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It’s 2:36 p.m. on a Monday at Alfond Arena. The women’s ice hockey practice has long been over, but Karen Droog is still on the ice. She had been off the ice long enough to take off her skates, helmet and pads, but now she’s back wearing a pair of gray and blue running shoes, her navy blue women’s hockey sweatpants with her number 15 emblazoned on them, and a light blue Gap sweatshirt.
She has a stick in her hand and she is at the south end of the arena around the goal crease meticulously working on her shot. She is trying to roof the puck in the net from very close range and she is having success.
This is the reason that Karen Droog is leading the ECAC in goals by freshman and is the leading scorer for the Maine women’s hockey team. It’s her tireless work ethic.
“I’ve always tried to have a strong work ethic in practice,” she said. “I believe that how you practice is how you’re going to play in the games.”
Her coach, Rick Filighera, has spoken of that work ethic glowingly. “Whenever she wins a sprint in practice, I go over and tell her ‘that’s why you’re leading the league in goals for freshman.’ She takes the initiative to work her tail off. She’s not getting it done because she has a God-given talent. She’s getting it done because she works so hard.”
Droog said that shooting after practice in street clothes is not an uncommon occurrence. “If the ice is open, I’ll come out and shoot it around. I like to shoot the puck whenever I have a chance.”
The work ethic was instilled in her by a family life that she said was “above average” compared to most other people. “I’ve never seen people support each other so well,” she said of her family, which includes her parents, Pete and Debbie, and her older brother, Jason.
Karen grew in up Listowel, a small hockey crazy town in Ontario. She followed her brother into the game of hockey and said that they played “A lot alike.” She began playing hockey at the age of three. Up until a few years ago, she had played on boys’ teams.
She said that she liked playing boys hockey a lot. “I liked the physical aspect of the boys’ game. I liked the body contact and the roughness of it.”
That made the initial transition to women’s hockey difficult for Karen. “I spent most of the game in the penalty box,” she said of the first few games of women’s hockey, which does not allow checking.
She said that she would still like to mix it up, given the chance. “If there was a time when I needed to play physical, I’d like to get in there if it was necessary,” she said with a smile.
Her size is an attribute, in both physical play and her goal scoring prowess. She stands at 5’11″ and has a bigger frame than just about everyone she steps on the ice with. This allows her to park in front of the net if she needs to, but she also has an incredibly accurate and hard shot.
She leads the team in goals with 17 and points with 25. Her 17 goals give her the most among freshman in the ECAC. Her 25 points ties for second most in the conference among freshman.
She scored on her very first shot in college uniform against Bemidji St. at Alfond Arena on Oct. 14. She scored a hat trick that day and another on Jan. 14 at Boston College.
“I’m proud (of the hat tricks), but I’m shocked,” she said in her normal humbleness. “You just go out and play your game and whatever happens happens.”
One reason for her production is that fact that she plays on Maine’s most productive line, along with junior center Andrea Keller and freshman right winger Megan Aarts. Aarts is second on the team in goals with nine and Keller is in a tie for the assist lead on the team with Kelly Nelson. Both have 16 helpers.
“We’ve come a long way,” Droog said of her line. “Aarts had to adjust, because she had played defense until this year, but we’ve come together and we’re great. We know where each other is going to be and we get along well too. I really like our line.”
Coach Filighera is very pleased to have Droog on the team this year. “There were a lot of schools that were looking at her and we’re very glad to have her because she’s helping us.”
The decision to come to Maine was very easy for Droog. “When I came on my recruiting trip, I fell in love with the place,” she said. “I liked all of the players that I met and the coaching staff, and it had the academic programs that I wanted. I didn’t even go on any more recruiting trips.”
She is an undeclared major for now, but plans on starting in the paramedic program in her junior year, because it is a two-year program.
But Droog’s true love is hockey. “I love hockey. It’s a huge part of my life. I can’t be mad when I’m on the ice. It’s my getaway. It’s my passion. I can’t imagine not being at the rink for a day. I just love hockey.”
And Filighera is looking forward to her future. “She’s a natural goal scorer. We’ll need her down the stretch this year. She’s a go-to player in her freshman year. Hopefully, that will help us for the next three years.”
All indications are that Droog will only get better.
Bangor Daily News