Never backing down: How Montreal Victoire forward Kristin O'Neill found her confidence

As the clock ticked down on a tie game on home ice at Verdun Auditorium, Montreal Victoire forward Kristin O'Neill fired a puck through traffic just beyond the slot.

With less than 50 seconds left in the game, the puck beat Minnesota goaltender Maddie Rooney, and gave Montreal a one-goal lead that would be enough to secure the win. 

It was O'Neill's first game back in the PWHL after a breakout world championship, where Canada's go-to fourth-line centre was named one of Canada's top players.

Before that night, the seventh-overall draft pick had registered only one goal in a Montreal sweater. Her confidence was low.

"I thought about it every game," O'Neill said in an interview with CBC Sports.

But her confidence from worlds, along with her gold medal, travelled back with her to Montreal. On that night, when O'Neill scored two power-play goals, it felt like something clicked.

"When you play with the heart and details, day in and day out, it's a matter of time," O'Neill's captain, Marie-Philip Poulin, said about her teammate that night.

The Victoire has a star-studded lineup, led by the superstar captain, Poulin, and players like Laura Stacey, Erin Ambrose and Ann-Renée Desbiens. It's easy for O'Neill to fly under the radar. 

But she's one of the Victoire's most important players. Not only can she score goals and win faceoffs, but she's willing to do the less-glamourous jobs on the ice, like killing penalties and chasing down pucks. 

When CBC Sports surveyed a number of players about who they were least looking forward to playing against heading into the first season, O'Neill's name came up a lot. Toronto defender Renata Fast pointed to her never-give-up attitude on the forecheck.

It's a role she's carved out through hard