Boston College Athletics
Photo by: John Quackenbos
Breaking Down Borders One Puck at a Time
January 22, 2018 | Women's Hockey, #ForBoston Files
An impromptu meeting crosses international lines on and off the ice.
Hockey players are creatures of habit.
Pregame activities are ritualistic, from a meal to a song on a stereo. Skates are sharpened the same way, and sticks are taped identically. Everything is done as meticulously as a Renaissance artist. So when something different happens, they tend to take notice pretty quickly.
Sophomore forward Caitrin Lonergan has her rituals. They seem to work pretty well; her 61 points are second only to Daryl Watts, both on the team and nationally, and the Boston College women's hockey team is ranked No. 3 in the nation with 22 wins. But prior to the Eagles' win over Harvard last week, her pregame ritual was thrown slightly off.
Lonergan stood out in Kelley Rink, taping her stick as the ritual dictates, when she noticed a jacket of a fan in the stands. It caught the sophomore's eye, triggering her back to days before she wore the Maroon and Gold and adding a layer of excitement to an already-intense city rivalry.
"I was taping my stick before the game, and I saw one of the girls' jackets that said Showa," Lonergan said. "When I was in middle school, I went to that school for a Halloween event, and when I saw that they were here, I got super excited because it was one of my favorite things to do (growing up)."
Showa represents the Showa Boston Institute of Language and Culture, a study-abroad campus of the Showa Women's University based in Tokyo. The institute had decided to bring 34 Japanese college students to the BC-Harvard game that night, which for many would be their first-ever college hockey game.
Lonergan led the Eagles in an impromptu meet-and-greet at the Boston College bench glass before the game. Charged up by their presence, the Eagles defeated the Crimson, 6-2, with their sophomore leader scoring a goal and an assist. After the game, the players took time to take pictures and discuss life in Japan with the visitors as the program distributed some souvenir pucks.
"They were absolutely thrilled with the opportunity to not only watch the game but for the meaningful interactions that they were able to have with the players," said Mabel Sterritt, a staff member from Showa Boston, in a letter to BC Athletics.
"We were late to the party," assistant coach Courtney Kennedy said of her and head coach Katie Crowley. "(The coaches) came out for the start of the game, and I was like, 'Wow, what a crowd right behind the bench!' You don't really glance up because you're so focused on what's happening, but I couldn't help but look up. They were psyched up and banging on the glass."
The Japanese students provided an electric atmosphere for the Eagles. "My favorite thing is coming through the tunnel," Kennedy said. "We might not have the stadium packed, but everyone is so passionate about either getting a puck, high-fiving a player or banging on the glass. It's pure. They're so psyched to be at the game, and that's neat. Nobody is on their phones or looking around. Everyone is there for the experience and really into the game."
"When I was younger, I was the kid who would go BC games or BU games or any school in Boston just to wait by the tunnel to high-five players," Lonergan said. "I just remember how special it was to touch a player's arm and not want to wash my hand because I did. I know how much it means for them to come to a game and see Division I athletes and how they play. It's awesome because we don't always get a lot of fans, so when we see a crew cheering us on, it goes a long way. It pumps us up."
It's an innocuous act that goes a long way on both ends. Passionate fans supporting players leaves an impression, and the players, in turn, leave an imprint on fans by taking pictures or giving away a puck. It's something that seems like nothing, except it goes well beyond the scope of what anyone can ever truly fathom.
"This may seem like something small to the players, but this meant everything to our students," Sterritt said in her letter. "They have not stopped talking about how friendly the team was and how much fun they had attending the game! They were impressed by the players' athletic ability and their ability to be 'powerful women.'"
"You don't think about being an ambassador of the sport in the moment," Kennedy said. "It's quick and easy, and you probably don't think about it. But when I was a kid, it was a big deal even if it was a practice puck under the stands. Then we get an email (from Mabel) and it literally floored me. You never realize what an impact you can have with something simple. To us, we see hundreds of pucks on the ice everyday. But that puck to someone else is a special moment. For us that have that impact is something that's really cool (for us)."
It's supports an unwritten initiative undertaken by anyone with a connection to a game. Kennedy has had a front row seat to the growth of women's hockey as both a player and coach at the international level. Her involvement ties both the local and international levels together for players like Lonergan, who in turn display the best in an athlete's character.
"I want to see women's hockey get better," Kennedy said. "I want people to come out and see how great these women can play. That teacher could've taken those kids anywhere. We're in Boston; you can go anywhere you want and she brought those kids to a women's hockey game. They got to see how confident and powerful these women are. We forget that Caitrin is a great kid because we all know that. But the impact that someone like her can have on the game is so cool and so much more important and bigger than points.
"When you see someone running away to a parent or friend to show them the puck, you see how special that moment was," Lonergan said. "A few of them followed me on social media and chatted me after the game to say how excited they were and to ask for the upcoming schedule. That's just really exciting. The only time I've ever thought about international hockey, I was in Budapest with (Coach Kennedy) for the U.S. U18s. We were incredibly close with Team Japan. They made signs for us and came to our hotel after the game. So it's a coincidence that they were from Japan, too."
"Caitrin is one of the top hockey players in the world, but she's also one of the nicest kids I've ever met," she continued. "How she engaged and makes people feel comfortable is one of my favorite aspects about her. I love how she puts people ahead of her. She's caring and it's genuine. She has a great family. You know she wants to hit the cold tub and the showers, but when you see stuff like what she did, that's why we love coaching at Boston College."
The Eagles return to the Conte Forum ice on Friday night when they host No. 10 Providence as part of a home-and-home with the Friars. Game time is 6 p.m. with free admission.
Pregame activities are ritualistic, from a meal to a song on a stereo. Skates are sharpened the same way, and sticks are taped identically. Everything is done as meticulously as a Renaissance artist. So when something different happens, they tend to take notice pretty quickly.
Sophomore forward Caitrin Lonergan has her rituals. They seem to work pretty well; her 61 points are second only to Daryl Watts, both on the team and nationally, and the Boston College women's hockey team is ranked No. 3 in the nation with 22 wins. But prior to the Eagles' win over Harvard last week, her pregame ritual was thrown slightly off.
Lonergan stood out in Kelley Rink, taping her stick as the ritual dictates, when she noticed a jacket of a fan in the stands. It caught the sophomore's eye, triggering her back to days before she wore the Maroon and Gold and adding a layer of excitement to an already-intense city rivalry.
"I was taping my stick before the game, and I saw one of the girls' jackets that said Showa," Lonergan said. "When I was in middle school, I went to that school for a Halloween event, and when I saw that they were here, I got super excited because it was one of my favorite things to do (growing up)."
Showa represents the Showa Boston Institute of Language and Culture, a study-abroad campus of the Showa Women's University based in Tokyo. The institute had decided to bring 34 Japanese college students to the BC-Harvard game that night, which for many would be their first-ever college hockey game.
Lonergan led the Eagles in an impromptu meet-and-greet at the Boston College bench glass before the game. Charged up by their presence, the Eagles defeated the Crimson, 6-2, with their sophomore leader scoring a goal and an assist. After the game, the players took time to take pictures and discuss life in Japan with the visitors as the program distributed some souvenir pucks.
"They were absolutely thrilled with the opportunity to not only watch the game but for the meaningful interactions that they were able to have with the players," said Mabel Sterritt, a staff member from Showa Boston, in a letter to BC Athletics.
"We were late to the party," assistant coach Courtney Kennedy said of her and head coach Katie Crowley. "(The coaches) came out for the start of the game, and I was like, 'Wow, what a crowd right behind the bench!' You don't really glance up because you're so focused on what's happening, but I couldn't help but look up. They were psyched up and banging on the glass."
The Japanese students provided an electric atmosphere for the Eagles. "My favorite thing is coming through the tunnel," Kennedy said. "We might not have the stadium packed, but everyone is so passionate about either getting a puck, high-fiving a player or banging on the glass. It's pure. They're so psyched to be at the game, and that's neat. Nobody is on their phones or looking around. Everyone is there for the experience and really into the game."
"When I was younger, I was the kid who would go BC games or BU games or any school in Boston just to wait by the tunnel to high-five players," Lonergan said. "I just remember how special it was to touch a player's arm and not want to wash my hand because I did. I know how much it means for them to come to a game and see Division I athletes and how they play. It's awesome because we don't always get a lot of fans, so when we see a crew cheering us on, it goes a long way. It pumps us up."
It's an innocuous act that goes a long way on both ends. Passionate fans supporting players leaves an impression, and the players, in turn, leave an imprint on fans by taking pictures or giving away a puck. It's something that seems like nothing, except it goes well beyond the scope of what anyone can ever truly fathom.
"This may seem like something small to the players, but this meant everything to our students," Sterritt said in her letter. "They have not stopped talking about how friendly the team was and how much fun they had attending the game! They were impressed by the players' athletic ability and their ability to be 'powerful women.'"
"You don't think about being an ambassador of the sport in the moment," Kennedy said. "It's quick and easy, and you probably don't think about it. But when I was a kid, it was a big deal even if it was a practice puck under the stands. Then we get an email (from Mabel) and it literally floored me. You never realize what an impact you can have with something simple. To us, we see hundreds of pucks on the ice everyday. But that puck to someone else is a special moment. For us that have that impact is something that's really cool (for us)."
It's supports an unwritten initiative undertaken by anyone with a connection to a game. Kennedy has had a front row seat to the growth of women's hockey as both a player and coach at the international level. Her involvement ties both the local and international levels together for players like Lonergan, who in turn display the best in an athlete's character.
"I want to see women's hockey get better," Kennedy said. "I want people to come out and see how great these women can play. That teacher could've taken those kids anywhere. We're in Boston; you can go anywhere you want and she brought those kids to a women's hockey game. They got to see how confident and powerful these women are. We forget that Caitrin is a great kid because we all know that. But the impact that someone like her can have on the game is so cool and so much more important and bigger than points.
"When you see someone running away to a parent or friend to show them the puck, you see how special that moment was," Lonergan said. "A few of them followed me on social media and chatted me after the game to say how excited they were and to ask for the upcoming schedule. That's just really exciting. The only time I've ever thought about international hockey, I was in Budapest with (Coach Kennedy) for the U.S. U18s. We were incredibly close with Team Japan. They made signs for us and came to our hotel after the game. So it's a coincidence that they were from Japan, too."
"Caitrin is one of the top hockey players in the world, but she's also one of the nicest kids I've ever met," she continued. "How she engaged and makes people feel comfortable is one of my favorite aspects about her. I love how she puts people ahead of her. She's caring and it's genuine. She has a great family. You know she wants to hit the cold tub and the showers, but when you see stuff like what she did, that's why we love coaching at Boston College."
The Eagles return to the Conte Forum ice on Friday night when they host No. 10 Providence as part of a home-and-home with the Friars. Game time is 6 p.m. with free admission.
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