When Holly Carrie-Mattimoe tied the record for most career goals at Syracuse on Friday, she had no idea that she had even accomplished the feat.

“Good to know,” Carrie-Mattimoe said when told she had tied the record. “I guess it’s exciting. I don’t know.”

Carrie-Mattimoe scored her 35th career goal last Friday against Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute, passing former SU stars Stefanie Marty and Isabel Menard to become the program’s most prolific goal-scorer. Carrie-Mattimoe leads the Orange (8-5-1, 3-0-1 College Hockey America) with 12 points and is tied for the team lead with six goals. The senior captain has been crucial to the program as it continues to grow in its fifth year.

“Ever since she got here she’s been an important player to our team, so we’re really happy for that,” defender Jacquie Greco said. “Maybe the younger girls are going to strive to beat her now, so it’s really good for our whole program.”

Carrie-Mattimoe and Greco have been teammates for four years. Greco said Carrie-Mattimoe brings on-ice leadership to Syracuse.

“She makes the easy plays, she makes the simple plays,” Greco said. “She knows the game really well. She might not make flashy plays, but it’s the little plays she makes that people who don’t really understand the game don’t really notice.

“She’s really important to our team.”

For most of this season, Carrie-Mattimoe has played on the same line with Margot Scharfe and Nicole Ferrara. Ferrara said Carrie-Mattimoe’s production has been key for SU.

“She’s amazing to play with,” Ferrara said. “Definitely one of the smartest players on the team. She is very poised with the puck. She always can control it and knows how to pick the corners to score.”

Ferrara said she’s also learned from Carrie-Mattimoe during her time playing with the now all-time leading scorer at Syracuse.

While Carrie-Carrie-Mattimoe didn’t know she had broken a record, many of her teammates did. Ferrara said this is only one part of Carrie-Mattimoe’s great career thus far.

“It’s awesome,” Ferrara said. “She deserves it and she is only going to get more. It’s great.”

SU head coach Paul Flanagan has watched her grow from a newcomer a few short years ago to becoming a leader and the program’s all-time leading scorer. Flanagan is proud of the progress she has made and he knows she will be key for SU to make a run for the conference title.

“Holly has worked extremely hard on all aspects of her game since arriving here four years ago,” Flanagan said in an email. “She has consistently been one of our top offensive players for three and a half years. We will count on Holly’s leadership abilities and scoring prowess to help us continue our quest for a CHA title.”

Published on November 27, 2012 at 1:55 am

Contact Ryan: rlraigro@syr.edu