It’s been a busy summer for Rosie Klein and Uma Corniea, two of Princeton’s breakout players from the 2025-26 season. The junior defender and senior goaltender were invited to development camp with Team USA, then appeared on the Collegiate Select Series roster against Canada. Now that they’ve returned to campus ahead of the upcoming college hockey season, The Ice Garden got the chance to talk to Klein and Corniea about the experience and what they’re looking ahead to in 2026-27.
Balancing training, recovery, and fun in the offseason
Even in the offseason, top-level athletes maintain a grueling schedule. Klein spent most of the summer at home in Chicago working with skills coaches and friends from youth hockey to stay in skating shape.
“A huge part of my training is built-in recovery days,” Klein told The Ice Garden. “Every Wednesday would be a recovery day, and then we’re lifting pretty heavy Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. That was a pretty significant change from the past, which I think made a big difference in my game, especially when I showed up in Lake Placid for camp. My legs felt better than they had in the past around that time of the summer.”
She did still have time for a vacation to Nantucket and Boston with her family, which she described as a nice getaway at the end of July.
Corniea, meanwhile, spent her time in between training sessions coaching youth goalies. “It’s fun to look at the game from a different perspective,” she said. “I’ll be teaching something to a seven-year-old that I haven’t thought about in years, and then watch that bleed into my game.”
By the time August and the USA Hockey Women’s National Festival in Lake Placid, NY, rolled around, both players were in shape and ready to get back on the ice.
Being part of the US Collegiate Selects team
The 2026 Women’s National Festival was Corniea’s first time getting called up for national team commitments. “It was really special,” she said of the experience. “Honestly, I don’t have any words for that. I was just very honored to be there.”
Klein had previously been part of U18 camps and teams for Team USA, but still found this year’s session to be exceptional. “I was talking with all of my teammates that were there, and we all thought that it was one of our best experiences at those summer showcases or camps.”
Both players emphasized the camaraderie among the group. They enjoyed spending time on and off the ice with teammates and friends new and old. Corniea and Klein were joined at camp by Princeton teammates Megan Healy and Gabby Kim, while Klein was reunited with Kelly Gorbatenko from Wisconsin, a longtime friend from youth hockey. “The hockey world isn’t very big, so it’s fun to see people you’ve been at camps with that you would not see otherwise,” Corniea said.
There’s also the bonus of being teammates with players who are normally on the other side of the ice. “We had a bunch of girls who were in the ECAC; like, we played against Yale and Molly Boyle four times this year,” Klein said of the group. “It was really cool to finally get to be on the bench and in the locker room with them, and see how everyone else functions and does things at their own schools.”
Getting to work with and learn from the national team staff was valuable and eye-opening, even for top-level college athletes. Klein explained how the camp attendees jumped right into learning Team USA’s systems and techniques from head coach John Wroblewski and the rest of the staff. They ran drills, watched tape, and integrated it all into scrimmages throughout the week. “It was really cool to see how [the Team USA staff] view the game,” Klein said. “There was some verbiage and ways of approaching systems, whether it was the forecheck or puck retrievals, that was different from what we do here at Princeton.”
In perhaps an unexpected takeaway from camp, Corniea said, “They fed us well, which is very fun. [The meals] were all very impressive, I was a huge fan.”
After spending the summer cooking for herself and her brother, who is also her training partner, she appreciated the variety of options for players to eat well at camp. Meal time also led to some unintentional humor and bonding among the group. “Watching some of my teammates try to make a smoothie was really entertaining.”
After camp, Klein, Corniea, and a smaller Collegiate Selects team left Lake Placid for Richmond, B.C., to take part in a three-game Collegiate Series against Canada. Team USA left with one win, one loss, and one shootout loss.
Corniea earned one start in net for the game that ended in a shootout, a challenge she greatly enjoyed. “I really like shootouts. I don’t know why, I just kind of always have. I love that it’s just me and the other player,” she explained. “Obviously, the shootout did not go the way I wanted it to. But I was honored that I made the team and that I got to start a game. That was unexpected, so I was happy we made it into a shootout. I’ll take that.”
Klein played in all three games for the Americans and described a very measured feeling among the team after the three games.
“I think that we all knew coming out of the series, we just wanted to feel like we had implemented what the coaches wanted us to implement, we had played our best games, and we felt good about the way we were matching up against Canada,” Klein said. “Which ultimately, at the end of the series, I think we all did.”
Looking ahead to this season and taking lessons forward
The 2025-26 season was a big year for Corniea and Klein, as well as Princeton. The Tigers earned their first regular-season conference title (tied with Yale) and an appearance in the NCAA tournament. Corniea stepped into the starter’s net after an injury-marred sophomore season, posting a 0.935 save percentage for the season and six shutouts. Klein continued to improve in her sophomore year as a significant contributor to Princeton’s young but highly effective blue line.
“A big thing for me last year was I focused a lot more on my defensive game, which I think ultimately made the biggest difference in my game and this summer going into camp,” Klein said. “I have to give a lot of credit to our staff. They really emphasized our D zone, especially our D coach who came last year [Shelly Picard]. She was incredibly helpful with getting us to figure out positioning and really honing in on those defensive skills. That’s just going to be another big emphasis for all of us this year.”
Corniea discussed working on her mindset and focus during games. “I try to let my instincts take over and have my subjective self-awareness do the job. That’s why you practice, to train your instincts to do what they need to do, and then in a game you just get to enjoy the moment.” She added that in net, she often finds herself singing along to the in-arena music and cheering loudly for her teammates.
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Both Klein and Corniea also emphasized the culture of support around the team and how that carried them forward. “Our team got along really well, and we all enjoyed each other as humans, which makes playing hockey together that much more fun,” Corniea explained. “Since we all cared about each other and lifting each other up so much, we made it the furthest we have in my time here. It makes me smile a lot because that was a special year, and this year I’m just excited to do the same.”
With the right mix of personalities on the roster and trust in each other and in the coaching staff, the two Tigers have high hopes for their team going into the 2026-27 season.
“Everyone knows how the other players play, what works and what doesn’t. So hopefully there will be a few less growing pains,” Corniea said. Princeton was and still is a young team, but the experience they gained last season and another year under head coach Courtney Kessel can go a long way.
When asked about one thing someone who has never seen them play should know, Klein and Corniea addressed different strengths and parts of their game. Klein emphasized her versatility and skating ability.
“Whether I need to be offensive and quarterback a power play, or if it’s killing off a penalty, I think that I can be utilized wherever I’m needed situationally,” Klein said. “And a big thing for me is that I take pride in my skating. That’s like the number one thing that I always focus on over the summer, and have made sure to keep consistent.”
For Corniea, her bubbly personality and positive outlook shine through. “I would want them to know that I have fun when I’m playing hockey… If I’m not playing very well, it’s probably because I’m not having fun,” she said. “I enjoy playing hockey with my friends, and I’m just really thankful and honored that I get to do it at this university.”
Catch Klein and Corniea on the ice for Princeton when the Tigers play their season opener at home against the University of Connecticut on Friday, October 16, at 6 PM EST.
