St. Cloud State's Emma Polusny Selected to U.S. Women's National Team
10/24/2018 2:38:00 PM | Women's Hockey
ST. CLOUD, MINN. - St. Cloud State's women's hockey sophomore goaltender Emma Polusny was announced to the final U.S. Women's National Team roster Friday, Oct. 19. The 23-player roster will compete for its fourth straight title at the 2018 Four Nations Cup from Nov. 6-10 at the SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
"I got the call two weeks or so after the [USA development] camp in September so I've known for a while before the official release," Polusny said of learning she would be selected to and participate with final team. "I was able to tell a lot of my teammates and coaches to make plans for missing a couple weekends, but I have known for a little while now."
"With USA Hockey, sometimes if you're not in their loop at a young age you never crack it," said SCSU head coach Eric Rud. "Emma worked so hard this summer and I think we were all very hopeful that she would show well in [her last U.S. development] camp and obviously did, so we were very happy she got that call."
Polusny was an SCSU and WCHA standout as a first year, starting 20 games in net for St. Cloud State and setting the program record for single season goals against average (GAA), posting a GAA of 2.20 during the regular season. Additionally, she boasted a .934 save percentage during the year, which ranked fourth in the WCHA and tenth in the nation overall, and broke the school record for saves in a shutout after making 41 stops in a 0-0 draw with Ohio State in December.Â
As a freshman, Polusny was named to the WCHA All-Rookie Team and Third Team All-Conference at the conclusion of the 2017-18 season, becoming the first women's hockey player from St. Cloud State to earn multiple All-WCHA honors in the same season. She was also named the WCHA Rookie-of-the-Week twice last year.
"It was fun to watch a freshman go through [their process]. We always thought that [Emma] was going to come in and be an elite goalie at some point, you just never know when," said Rud. "For it to happen at about November of her freshman year, it certainly was exciting."
Polusny has participated in multiple U.S. Team development camps over the years, including the U.S. Women's National Team Evaluation Camp, which took place mid-September in Biddeford, Maine. The upcoming Four Nations tournament will be the first time the 19 year old goaltender represents the red, white, and blue on an official stage.Â
"It was a really amazing feeling to finally see the work you put in show and pay off a little bit," said Polusny on her feelings of being selected to the final roster. "I was really nervous going into my first national team development camp in September, and I would say I'm not quite as nervous as then but still have some nerves going into [the USWNT tournament] setting because the level of play is so high. I know that they chose me for a reason but obviously being the youngest girl on the team it is a tough situation to feel completely confident in."
Polusny joins a mix of players on the U.S. Team from various levels and backgrounds. The oldest player on the team has 12 years on Polusny, 31 year old Gigi Marvin. Ten other NCAA players are on the roster, including five from rivaling WCHA conference teams. The roster also includes 17 United States Olympians (16 from the 2018 gold medal team).
"It's awesome to watch all of the older girls for sure, and it's fun to watch them play and prepare," said Polusny. "I'm trying to keep to the normal routine as much as I can and am trying not to overthink anything too much," she said of her preparation for the tournament. Polusny will be joining the team November 2, along with the other current collegiate players, in Chicago, Ill. for the last day of camp and then travel to the tournament site in Saskatchewan.
"When [the coaches] talked to Emma we said how proud we are of her - she earned it," said Rud. "Her play last year got her noticed and got her in, then she followed up by doing a good job at camp. It has been a long progression for her to get this opportunity and now the only advise is to go there stress free; play as hard as you can whenever you get the opportunity and show that you are capable of playing at that level."Â
Team U.S.A. will play their first game of the 2018 Four Nations Cup Tuesday, Nov. 6 against Finland.
Polusny will be present for St. Cloud State's upcoming series against Minnesota Duluth at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center Oct. 26 and 27 and will shift her focus to Team USA after that. Tickets and game information for all St. Cloud State University games can be found on scsuhuskies.com.
