Growing up watching the action on the Matthews Arena ice, Michaela Boyle knew she’d be back.
When the Reading, Mass., native chose Clarkson, she didn’t know her first collegiate games would be right in her backyard.
"It’s so exciting," Boyle said after Clarkson skated to a 1-1 tie with Northeastern on Sept. 29 then won the next night’s rematch, 5-1. "Growing up around here, I went to Northeastern a lot. I thought I might go there for a while before I decided to go to Clarkson, and even then I knew we’d see them, I just didn’t know it would be so soon."
Boyle grew up around hockey in Massachusetts, from the high school game to being around Team USA. She starred with the Boston Shamrocks, Austin Prep and Reading High before committing to the national champions for her college career.
After a dazzling senior campaign with the Rockets that fell just short in the semifinals, she was ready to make that leap. In her second game at Matthews Arena, in front of hordes of friends and family, she proved she belonged.
"It was amazing," she said. "It was the coolest feeling to curl back to the bench and take a glance over my shoulder and see my mom and my uncle and aunt and family there. My dad said after the game he teared up a bit, seeing his little girl’s dream come true. It’s something I will never forget."
Boyle played two seasons with Austin Prep before deciding to play her senior year for her public high school, Reading. With the Rockets, she had 46 goals and 18 assists, one of the tops in the state.
Boyle’s passion for women’s hockey goes further than a lot of players her age. She has a goal of playing pro, attended the Isobel Cup last season and has been a part of a youth organization coached by NWHL commissioner Dani Rylan.
She’s skated with members of the U.S. national team, and has spoken with players like Meghan Duggan (Danvers, Mass.), Hilary Knight (Hanover, N.H.) and Brittany Ott often. She’s traveled with the national team, and on one of those trips, decided that she was going to commit to playing hockey as her career.
Boyle certainly has the support system as well, having been around Team USA, and her father, Mike Boyle, who was the trainer for the women’s national team for several years.
Even with her talent, she’s still learning to adjust at the college level.
"The game is a lot faster," she said, "especially after my last season at Reading. But my teammates and coaches have been supportive and helped me a lot. The pace is the biggest difference. Everyone on the ice is quick and fast. It comes down to skating an extra five minutes after practice and doing everything to stay in shape."
Boyle certainly puts in the work, and has since high school, taking extra shots before practices and always working on her game. She had one of the hardest shots in the state while playing for Reading, and that’s one of the reasons she was a step ahead.
Boyle tallied her first career goal in the second period of that 5-1 win at Matthews. "It helps a bit with confidence," she said. "Me and my linemates were getting chances, so we knew we might get one. I was just lucky. I really couldn’t be luckier playing with them."
Playing high school was one thing, but furthering her career against players who are bigger, stronger and faster has been a challenge. Now a few games into her collegiate career, Boyle is finding that adjustment to get easier as she goes.
"It’s just focusing on the little things," she said. "It’s things you’ve been working on since you were eight years old, like hitting the net with shots, move your feet, keep skating, just things like that."
The biggest difference in the leap to the college level is the dedication. Every player recruited to play for Clarkson is committed to defending its national title, and improving each day.
"Everyone comes to the rink and wants to be there and defend the title," she said. "To come into an established program like this is incredible. Everyone is team first. It’s a really special group."
The next time Boyle’s Golden Knights take the ice in Massachusetts, it will be in January against Harvard, an ECAC rival. Playing at the highest levels the state had to offer helped mold Boyle into a potential force at the collegiate level, and after Clarkson, who knows?
But, at least for now, Boyle’s focused on a repeat run, and having a chance to be a champion.
"We never want to be satisfied," she said. "We have a lot in the tank and have some really talented players. I think we can be unstoppable."
