Professor James Moriarty, the fictional villain from the “Sherlock Holmes” stories has a reputation for being a crafty mastermind when it comes to bringing destruction to the world. Forward Courtney Moriarty, of the Plattsburgh State Women’s hockey team tends to focus her masterminding skills to propelling pucks towards the back of the net.
Entering her freshmen year, Moriarty came into college with a lot to prove, both on the ice and in the classroom. She is currently a childhood education major at PSUC, and she puts as much effort into checking opponents up against the boards as she does in acing her next test.
Teammate and forward Melissa Sheeran was aware of the raw talent that Moriarty had to offer prior to college, as the two played with each other in high school competitions. After years of playing by her side, Sheeran had monumental expectations for the incoming rookie.
“I knew coming in that she would be a key player for us,” Sheeran said. “If she played her game and stepped up, she would definitely be a first line contender, and I told her that.”
To view more videos, visit our Multimedia page.Sheeran’s expectations for Moriarty to be a key player were by no means dwarfed with the commencement of the season. Since her debut here at PSUC, Moriarty has been a vital contributor to the team’s offensive dominance. Currently, she has four goals and two assists and there is still plenty of hockey left to play.Although Moriarty is all business when stepping on the ice, her teammates have picked up on the fact that she has her class clown like tendencies. Junior forward Jordan Lipson, who is also line mates with Moriarty, spoke highly of her skill on the ice but was also not afraid to reveal the comedic relationship that the two share.
“I’ll say something to her and she’ll say, ‘What are you going to do about it?’” Lipson said. “I’ll just be like, ‘Who do you think you are? You’re my freshman line mate.’ She’s very sarcastic and a little bit of a goofball.”
Her friendship with Lipson is just one of the many strong connections Moriarty has built throughout her first year at PSUC. Knowing Moriarty prior to her coming to Plattsburgh, Sheeran has built a strong relationship with Moriarty over the years, becoming fond of her both on and off the ice.
“She’s actually one of the most caring people I know,” Sheeran said. “You wouldn’t see that from most hockey players. You think that they’re going to be all tough and walk around with their head held high, but not her. I’m lucky to be friends with her, to be honest with you.” Moriarty explained how the team all shares a common goal and a passion for the game of hockey. This is something that she did not see in the high school setting, that some people were there just to be there.
Now, Moriarty finds herself with a team that eats, sleeps, and breathes hockey.
“We’re all one,” Moriarty said. “From the first night it was a warm welcoming the first night the whole team was together, the upperclassmen really welcomed us.”
Although Moriarty and her teammates are indeed all about hockey when they are on the ice, Moriarty finds pleasure in doing other activities during her downtime. She enjoys playing the zombie portion of the well-known Call of Duty video game. Her personal record in the game is reaching level four — tantamount to the number of goals she has scored thus far.
However Moriarty is not known on campus for being a zombie hunter by night, she has earned her reputation as a lightning quick offensive powerhouse. Her teammates explain that her knowledge of the game as well as her playmaking attributes have helped her succeed. Personally, Moriarty believes there are various qualities that go into being a productive goal scorer.
“You got to know where to be,” Moriarty said. “Know where your teammates are going to be and what they’re going to do, then follow up on that.”
Email Kevin Morley at kevin.morley@cardinalpointsonline.com
