Northeastern isn’t exactly known for its sports, but despite the jokes about the football team’s “winning record” or the men’s hockey team loss(es) in the Beanpot, there’s one major bright spot for Northeastern sports fans: the women’s ice hockey team. After winning the Beanpot tournament for the first time since 1998, the lady Huskies have continued to win games, clinching a spot in the Hockey East playoffs. This week’s Campus Celeb is Dani Rylan, a second-year graduate student studying Sports Leadership, and co-captain of the team.
When did you start to play hockey?
I started playing hockey when I was 5 and this is my second year on the team here at Northeastern.
How did you feel when your team won the Beanpot?
Winning the Beanpot was the most amazing feeling! I wanted time to freeze so I could soak it all in! Being able to share that memory with my team forever is so special, I’ll never forget it! That’s the thing about championships, you can never take them away! We will forever be the 2012 Beanpot Champions!! On top of that, my dad flew in from Tampa, FL to make the game, which made the experience that much better!
How did the team celebrate the win?
We had to balance celebrating a mid-season championship with the fact we still have 4 games left in the regular season and then Hockey East playoffs. So while we gathered as a team, we didn’t get too crazy Tuesday night, knowing we have a lot more to accomplish this season. (Also, girls had exams Wednesday morning!) However, there will be a ceremony at halftime of the Men’s Basketball game on the 14th.
How does winning now impact the rest of your season?
This win impacts the rest of our season because it gave us all a taste of winning a championship. It’s a great feeling we want to feel again and now we know what it takes to make it happen in the Hockey East playoffs.
What’s your favorite memory of playing with Northeastern?
That Beanpot win is hands-down my favorite memory playing at Northeastern! It was such a special night!! It meant so much to the team, the program, the coaching staff (both assistant coaches went to Northeastern) and it’s the first time in a long time the Beanpot has been back at Northeastern, so it was all kinds of awesome!!
How do you balance classes and being on the team?
I’m lucky, in being a graduate student, that I’m only taking 3 classes and they’re all online. So balancing hockey/school isn’t too bad. It’s more the extracurricular activities that are harder to juggle!