How Osborne Became a Star

It didn’t take long for Kayle Osborne ’24 to make an impact between the pipes as a Raider.

In the 2020-21 season, the rookie goaltender from Westport, Ontario, arrived at Colgate as a highly-touted prospect who had excelled at every stage of her hockey career. 

As a Raider, she won the starting job right out of the gate, and played in all 23 games of what became a season shortened by the pandemic. 

With Osborne in the net, Colgate brought home the program’s first regular season title before advancing to the playoffs and winning the ECAC championship, the first of three. 

In her first season, Osborne finished with a 14-7-1 record with two shutouts and a 1.70 goals against average. She was named the ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Year and made the All-Rookie Team. 

It was an exceptional start for the young goaltender. But as an intense competitor with high expectations for herself, Osborne knew she could do better. 

“Looking back at video that I still watch from my freshman year, I’m a little surprised I succeeded,” Osborne said. 

“I came in very young,” she said. “I had not had a lot of technical or goalie coaching. Prior to Colgate, I was just super athletic. It got me far, but I knew I would have to make some changes if I wanted to play at a bigger stage and bring some success here.”

Colgate coaches found Osborne while she was playing junior hockey for the Junior Lady Senators, a team near Ottawa. They drove three-plus hours on weekdays to watch her games, and saw a goalie whose talent and athleticism was unquestionable. 

As they learned more about her, they were equally impressed by her determination to win and become a better hockey player.

Coaches wasted no time in offering her the chance at becoming a Raider. After an impressive rookie season with Colgate, Osborne continued to put up strong numbers while adding two more ECAC championships and helping Colgate become a conference dynasty.

Osborne often watches video of her games, looking for areas to improve, and then spends extra time on ice working on anything she spotted as a mistake on tape.

The support around her has also been crucial in her development. Wishing to give its netminders every chance to succeed, Colgate has at times used goalie coach Chris Cobb, who Osborne credited for helping her make little adjustments to her game that made a huge difference. 

She also credits her coaches — Head Coach Greg Fargo and assistant coaches Stefan Decosse and Chelsea Walkland — for giving her the confidence to succeed.

“Coming in as a freshman and playing, my confidence wavered a little,” she said. “Stef, Chelsea, and Greg have all been super amazing people in helping me develop that confidence as a goaltender. Having people have confidence in me has made a huge impact.”

Another important part of her development has been the help from her teammates, especially the support from fellow goaltender, Hannah Murphy ’25.

The two goalies split time during the previous two seasons, though thus far in 2023-24 Osborne has handled the bulk of the minutes. Nevertheless, Osborne and Murphy have formed an outstanding duo that gives the Raiders a chance to win every night, no matter the opponent. 

In doing so, the two goalies have established an invaluable relationship, supporting one another and pointing out areas to improve.

“She’s a big reason why I am where I am today,” Osborne said. “Part of the reason we thrive is because of the support we offer one another. She has been my biggest fan and biggest supporter. If something is going wrong on the ice, she’s the first person I can talk to about it.”

Osborne has improved much since her first year. But hockey is not the only area where she has changed. She’s also come a long way as a student. 

EMBRACING EDUCATION

Osborne was nervous about starting her education at Colgate. Throughout her life, school was never one of her favorite parts of the day, and now she was headed to a college with a reputation for excellence and academic rigor. 

As a first-year at Colgate, she wasn’t sure what she wanted to study. But she knew she had time. At Colgate, students have until their junior year to declare a major.

She took courses on a wide array of topics. When she tried a course in education, the subject intrigued her enough to pursue it further. She enrolled in other education courses, finding the coursework much to her liking. 

Osborne made education her major, and later added a minor in writing & rhetoric.

“I love being an education major now,” she said. “I get to learn a lot about the school system and how people learn. As someone who has struggled to learn in the past, especially in high school, I think it’s really cool that I’ve been able to understand why kids learn the way they learn and what they need. I think it has been really impactful for me.”

Osborne said she’s also happy with her minor. Not only did the experience sharpen her writing skills, it gave her a greater appreciation for learning. 

There’s another reason, however, why Osborne has transformed as a student. Whenever she needed help with her studies, she found plenty of resources at her disposal — like office hours with professors and the Athletic Academic Achievement Center.

“From the moment I stepped on campus, it’s almost been hard to fail in a way,” she said. “There’s so much support, there’s so many people around you who are willing to help if you ask, that it’s really hard to not succeed and not do well. 

“I think I felt that through every class I’ve taken here,” she said. “Through every academic step I’ve taken there have always been support by me, no matter what, which I’m forever grateful for. I would not have been able to do it without other people around me.”

Now, with her degree nearly complete, Osborne is happy with the route she took at Colgate. 

“My college experience has been better than I could have imagined,” she said. “For me, I was really nervous about coming to college, let alone a college like Colgate, which has such high academic standards.”

HUNGRY FOR ANOTHER TITLE

Midway through the current schedule, Osborne is on pace for her best season. She has a 14-1-1 record with four shutouts and a sparkling 1.25 goals against average. For her career, she has 55 wins and 11 shutouts. 

She’s a six-time ECAC Hockey Goalie of the Week. She’s also played for Canada’s National Women’s Team for the Rivalry Series against the U.S. 

Osborne’s hockey career has been nothing short of memorable. But her work is far from done. 

The team, ranked No. 4 in the country, is having another stellar season. As the Raiders dive into the heart of the conference schedule, they’re itching for a fourth consecutive championship and for another shot at a national title. 

The success of the past has done little to dampen the team’s desire to win. Instead, it has pushed everyone in the locker room to bring their best each day.

“Collectively as a group, we’re hungrier than ever,” Osborne said.

“My hockey experience has been memorable and amazing,” she said. “There is nothing more I could have asked for out of a college experience than what I’ve had at Colgate. I’m so grateful I’ve chosen this place.”