Princeton University Athletics
Photo by: Shelley M. Szwast
Coach Cara Morey Joins ECAC Preseason Media Call
September 22, 2021 | Women's Ice Hockey
Entering her fifth year as Princeton's coach, Cara Morey joined ECAC Hockey's preseason media call on Wednesday morning. Below are some of Morey's comments from the call:
On Sarah Fillier and Claire Thompson '20 giving Princeton a shoutout from the ice after winning the IIHF World Championship:Â
It was amazing. I thought they both had outstanding tournaments. They exceeded all expectations, and for them to shout out to their teammates and their sisters, it was incredible. We didn't expect it and everyone heard it and the whole group, they were all watching together, and they kind of went nuts, the rest of the team, so it was amazing.
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On anticipation for the season:
I'm excited to just see what this team does. It's kind of unknown. They've been amazing on the ice so far. I can tell you it's the fittest team I've ever been around. Our preseason has been incredible. They have so much passion, so much energy, so much compete right now, so I guess the exciting part for me is just the unknown and seeing what they can do.
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On the premature ending of the 2020 season and missing the 2021 season:
It was one of the hardest years for us as a staff, definitely one of the hardest years on our players. I think when they ended our season it was traumatic because they were at just a place where they were unstoppable. Outside of a global pandemic, I don't think anything was going to stop them. They were extremely close, and so to have the season ended without knowing what they could really do, it was heartbreaking, and then last season, to not be able to play, it was really hard on the players and then on the other side, I think it was hard on the teams who had to play because it was a stressful environment. It just wasn't the same for anybody. It was definitely hard to watch other people compete, but I think for our players, maintaining their eligibility at Princeton was their priority, and so knowing that they'd have four years to play as a Princeton Tiger was worth it to sit out and watch.
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On forecasting the season:
It was interesting because when (ECAC Hockey) asked for our preseason rankings, we didn't know. We haven't seen anyone play. We don't know who their freshmen or sophomores are at this point. It makes it exciting because usually you kind of have an idea of what you're in for at the beginning of the year, and nobody has any clue, so it's going to be fun.
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On bringing in freshmen/newcomers since the 2019-20 season:
They're a class of seven, which is a very normal first-year class. That part has been just the same as every year, it's just, nobody has been together in 18 months, so it's kind of fun and they're almost getting to know each other again.
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On the off-ice impact on the program of players Sarah Fillier and Claire Thompson '20 who have international success:
The biggest impact they have is actually when they're on campus and recruits get to interact with our players because they see what great human beings they are away from the ice, and that actually has as big if not a bigger impact than seeing what they do on the ice. They're great teammates. Our whole team is just loaded with incredible young women who are awesome in the classroom, awesome in the locker room and awesome on the ice. It's been great to get the exposure, but obviously it's their personalities and who they are as people that has the biggest impact.
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On new assistant coach Shelly Picard:
Shelly has been incredible already. I think I have the best assistant coaches in the NCAA. I've gotten so lucky. They've both been national team (players), one team Canada (Courtney Kessel), Shelly a Team USA Olympian, also an Ivy League student. She connected right away with the players because they know she went through what they're going through and what they aspire to be. She's an incredible teacher. She's probably one of the kindest people I've ever been around. Her patience is exceptional and her passion for the game is right on par with mine, so it was a home run, getting Shelly to join us in the college world.
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On having an all-female coaching staff:
A big part of it is having role models. If we are essentially helping raise the next generation of female leadership in our country – in schools like Princeton, these women are going to go on to be CEOs, lawyers, judges, hopefully the President even someday. If that's what we are motivating and influencing, then they need to see it, and so having female leadership is really critical. The other side of it is, this is the pinnacle of coaching for women. Right now, currently, this is as good as it gets, so for me, it's making sure that these jobs are available for women so they can coach at the highest level available to them, and if that means bringing in women that weren't in the game or mentoring them and having them go on to be head coaches – I'm so proud that Mel (Ruzzi) came through and is now a head coach at Brown, because that's what it's really about, is helping grow our pool of professional coaches. I think there are great male role models in our league. There are some amazing men that coach. For me, it's about getting these women young so they are exposed to this field and this profession that they wouldn't otherwise have.
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On Sarah Fillier and Claire Thompson '20 giving Princeton a shoutout from the ice after winning the IIHF World Championship:Â
It was amazing. I thought they both had outstanding tournaments. They exceeded all expectations, and for them to shout out to their teammates and their sisters, it was incredible. We didn't expect it and everyone heard it and the whole group, they were all watching together, and they kind of went nuts, the rest of the team, so it was amazing.
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?? @SarahFillier91!
— Princeton Tigers (@PUTIGERS) September 1, 2021
Golden night for @PWIH! pic.twitter.com/jdfhD6CV7v
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On anticipation for the season:
I'm excited to just see what this team does. It's kind of unknown. They've been amazing on the ice so far. I can tell you it's the fittest team I've ever been around. Our preseason has been incredible. They have so much passion, so much energy, so much compete right now, so I guess the exciting part for me is just the unknown and seeing what they can do.
Â
On the premature ending of the 2020 season and missing the 2021 season:
It was one of the hardest years for us as a staff, definitely one of the hardest years on our players. I think when they ended our season it was traumatic because they were at just a place where they were unstoppable. Outside of a global pandemic, I don't think anything was going to stop them. They were extremely close, and so to have the season ended without knowing what they could really do, it was heartbreaking, and then last season, to not be able to play, it was really hard on the players and then on the other side, I think it was hard on the teams who had to play because it was a stressful environment. It just wasn't the same for anybody. It was definitely hard to watch other people compete, but I think for our players, maintaining their eligibility at Princeton was their priority, and so knowing that they'd have four years to play as a Princeton Tiger was worth it to sit out and watch.
Â
On forecasting the season:
It was interesting because when (ECAC Hockey) asked for our preseason rankings, we didn't know. We haven't seen anyone play. We don't know who their freshmen or sophomores are at this point. It makes it exciting because usually you kind of have an idea of what you're in for at the beginning of the year, and nobody has any clue, so it's going to be fun.
Â
On bringing in freshmen/newcomers since the 2019-20 season:
They're a class of seven, which is a very normal first-year class. That part has been just the same as every year, it's just, nobody has been together in 18 months, so it's kind of fun and they're almost getting to know each other again.
Â
— Princeton Hockey (@PWIH) August 24, 2021
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On the off-ice impact on the program of players Sarah Fillier and Claire Thompson '20 who have international success:
The biggest impact they have is actually when they're on campus and recruits get to interact with our players because they see what great human beings they are away from the ice, and that actually has as big if not a bigger impact than seeing what they do on the ice. They're great teammates. Our whole team is just loaded with incredible young women who are awesome in the classroom, awesome in the locker room and awesome on the ice. It's been great to get the exposure, but obviously it's their personalities and who they are as people that has the biggest impact.
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You know, some @IIHFHockey World Champions, hanging out at Baker. How we do. ??
— Princeton Hockey (@PWIH) September 2, 2021
(Congrats and always so proud, @SarahFillier91 and @clairethomps98!) pic.twitter.com/grkCZOJWB9
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On new assistant coach Shelly Picard:
Shelly has been incredible already. I think I have the best assistant coaches in the NCAA. I've gotten so lucky. They've both been national team (players), one team Canada (Courtney Kessel), Shelly a Team USA Olympian, also an Ivy League student. She connected right away with the players because they know she went through what they're going through and what they aspire to be. She's an incredible teacher. She's probably one of the kindest people I've ever been around. Her patience is exceptional and her passion for the game is right on par with mine, so it was a home run, getting Shelly to join us in the college world.
?? ???? Olympic Medalist with @usahockey
— Princeton Hockey (@PWIH) July 12, 2021
?? An @NWHL champion
?? And our new assistant coach!
Welcome to the Tiger team, @shellfish20!
??: https://t.co/0r686mz5Rc pic.twitter.com/uhlePXdgis
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On having an all-female coaching staff:
A big part of it is having role models. If we are essentially helping raise the next generation of female leadership in our country – in schools like Princeton, these women are going to go on to be CEOs, lawyers, judges, hopefully the President even someday. If that's what we are motivating and influencing, then they need to see it, and so having female leadership is really critical. The other side of it is, this is the pinnacle of coaching for women. Right now, currently, this is as good as it gets, so for me, it's making sure that these jobs are available for women so they can coach at the highest level available to them, and if that means bringing in women that weren't in the game or mentoring them and having them go on to be head coaches – I'm so proud that Mel (Ruzzi) came through and is now a head coach at Brown, because that's what it's really about, is helping grow our pool of professional coaches. I think there are great male role models in our league. There are some amazing men that coach. For me, it's about getting these women young so they are exposed to this field and this profession that they wouldn't otherwise have.
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