Lacrosse can also bring a pounding on one’s knees not experienced on the ice.
“In hockey, there’s no pressure on your knees,” Donohue said. “The last couple weeks of hockey, I would go on some jogs that definitely helped accustom my muscles to running.”
Hockey conditioning includes some running, but more biking and on-ice conditioning.
“On the ice, we do all-out sprints for 45 seconds, then you have a three-minute reset [mimicking shifts in a game],” Donohue said. “After lacrosse, it takes me a couple days to remember how to skate and remember how to get in shape for hockey.”
Donohue has emerged on the lacrosse field as a key member of a Dartmouth team that has won three straight Ivy League games, most recently beating Princeton in a thriller, 15-14. The Big Green enter Saturday’s regular season finale at No. 14 Penn in a four-way tie for third place in the league standings.
Dartmouth is hoping for a top-four seed and return trip to top-seeded Penn for the Ivy League tournament.
Donohue is one of many reasons the Big Green are in the position they’re in. She has posted seven goals and six assists, including one stretch of five consecutive games with multiple points. She is also third on the Big Green in draw controls (25) and fifth in caused turnovers (7).
“Those stats are generally attributed to a player’s ability to hustle,” McFadden said. “While she has grown a lot offensively as one of our feeders, I would say one of her biggest roles on this team is to make hustle plays. She makes the little plays that ultimately make a huge difference for our team.”
Team is an important word when thinking of Donohue. One challenge of playing two sports is finding that chemistry and cohesiveness with both groups of teammates. It’s a challenge Donohue has risen to in a meaningful way.
“Whether it’s in practice or during a game, Jenna goes all-out in order to find success for her teammates,” McFadden said. “Her energy is infectious, and she will make plays during a game that gets everyone excited, whether it be winning a draw control or causing a turnover in the ride.”
You would think Donohue may not feel as close to her lacrosse teammates as she does hockey, since she spends less time with them over the course of a year. But that’s not the case. Not one bit.
“I actually live with lacrosse girls, and next year, we’ll have a house with 13 of us,” Donohue said. “That definitely helps in the offseason, being able to live with them and still keep in touch with everyone. And I try my best to hang out with them in the fall and winter.”
Come late winter, when the lacrosse team is gearing up for the season, Donohue is winding down hockey.
“They’ve already been practicing for two months together,” she said. “At first, I was scared to come in, but everyone was so welcoming. It’s just a great group of girls, and the coaches are so accommodating.”
Due to NCAA regulations, Donohue cannot partake in lacrosse activity until she makes that transition from hockey. But she puts herself in the best position to succeed, and it’s showing on the field — both on the stat sheet and with intangibles.
“When Jenna cannot partake in lacrosse activity, she does a great job of keeping up her friendships with her teammates,” McFadden said. “Chemistry is important in any sport, so to make sure she is developing her relationships off the field makes the transition that much easier.
“Jenna is a natural athlete and competitor, so when she joins us for lacrosse season, we do our best to ease her back — to make sure her body is mentally and physically ready before throwing her in the mix. We want to slowly build her endurance back up.”
It’s safe to say Donohue has learned to adapt.
“It’s about not only being able to adapt, but also seeing what I like in different groups of people,” she said. “I would consider both sets of teammates my best friends, but they’re different people. It’s nice to see what the world has to offer, not keeping myself confined in one group.”
It’s not just the lacrosse and hockey teammates Donohue is referring to.
“I feel like I know so many more people by having connections on both teams,” said Donohue.
With one year still remaining, Donohue is focused on finishing this season on a high note — then doing it all again next year for one last ride.
“I’m trying to leave the Dartmouth jersey better than I found it, trying to pave the way for future generations of girls,” she said. “There’s a girl coming in next year who’s actually planning on playing hockey and lacrosse. I’m hoping to be a mentor for her and instill confidence in others that they can do it, they can push themselves and they can be a great student, athlete and person.”
Donohue is all those things, and more, due to her inner drive combined with her surroundings at Dartmouth.
“If you don’t love the sport, or you don’t love your teammates and coaches, that’s when it’s not possible to give your all every single day,” she said.
Luckily for Donohue, she loves all those things. And because of it, she’s making her mark in so many ways.