Since stepping on SU’s campus in 2015, Sarah Stuehr has played in 115 of 120 games. The senior center has scored two career goals and hasn’t missed a game this season.

Though she seldom shows up on the stat sheet, Stuehr exemplifies the value of dependability, being a good teammate and understanding her role, head coach Paul Flanagan said.

“She’s not on the power play, she’s not on the penalty kill, she’s not a special teams player, but wherever she’s asked to play she does it without questions,” team captain Brooke Avery said.

Stuehr’s playing time fluctuates, often depending the overall health of team. At 5-foot-4, Stuehr is tied for the second-shortest skater on the roster. But her anticipation, faceoff acumen and defensive instincts allow her to impact the game any way possible.

“It’s a huge boost to have someone who can go out there and spell the players and give them an extra shift off,” Flanagan said of Stuehr.

Against Princeton last Sunday, Flanagan tapped Stuehr into the game twice. In the second period, as Princeton’s defensemen were routinely resetting the puck across their defensive zone, Stuehr read the play and snuck along the left wing boards, intercepting the puck in front of the net. The defense quickly collapsed on her but the hustle play was noticed by Flanagan.

“She does a good job defensively and she’s reliable,” Flanagan said. “And we can always count on her.”

SU counted on her again in the third period, when she won a faceoff in the attacking zone and after SU cycled the puck around, Stuehr found herself in front of the net with the puck at her stick and her back to the net.

Her wrist shot bounced off Princeton’s goalie’s skate and away from the net. Stuehr’s goal drought extended to 34 games with her last coming against Lindenwood on Dec. 1, 2017, but she still provides a lift off the bench.

“I did a quick turn, got the puck, and saw my player go to the net, but the D was in front of me, so I thought I’d get a nice hard shot on the ice,” Stuehr said

Flanagan compared Stuehr to a utility player in baseball because of her versatility: She has played center and each wing position over the past four seasons, filling in wherever needed.

When forward Savannah Rennie got injured and missed six games from late October into early November, Stuehr replaced her production by contributing in the faceoff game. Stuehr won nine faceoffs against Lindenwood on Oct. 20, and four in each of the next three games when Rennie might have normally taken them.

In practice, Stuehr pushes the starters by playing on the scout penalty kill unit. She does it so well in practice, Avery wouldn’t be surprised if she got some playing time on the kill unit in games.

“She’s always done an admirable job of stepping in, filling in for someone,” Flanagan said. “And being a real good role player.”

Before coming to Syracuse, Stuehr moved from Westwood, Massachusetts to California, then back to Massachusetts for high school. In her senior year, she transferred to the Warner Hockey School in Western Canada, where she won a Junior Women’s Hockey League championship. She described the rural landscape of Warner a “culture shock,” but it was there that she discovered she was skilled enough to play at the collegiate level.

For Warner, she recorded 25 points in 27 games. While the volume isn’t at that level at SU, her mindset hasn’t changed. She aims to “contribute to the team as much as I can,” whenever she can, and however she can, she said.

“She knows her role and that’s been important,” Flanagan said. “You need role players on teams. She’s been that for three-plus years here. We probably take her for granted, to be honest with you.”