Each graduate of the Boston University women’s hockey team carries with her a unique story. Some have participated in the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, others have pursued dental or medical degrees and a handful have entered the world of business and economics.
For Shannon Doyle, the journey has been one of new beginnings, cherished relationships and a game she’s known all her life. The former Terrier defenseman recently finished the nascent 2015-16 National Women’s Hockey League season as a part of the Connecticut Whale.
While the native of Baldwin, Ontario didn’t secure the Isobel Cup, her time was chalked full of memories. Just to name a few, the entire hockey community rallied behind Denna Laing’s tragic injury at the Outdoor Women’s Classic, a young fan came all the way from Minnesota to see the Whale’s first NWHL game and a sold-out crowd witnessed the season opener against the New York Riveters.
Doyle isn’t sure if she’ll play in the NWHL again next season, as she’s hoping a full-time teaching position comes to fruition, but she’s proud of how far the four-team league has come.
“Just from being in the league and not having an outside opinion on it, I think it’s got a very bright future,” Doyle said. “The girls in the league really love it and are really behind making it succeed, so there’s a lot of people giving a lot more than they’re getting back. The amount of passion that the league has right now is really going to help it take off and be a long-term project.”
Should the NWHL reach that level, Doyle said she’s proud of the role she played, and it would have been spent alongside teammates like fellow BU alumna Kaleigh Fratkin and Team USA forwards Kelli Stack and Molly Engstrom.
Her former head coach, Brian Durocher, said he wasn’t surprised to hear the transfer from Colgate University has transitioned well to life after college hockey. He noted that Doyle plays the game smart and with a level of control, but it’s her character that stands out above the rest.
“Off the ice, she was a kid right from the get-go who blended in,” Durocher said. “She was a very caring person, someone who got along with everyone on the team and was willing to be a participant around the community, around the locker room — everywhere, really. [She] was one of those multifaceted kids who was helpful in so many ways and was a positive influence in so many ways at BU.”
However, it’s hard to ignore Doyle’s contributions to a team that made the NCAA Tournament and won the Hockey East championship each year she was on the team. Most notably, the 5-foot-4 blueliner was twice named a New England Women’s Division I All-Star and finished with 53 points at BU.
The aspect Doyle remembers most fondly, though, extends into friendships that transcend the game. She couldn’t narrow down one player who shaped her time on Commonwealth Avenue the most, but did note a special relationship developed with assistant coach Katie Lachapelle.
“She’s one of those people who will listen to you for hours and then tell you one sentence and it’s all you needed to hear,” Doyle said. “It was great having her by my side to work me through my slumps or my high parts, keeping my ego in check and making sure I stayed the course.”
Another aspect Doyle rejoiced in was the ability to leave a mark far beyond the confines of Walter Brown Arena during her senior season.
“It was great to see the talent coming in and allowing me to fill my role that I’ve always wanted to be as a senior, which is making sure everyone on the team had a spot or felt like they belonged on the team,” Doyle said. “You can tell when a program is being left in good hands, and the freshman class worked so hard all year, so that was really cool to have my last year at BU.”
With an eye toward putting her master’s degree in education to use, Doyle is looking to kick-start her career and keep the NWHL in her life. And that comes as no surprise to Durocher, who noted that Doyle was around the Terriers this past season three or four times when she had a couple days off.
She’d spend time with teammates young and old, embodying all that Durocher described as a “coach’s type of player.” And as Doyle put it, she hopes that everyone from the freshmen to seniors appreciates the hockey journey they’re on and all that’s in store in the future.
“It’s just how fast time goes by and how much you do miss it when you’re not there [at BU] anymore,” Doyle said. “I miss hanging out with the team every day, and although the NWHL and CWHL are fantastic leagues, it’s a totally different world than being a part of college hockey. You don’t appreciate it until you don’t have it anymore.”
Jonathan's a New Englander who writes about sports, features and politics. He currently covers men's hockey at BU, worked as Sports Editor during the spring 2016 semester and is on the FreeP's Board of Directors. Toss him a follow on Twitter at @jonathansigal.
