Still, Clem has some great teachers to learn from in Flietstra, now a volunteer assistant, and all-time wins leader and assistant coach Stacy Heller.

At this point in the season, Clem sports a 0.89 goals against average with 60 saves and eight wins, including four shutouts.

“Looking into the future, we have a positive attitude,” Clem said. “I think it’s been a great experience for me. I’m really starting to learn how the team works because it’s different when you’re actually out there in the game under pressure.”

She said keepers are always a little weird in their own way, but she and Flietstra have a unique relationship, not only because they were former teammates, but because they are good friends as well.

“It’s nice to have someone to look up to, and (Flietstra) can always tell me tips that she had from when she was in there, and that’s nice; not every team has that,” Clem said.

Head coach Tom Saxton said although she’s young, she has the skills it takes to make her a special keeper.

“For being a first-year starter, she has a good understanding of the game, communicates well, organizes well, (and) I think that really is her strength,” Saxton said. “I think as they improve, I expect her to grow experience and further focus into one of the top keepers in the league and one of our top keepers. She belongs in that group.”

He said the benefits of having such an experienced keeper such as Flietstra around are great, but she’s particularly good at helping a young keeper such as Clem get over the tough losses.

“Because she just went through this last year and played under coach Stacy’s instruction, Jill (as a volunteer assistant coach) is very good at validating certain points,” Saxton said. “Jill’s quiet in terms of her approach, but she went through all this stuff and learned the tough lessons herself.”

Heller has been working with Clem since she was 9 years old, and said like any young keeper, she’s learning what it’s like to play in the difficult Big Ten.

“She’s been accountable for things she can do better,” Heller said. “She’s learned that the little things make the difference. Since she was (9-years old) she’s always had an amazing character, an amazing personality and someone with a strong mindset, and that’s absolutely transferred to who she is and how she plays for us right now in the Big Ten.”

She said the sky is the limit, but that she, and the coaching staff, have very high expectations for her.

“We’ve been blessed at Michigan State to have great goalkeeping, and a lot of that is the keepers that train alongside of her every day,” Heller said. “Because of the training environment Courtney is in, I know Coach Saxton has said she could be an all-Big Ten goalkeeper for us, and I expect nothing less.”

Although Clem said an honor that high would be great, she still puts the team goals on the pedestal.

“I want to win a Big Ten championship,” she said. “That’s mainly the main focus right now; those will come along if we’re winning.”