Hockey Fans Take Note: UMass Boston Women Skate to Win

By Anne-Marie Kent

In a sports town like Boston, the chill of winter brings with it the thrill of ice hockey, and although Canada has its own claim to the game, some of hockey's best players are local Bruins legends. Men like Bobby Orr, Ray Borque, and Terry O'Reilly have long inspired Boston-area boys to take to the ice.
Now, more than ever, their sisters are joining them.

Signaling the success of the girls' and women's hockey trend, UMass Boston this month has announced the elevation of its women's hockey club to a varsity team competing in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) East. With an Olympic silver medal winner as their coach, the team is ready to follow in the tradition of great Boston hockey.

"Laura Schuler comes on board at UMass Boston with outstanding credentials," says Charlie Titus, director of Athletics. "She has been well known in international hockey circles for over a decade, having been selected in 1990 as Team Canada's youngest player, at age 19, to compete in the inaugural World Championships."

In her 11 years with Team Canada, Schuler earned seven gold medals and two silvers in international competition. The highlight of her playing career came in 1998 when she was named to play for Canada's Olympic entry in Nagano, Japan, where she helped the squad bring home a silver medal. She also holds Team Canada's single-game record for goals in World Championship competition.

"You don't get much better than having an Olympian coaching you," says team member Audrey Arnold. She started playing hockey in high school and recognizes a distinct challenge in playing at this new level, coached by Schuler. Teammate Katie Reardon, who grew up in a family full of hockey players, agrees. "It's really exciting to be on the team."

Katelyn Averill, the Beacons' captain, is a transfer student who has found benefits in her move to UMass Boston beyond the opportunity to play hockey. " I came here to play hockey and attend school, and I love it. The classes are different. The professors are great, and being involved in a sport means you get to know more people on campus."

These young women are enthusiastic about their team involvement, and they smile sweetly in their team photograph, but make no mistake"these women play real hockey. Says Schuler, "I encourage my girls to play rough. That's the kind of player I was too, a very rough, physical player, and I like that part of the game"it's exciting for the fans too."

Hockey fans who'd like to see the Beacons in action can find a schedule of upcoming games via the athletics web site: www. athletics.umb.edu.

Image: Competitors from UMass Boston and Boston University face off at the Clark Athletic Center's ice rink on December 11. (Photo by Harry Brett)