense on every shift so I can create good breakout passes to get the team up the ice," Seward said.
The freshman got off to an explosive start in October, scoring two goals and registering seven blocks in the team's season-opening series. Her offensively minded style of defense has accumulated a team-leading 44 blocks, creating countless rushes and scoring chances for the Nittany Lions.
"She possesses great vision and moves the puck incredibly well," Brandwene said, "and on top of that she does a great job generating solid shots from the point."
Although she hasn't generated a point since scoring her third goal of the season against New Hampshire in late October, Seward has continued to improve in all areas of the ice.
"It has been nice to watch her gain confidence on the ice, get more physical, add aggression to her game and grind it out in the corners," said fellow defender Lindsay Reihl. "She's been my linemate all season and has helped me grow as well."
Reihl, a senior, has been influential in growth of Seward's game throughout the season.
"Lindsay and I talk a lot on the ice during games," Seward said. "She's definitely helped me grow and she has always given me her support."
As the season nears its final stretch, Seward and the coaching staff agree that there's still time--and always time--to improve.
"Her consistency in the defensive zone has been her biggest improvement this year," Brandwene said. "I am really appreciative of how coachable she is and how dedicated she is. We've still got a ways to go this season and Kelly will only continue to improve."
At minus-three, Seward leads the Nittany Lions in plus/minus among those who have played at least 24 games. As the second tallest athlete on the team, her presence is continually felt by opposing teams and her teammates when she's on the ice.
Like many of the student-athletes on the team, Seward got her start with hockey at a very young age. She started playing competitively when she was just five years old and never looked back. Many skaters get their hockey careers started on roller skates, but Seward went straight to the ice.
She played for the Nichols School and the Buffalo Bisons club team while in high school, and she attributes her fast start at the collegiate level to the experience she gained with her teams of the past. She helped guide the Bisons to three New York state titles from 2010-12 and earned numerous accolades in doing so.
For Seward, being a freshman at a university as large as Penn State was daunting at first, but her team made her feel right at home.
"Of course it was tough at first being a new freshman and not knowing many people, but our team has grown a lot and now I feel like I'm part of a family," Seward said.
Seward will hit the ice this weekend as her team hosts RIT on Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. Saturday's game will serve as the team's "Skate for the Cure" event in which the team will wear pink jerseys that will then be auctioned off. Proceeds from the auction and donations will be donated to WBCA Pink Zone and THON.