The scent of sweat and rubber filled the air of the SAHA rink as freshman Emma Fornengo tensed in front of the goal, tracking the incoming puck with intense concentration. The puck shot at her left leg, and she slammed her pads down to deflect it, then captured the puck in the netting of her glove. The whistle blew as Fornengo saved yet another shot on goal.

This was the second game for the new Spartan goalie, Emma Fornengo. The Spartan girls hockey team lost to the Eau Claire-Altoona Stars 0-11 on Jan. 20.

Fornengo took over the goalie position when both goalkeepers, junior Autumn Siers and freshman Katrina Casper, were injured. Prior to the Stars game, Fornengo had only played one game before as a goalie.

“This is a crash course into goalkeeping,” assistant coach Doug Trentor said. “She’s done a phenomenal job.”

Fornengo racked up 42 saves during the Stars game. The first period and second period were fast-paced, with 34 saves deterred by Fornengo and 9 goals made by the Stars. During the third period, shots on goal were slow: only 12 shots, with 9 saved by Fornengo. Overall, the Spartans played defensively, but clean: there were less than a handful of penalties made by either team.

“I feel like everyone worked their hardest tonight,” Addie Young, co-captain, said. She added that Fornengo is a first time hockey player. “And Emma does everything in her power to stop the puck.”

Fornengo has a newfound appreciation for goalkeeping.

“It’s my first year and everyone tried it at one point but Coach Marc said they were a hot mess,” Fornengo said, laughing. “But it’s just as much work as being out on the ice. I didn’t know how hard it was.”

Fornengo will stay as the Spartans’ goalie until main goalkeeper Autumn Siers has fully recovered, and Siers says that she will “hopefully be back before playoffs.”

“I just wanted to help out,” Fornengo said. “But I might want to pursue this.”