The Boston University women’s hockey team is off to a strong start, having averaged four goals a game in the early going. A large part of this success is thanks to the efforts of senior forward Samantha Sutherland, who leads the BU (2-1) offense with seven goals.
The Fernie, British Columbia native is just one goal away from her tying her career high, and in just three games has scored her first collegiate hat trick and been named Hockey East Player of the Week. We sat down with the goal-scoring threat to talk hockey, Boston and more.
- What’s the best thing about playing for BU?
“I feel like there’s a lot I could talk about for this one, but what first crossed my mind was just the feeling you get when you put on your BU jersey. It’s pride and confidence, but it also reminds me of how fortunate I am to be here and how hard i’ve worked to be able to put on that jersey.”
- What’s your pregame playlist?
“My pregame playlist ranges quite broadly between Passenger and Kanye West, but there’s a song that Katy Perry came out with over the Olympics called ‘Rise’ and every time I listen to that song it gets me so pumped up to play.”
- Favorite hockey player?
“Definitely [Chicago Blackhawks center] Jonathan Toews.”
- Do you have any pregame rituals?
“I’m not very superstitious, but when we are playing at home I like to step onto the ice just in my warm-up gear and sneakers just after off-ice warm-ups and it’s just me and a sheet of perfect ice that hasn’t been touched yet.”
- Favorite place to eat in Boston?
“I am obsessed with this place called Carlo’s further down on Commonwealth Avenue.”
- If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would it be?
“Probably Nepal. That’s kind of random but I’m an avid mountain climber when I’m home.”
- What’s your coffee order?
“I’m not a coffee drinker. I always get green tea … But if I’m going to treat myself I’ll go to Starbucks and get a green tea latte which is pretty incredible.”
- Favorite Halloween movie?
“I’m not much of a Halloween person but the first scary movie that I ever saw was called ‘The Strangers’ and I had nightmares for a week about it — but it’s so good.”
- Best thing to do in the winter besides play hockey?
“Probably skiing. I live in a resort town at home so whenever I have a chance I’m up on the hill.”
- What team are you most looking forward to facing this year?
“[Harvard University], definitely. We lost to them last year and I have some friends on the team, so I’m looking forward to some well-needed redemption.”
- Favorite superhero?
“It’s not one that people would really know. His name is Hawkman. I used to always read Hawkman comic books when I was younger.”
- Funniest person on the team?
“There’s so many people on my team who are pretty funny. I would say [senior forward] Maddie Elia. She’s been pretty hilarious this year. She just comes up with the most random things that crack me up.”
- If you couldn’t play hockey what sport would you play?
“Tennis. I’ll always love tennis. My family got really into it. When I’m home in the summer I play every night with my mom.”
- Best class you’ve taken at BU?
“I took this one class junior year called remote sensing. It got me interested in what my major is. Basically this class had a bunch of labs and they were all about using NASA satellite data to determine if forests are healthy.”
- Where do you spend your downtime on campus?
“I really like hanging out at Blue State [Coffee], but when you’re walking through Brookline there’s this tiny park called Mason Square. It’s incredible. I like going there and sitting down with a good book.”
- If someone is visiting Boston for a day where would you tell them to go?
“I would say probably Charles Street — it’s right downtown. It has this great coffee place called Tatte and it has a bunch of those winding brick streets.”
- Best advice you’ve ever gotten from a coach or teammate?
“It’s a tossup. When I was in high school I had a coach who told me that one of the most important things about the game was to be a healthy selfish — to know when to keep the puck and when not to keep the puck. The best thing I’ve gotten from a teammate would be, I’ve played with [graduated forward] Sarah Lefort for almost two years here, and I would get really frustrated when something out of my control would happen or I would make a mistake. She would sit me down and tell me to forget about everything and just have fun.”
- What is it going to take to win Hockey East this year?
“We have an incredible team on paper and I have no doubts about our skill and our chemistry, but I think winning Hockey East comes down to who wants it more. I personally believe that we do want it more.”
- What does it mean to have been recognized by Hockey East as Player of the Week?
“Definitely a lot. After freshman year I wasn’t sure that I would ever be recognized again. I definitely took a different role on the team with the amount of skill that we acquired. I was fine with that. Everyone needs to play a role. It was a nice surprise to be recognized again by Hockey East, especially as a senior.”
- If you could trade places with a celebrity, who would you pick?
“I would choose P!nk because she’s a badass. She is crazy. I remember watching her once on TV and she hangs from the ceiling and does all these acrobatic things.”
