She sits in the far corner of the locker room. Pads buckled, practice jersey on, blocker and glove put neatly off to the side. She folds her hands and lets them rest by her knees as she eases back in her stall, which bears her nameplate: 30 Rachel Myette. The women’s ice hockey goaltender smiles broadly as practice is about to start.

The freshman net minder began to get recognized for her play in high school, which included the ESPN Boston “Miss Massachusetts” Hockey award. These achievements spurred her to think of hockey in the big picture as she moved forward in her academic career.

“I knew I wanted to play Division I hockey,” she said. With her four years of success on the south shore she was able to accomplish her goal. “I was the first public school girl from my town to make it to a Division I program, through hockey, so I think that’s a big accomplishment.”

She found that outlet at Quinnipiac. The university had an array of things that she wanted, including her athletic training major, a spot on the hockey roster, and “wicked nice” teammates.

For her, though, the dream can only go so far. Though she came in with a slew of awards, she sits on the bench as a third string goaltender, playing behind senior Chelsea Laden and sophomore Sydney Rossman. Most of Myette’s ice time comes during the afternoon practices at TD Bank Sports Center. Even then, she doesn’t get too much time in the crease.

“During practice, I don’t get [many] shots, because Chelsea [Laden] and Syd [Rossman] are in the net,” she said. “I usually go in when one of them gets tired, so I rotate back and forth. Just every chance I get, I try to make the best of it, stopping every shot.”

Though the shots she faces are from her teammates on weekday afternoons and not from opponents on a Friday night, Myette puts in as much work as the rest of the squad. She spends her mornings in class, afternoons on the ice and evenings in the weight room. For her the day starts before an 8 a.m. class and ends a full 12 hours later, before even getting to homework or extracurriculars.

She acknowledged coming into Quinnipiac would be a different experience than playing in high school. Instead of seeing the lack of playing time as an obstacle, Myette saw it as something she can use to develop and strengthen as a goaltender.

“I have a driven mentality that you know, this is going to be a challenge for me, switching roles, [from] playing every minute to not playing a second,” she said. “It’s just a new challenge for me, a different perspective, and I was willing to take it on.”

All of this done simply because she loves the game.

Myette grew up around hockey, but wasn’t a goaltender at first. It was extenuating circumstances on her team in Pembroke, Massachusetts that brought her to the blue paint.

“They didn’t have a goalie and so it was ‘pass the pads’ and I refused to get in the net,” she said, laughing. “I don’t know why, then they finally got me to say yes and then I fell in love with it.”

After a stint on the boy’s team in Hanover her family moved to Duxbury for the schools. In her high school campaign, she backstopped Duxbury High School to four Massachusetts state public school championships while she posted an 80-5-9 record. In her senior year her goals against average was 0.72, with 11 shutouts and a state-best .954 save percentage.

There is a difference in playing and the mentality that goes along with it, but Myette isn’t disheartened.

“It’s tough switching over,” she said. “I think I’ll be able to get through it and keep working to get better every practice.”

Myette knows that her chances to play are not great, and that her time at Quinnipiac may well be her last chance to play the game she loves. There is still a hint of optimism in her words, pushing her to continue as a student-athlete.

“If there is that slim chance that I might get some playing time, three years four years in the future, that’s always a slim possibility,” she said. “But I’m willing to work at it.”

For now, number 30 will remain on the bench, working in practice and spending free time in the weight room. There may come a day, though, where Myette will get the chance to suit up and play in a college game.