Emerance Maschmeyer

When Emerance Maschmeyer took the ice at the 2012 IIHF U18 Women's World Championship, she posted a shutout in the gold medal game — a preview of what international competition would come to mean throughout her career. Born on October 5, 1994, in Bruderheim, Alberta, she went on to build one of the more decorated résumés in Canadian women's hockey, spanning collegiate records, CWHL seasons, PWHPA play, and two Olympic Games.

At Harvard University, where she played from 2012 to 2016, Maschmeyer left a mark on the program's record books. She became the first goalie to win Ivy League Rookie of the Year in over 15 years after a freshman season in which she went 12-6-2 with a 1.44 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage. Her sophomore year produced a 16-6-4 record, a 1.75 GAA, and a .943 save percentage, earning her Second Team All-American honors, the Co-Ivy League Player of the Year award, and a spot among the top-10 finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Award. Her junior season — an 18-5-3 record, 1.48 GAA, .943 save percentage — brought a Patty Kazmaier nomination, an All-Ivy League First Team selection, and an ECAC All-Academic Team nod. By her senior season, she had set Harvard's all-time career saves record with 2,538.

After Harvard, Maschmeyer spent three seasons in the CWHL, appearing in eight games with the Calgary Inferno and 43 games with the Montréal Canadiennes before playing with the PWHPA from 2019 to 2023. On the international stage, she represented Canada at the 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 IIHF Women's World Championships, collecting three gold, three silver, and one bronze medal across those appearances. At the 2022 Winter Olympics, she won gold as part of Team Canada, appearing in two games and winning both.

She joined the PWHL's Ottawa Charge before being traded to the Vancouver Goldeneyes, where she now wears number 38. In a conversation about that move on ^[1], Maschmeyer described the mix of emotions around the trade — a season-ending injury, not being protected, and the decision to embrace Vancouver as the right next step for both her career and her family.

That family context runs through much of what Maschmeyer has discussed publicly. On ^[1], she spoke about how becoming a mother has shifted her relationship to the game, including what it means to leave the rink behind when she gets home. "He doesn't care if we won or lost or how I played," she said of her son. "He's just so excited to see me, and so it definitely puts everything in perspective." She also reflected on the mental demands specific to goaltending — describing herself as "a student of the game" who has learned, over years, that her brain needs rest as much as her body does.

The mental side of her preparation comes into specific focus in ^[1], where she detailed the routine she uses to stay grounded through high-pressure situations: a written game-day plan, consistent preparation habits, and words written on her blocker — "battle," "big," "calm," and "never give up" — that she described as an anchor during chaotic moments on the ice. She traced the origin of those words to the period leading up to Olympic roster decisions after having been cut in 2018, explaining that she needed tools to manage what she could control and let go of what she couldn't.

Maschmeyer has also spoken about her relationship with goalie coaches across her career, including a decade-long working relationship with Brad Kirkwood on the national team side and the adjustment that comes with new voices. Her conversation on ^[1] covers her experience working with goalie coaches in Vancouver and what it means to stay open to new input while maintaining a foundation built over many years. An earlier appearance on InGoal Radio — ^[2] — also brought her into conversation with host Kevin Woodley.

InGoal Magazine has covered Emerance Maschmeyer in two podcast appearances.