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As Sami Gendron walked through the entrance of the Mercyhurst Ice Center on Feb. 14, 2025, she couldn’t help but feel nostalgic.

While Syracuse had already clinched the Atlantic Hockey America conference’s No. 3 seed, the game still carried some extra weight for Gendron. For the first time ever, she was suiting up for the road team at the rink she’d called home for the past two seasons.

Instead of following her usual route to the Lakers’ locker room, Gendron fought her muscle memory and made the unfamiliar turn toward the visitors’. When she stepped on the ice hours later, that same wave of nostalgia rolled over her as she caught a glimpse of her former teammates emerging from the tunnel.

“It’s emotional in a good way,” Gendron said. “Obviously, you have to shift your mindset. You’re playing against old friends and old teammates, so you really have to put those emotions to the side and realize, ‘Okay, this is enemy territory.’”

That day had been on Gendron’s mind since she transferred to Syracuse after two seasons at Mercyhurst. She spent her freshman and sophomore seasons with a limited ice team, prompting her transfer. Now, in her senior campaign, she’s become one of the Orange’s most reliable defenders, racking up five points and a team-high 68 blocks.

As Gendron concluded her final high school season in the Ontario Women’s Hockey League, committing to Mercyhurst was a no-brainer. The arena was a short commute for her family, and her childhood best friend and longtime teammate Jade Maisonneuve also committed to the Lakers. At that moment, it seemed like the program was the perfect fit.

Mercyhurst head coach Michael Sisti said Gendron immediately possessed the speed to play at the Division I level. Her skating gave her the ability to retreat into the defensive zone faster than most if she turned over the puck, which made her a valuable piece of the Lakers’ defensive corps as a freshman. Gendron still had to fight for every minute of ice time.

Sami Gendron spent two seasons at Mercyhurst, appearing in 48 total games. She transferred to Syracuse for a new opportunity, where she’s now leading the Orange in blocks. Courtesy of Mercyhurst Athletics

Due to an overflow of newcomers, the Lakers’ roster consisted of nine defenders during the 2022-23 campaign, her freshman season. Gendron appeared in 33 of Mercyhurst’s 37 games that season. But her spot in the lineup didn’t last.

Overshadowed by the breakout campaigns of fellow defenders Megan McKay, Sydney Pederson and freshman phenom Sofia Ljung, Gendron’s ice time was cut down to 15 games in 2023-24. Watching many games from the stands was “a roller coaster of emotions,” she said. Still, she remained engaged.

“You see people take it like champions like Sami did and use it as motivation to just work harder the next week in practice,” Maisonneuve said. “You also have people who let it bring them down and their attitude kind of changes. She was never like that whether she was in or out of the lineup.

In January 2024, Gendron decided, if she wanted to play to her potential, she needed a change of scenery. She met with Mercyhurst’s coaching staff, who suggested she enter the transfer portal at the end of the season.

“We would’ve gladly kept her here,” Sisti said. “We loved her, but I thought that if she could go to a team that maybe had less defenders and had a need for a player that played her style, she could play a ton, and that would probably be the best thing for her development.”

Several programs in the United States and Canada messaged Gendron, but Syracuse became the frontrunner once she spoke with head coach Britni Smith for the first time. During their discussion, Smith assured Gendron that, while she couldn’t promise she would play every game, she would be rewarded for whatever work she put into the team.

Playing for Syracuse also meant that Gendron would be given multiple chances each season to face off against Mercyhurst. To her, that only sweetened the deal.

“To play against my old teammates and good friends, I saw that as a chance to show the team and coaches what could have happened if I stayed there and kept pursuing my education,” Gendron said.

Before her first semester at SU began, Gendron wanted to live with someone on the team. In need of a roommate, then-team captain Tatum White noticed Gendron was new to the area and reached out. She decided to share an off-campus apartment with her and Darci Johal, who had just graduated from SU’s hockey program the previous year.

As the season progressed, Gendron soaked up all the knowledge she could from the two players, and it showed on the ice. Despite knowing few teammates when she first walked into the locker room, Gendron instantly took a leadership role with the Orange.

“Every time she spoke about something in the room, everyone listened and everyone respected what she had to say. On and off the ice, you could just tell how competitive she was and how much she wanted to win,” White said.

On the scoresheet, Gendron was just as prominent. Appearing in a career-high 38 games, she showed she could make an impact at both ends of the ice by notching 18 points — tied for the most among SU defenders. Her 15 assists also ranked second on the Orange, one of which came on the road against Mercyhurst in SU’s regular-season finale on Feb. 15, 2025. Gendron recalls the moment well.

With a group of her friends packed into the bleachers, Gendron delivered a pass along the blue line to Maya D’Arcy, who ripped a shot from distance into the back of the net. The tally proved to be the game-winner, but Gendron said she’d rather have scored it herself.

“I really wanted to get a goal if I’m being honest, but I’ll take the assist,” Gendron said.

Even with her senior year coming to a close, Gendron will have ample opportunity to score that goal in the coming weeks.

The Orange will close their regular-season schedule with back-to-back clashes with the Lakers on Feb. 13 and 14, games that could have major playoff implications. With both Syracuse and Mercyhurst occupying top-four seeds in the AHA, it’s possible Gendron and the Orange will also cross paths with her former team in the postseason.

No matter how many times she faces Mercyhurst, Gendron will always have a soft spot for the program. Without her time there, she would’ve never become the defensive staple she is now for Syracuse.

“(Mercyhurst) was so welcoming. I really felt at home from the first two weeks being there. I loved my experience at Mercyhurst. I miss it,” Gendron said. “I love the people there, so it was great.”

Published on January 27, 2026 at 11:43 pm
Contact Matthew: mgray06@syr.edu | @ma77hew_gray