Kat Buchanan went into the offseason determined to win the battle to be the James Madison University starting goaltender.
Since arriving on campus in 2019, the Milton, Mass., native had spent most of her time on the bench behind Molly Dougherty, a four-time All-America selection. When Dougherty graduated after last season, Buchanan thought the position was hers to earn.
Over the summer, she would get up at 5 a.m. to lift. She also played pickup a couple times a week with other college players in her area, including some from Notre Dame and Boston College. About a week before she was due on campus for the start of her senior year, she took a shot in the rib, snapping it in half.
She pushed off a doctor’s appointment and, after she got the results of her X-rays, made her own prescription: extra padding.