By Jenna Ciccotelli, sports editor
For anyone close to Hayley Scamurra, the news of her recent contract with the Buffalo Beauts of the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) won’t come as a surprise. The center hails from a hockey family—her father played defense for the Washington Capitals for parts of the 1975-80 seasons, and she spent frigid winters in her hometown of Williamsville, New York, skating with her older brothers on the family’s backyard rink.
“I was put in skates at 2 years old and haven’t looked back,” she said. “We would scrimmage every day. I had wanted to play hockey growing up just to be with my brothers.”
Scamurra was drafted 10th overall by the Buffalo Beauts in June 2016 and signed her professional contract on March 10 of this year, becoming Northeastern’s first women’s hockey player to sign a professional contract before graduating. Scamurra was eligible to play with the team during their remaining regular season game and their playoff run, which resulted in an Isobel Cup Championship win.
“We have kept a close eye on Hayley’s outstanding development over the last few years, and now we are looking forward to adding her to our team,” Beauts general manager and coach Ric Seiling said in a statement after Scamurra signed. “She is an explosive forward who excels at every aspect of the game.”
Though the season is over, Scamurra’s performance in critical late season games suggests her future will be bright with the team. As a wing, she scored the Beauts’ first goal in the team’s 4-3 regular season finale win over the Connecticut Whale on March 12. She notched an assist in the third-seeded Beauts championship defeat of reigning champions, the Boston Pride. She also scored the game-winning goal in the Beauts’ semifinal win over the New York Riveters and is credited with two assists in the same game.
“It feels amazing to be able to play for my hometown team,” Scamurra said. “All of my friends and family in the Buffalo area have been so supportive and expressed interest in coming to home games.”
Northeastern head coach Dave Flint said he was not surprised by Scamurra’s decision to sign with the Beauts.
“I knew it was going to be coming. I thought [the Beauts] might wait until next year but it made sense to them,” he said. “I told her I thought it would be a great opportunity. She stepped in and did a really nice job for them. I think they’re pretty happy that she signed.”
In 123 games across four seasons with the Huskies, Scamurra scored 39 career goals, had 72 assists and was named to the Hockey East all-academic team during her rookie and sophomore seasons. She was credited with the assist on Northeastern’s only goal in their first-ever NCAA tournament game during the 2015-16 season, calling the game the highlight of her career.
“I really enjoyed the experience,” Scamurra said. “I had the unique chance of being a part of history at Northeastern.”
This season, she was a team leader in shots and assists, with 134 shots on goal and 23 assists, second only to linemates Denisa Krizova and McKenna Brand. Scamurra was also named Best Defensive Forward in the Hockey East earlier this month.
Krizova and Brand, both juniors, celebrated Scamurra as a player and a teammate.
“I’ve played with Hayley for three years and it’s been a pleasure,” Krizova said. “It’s been so great watching her grow into the player she is today.”
Brand praised Scamurra’s work ethic and skill on the ice, saying she was “so much fun to play with.”
Scamurra, who also played soccer for her high school, played on club hockey teams before college, tallying 13 goals and 12 assists in 28 games during her senior year of high school as captain of the Oakville Junior Hornets, based out of Ontario. Her performance caught the attention of college coaches, including Flint.
“When I recruited her, she was a big, strong, power forward. At the time, that’s what we were looking to add to our lineup,” he said. “It’s tough to find a forward like that who also possesses the skill so she was a pretty highly sought after player and we were looking to get her.”
At Northeastern, Scamurra struggled to make an impression during her freshman and sophomore seasons, especially after the latter was cut short by injuries just over halfway through. She returned to the lineup in 2015, but at a new position—center ice.
“We were kind of thin in the middle, so I needed someone to play there that I could rely on,” Flint said. “She probably didn’t score as many goals as she wanted to but was a big part of the success of her line.”
Scamurra, who had originally played wing, said the transition was difficult because of the core differences between the positions.
“I had to have more of a defensive mind [as a center] than as a wing,” she said. “I really enjoyed my time as a center, but I’m looking forward to playing wing [for Buffalo].”
Though Scamurra is certainly talented, Flint said her work ethic and drive to succeed are attributes that will allow her to thrive at the professional level.
“She’s always looking to get better and she’s never content with where she’s at,” he said. “She’s going to bring a lot to that program and it’s going to be exciting to watch her professional career.”
