Now that both PWHL Minnesota goaltenders have received their grades, it’s time to move on to their defensive core. Some may be asking about PWHL Minnesota’s other two goaltenders, but since they didn’t really play, there’s not much to grade them on. Nicole Hensley and Maddie Rooney were the starters, and that’s who received the grade.
PWHL Minnesota had a strong defense for most of the season. Even when they couldn’t score, their defense stepped up. While there were times they took some big steps back, overall, they made the difference. The first defender we’ll start with is Emma Greco. She wasn’t extremely noticeable throughout the season, but many strong defenders aren’t noticed right away. We’ll start by looking at her regular-season performance and move on from there.
Greco Hides Behind the Scenes
Many think the best defenders are the ones who get the most attention, and they’re typically the ones scoring goals; however, that’s not always the case. While they may be some of the best offensive defenders, there are also defensive defenders, where Greco fits in. She’s not noticed for her points because she had none during the regular season, but she finished the season plus-8, which means she was on the ice for more goals scored for her team than against, and she had 24 shots on goal in her 22 games.
She spent 10 minutes in the penalty box, which wasn’t great, but it also wasn’t detrimental. She did the necessary little things, like blocking shots and getting the puck out of the defensive zone efficiently and effectively. She’s not afraid to jump up into the play, even if it means getting tangled up with an opponent or taking a hit for the team.
As a defender, it’s their job to make sure the front of the net is clear from any opponents, and Greco was good at that. She knew everyone around her and covered the places her goaltenders couldn’t. For her efforts during the regular season, she earned an A-. She could’ve done better in the offensive department which is why the grade isn’t higher, but it also isn’t lower because of all her work defensively.
Greco Still Scoreless
Greco kept up her defensive efforts during the postseason but couldn’t find a way to crack open her offensive game. She played in all 10 postseason games, and despite having six shots, none of them found the way to the back of the net. However, she ensured that didn’t happen to her goaltenders and kept up her strong defensive game.
She kept up with the most important part of her game, and her team came out on top, so everything went well. Of course, they could’ve used some more offensive efforts from her when they were really struggling, but the entire team could’ve stepped up. Again, she had trouble staying out of the penalty box during the playoffs. That’s not a good thing and is the one area she’ll need to fix for this coming season.
As far as a grade for the postseason goes, she also earned a B+ because her game stayed pretty much the same. It wasn’t an A- because most players find another level in the playoffs, and that is something Greco didn’t do. She did continue to play well defensively but couldn’t take that next step.
Greco’s Overall Grade
Taking Greco’s A- and B+, her overall grade is on the lower A- side. She has a very strong defensive game that helped her team throughout the regular season and the postseason, which led to a Walter Cup win. There is still room for improvement in her game, specifically her offensive game, which is why her grade wasn’t higher.
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However, PWHL Minnesota fans will have to pay attention to PWHL Boston this next season, as that’s where Greco signed during free agency. Hopefully, she can find her offense, just not against PWHL Minnesota this coming season.
