A penalty in a junior hockey game was what brought Katy Knoll and Megan Carter face-to-face for the first time.

“I tripped Megan when going into the corner. I apologized, but she had no words and just stared into my soul. I just sat there for about two minutes, and I was like, ‘Okay, this is gonna be my future teammate,’” Knoll, now a fifth-year forward on the Northeastern women’s hockey team, said.

However, it was associate head coach Nick Carpenito who had the thought of setting up the two athletes as roommates. Knoll texted Carter to make it official, igniting a friendship that would last a lifetime.

“It was pretty instant how we clicked. Our compete levels, our drive, our ambitions for school, hockey and everything really aligned,” Carter, a graduate student defender, said. “We’re very similar in the sense that we know what we want out of life and what we want out of our experience at Northeastern, and we’ve been on the same track the whole time.”

Their freshman year was massively successful — both skated in all 38 games, with Knoll tallying 26 points as a rookie — but they only continued to grow from there. The two stars have numerous Hockey East accolades under their belts and have made appearances in several NCAA tournament games, including Hockey East Championships and the Frozen Four.

“It’s hard to remember a day that they weren’t as close as they were. I don’t think you’ll find two people who push each other more and really don’t let the other get away with anything,” said assistant coach Lindsay Berman. “It’s been fun from a front-row seat to watch them grow together.”

Knoll and Carter have a plethora of unique memories, such as warm-up drills they’ve done hundreds of times since their freshman year, but every moment on the ice is filled with a balance of laughter and competition.

“If I see her do something that we’ve worked on a bunch of times in practice, I feel so proud,” Knoll said. “I always want to make sure that I acknowledge that for her because she deserves all the acknowledgment in the world and she’s done nothing but make me a better player.”

Their support for one another helped smooth the transition to a collegiate hockey team, working hard to improve their skills and motivate their teammates.

“They handle the pressure really well. Both of them are expected to perform, but also lead, so they use each other if they need a little help or a little pick me up,” Berman said. “They go harder on each other than anybody else. It sets a standard for the rest of our team that we play really hard against ourselves in order to translate that to playing games.”

Aside from being teammates, they have been roommates since freshman year. Like two peas in a pod, they are just as close off the ice.

“On a typical day, we will obviously have our separate classes — early on, we used to try to have classes together, too,” Carter said. “We’re at the rink together, we’re at lift together and then we come home, we watch hockey, we make dinner … we pretty much do everything together.”

That support was a foundation for them on and off the ice. With their automatic chemistry, they got used to each other and recognized their tendencies quickly, which helped them thrive and improve every day.

“From freshman year, we roomed together and were best friends, and we stuck through it,” Knoll said. “With how close we are, there’s a sense of trust when we’re on the ice that I can do my job and I know she’s gonna do her job. We just go out there and try to have fun anytime we can.”

Now entering their fifth year of playing together, they each have a letter on their jerseys to commend their efforts in their time: Carter is the captain of this year’s team and Knoll serves as an assistant captain.

“From the very beginning, we knew that they both would be leaders at some point,” Berman said. “That’s just how they are as people. The way that they carried themselves even from a young age, it was clear that they would be captains for our program.”

Carter’s leadership assistants also include fifth-year goaltender Gwyneth Philips and senior defender Abbey Marohn, both of whom have lived with the duo in past years.

“Sometimes you don’t really want to see two best friends be captains together, but for them, they put the team first,” Berman said. “If they do disagree on something, they’ll voice it. They both have strong personalities and they’re elite competitors so they have a great balance with each other.”

They are always each other’s cheerleaders, hyping each other up for all of their wins. In a recent game against Long Island University, Knoll scored on a short-handed play to put the Huskies on the board. Of course, her biggest supporter was out on the ice with her to celebrate.

“[Katy] scored, and I don’t think I’ve jumped that high. I think I literally slammed her into the boards because I was so happy,” Carter said. “It’s very cool to share that and to see all the work paying off. We put in the work together. It’s really rewarding.”

Although they’re similar in many ways, a unique aspect to their friendship is their diverse backgrounds: Knoll is American and Carter is Canadian, bringing them together with different experiences growing up and playing hockey.

“They’re both fighting to get a spot on their respective national teams,” Berman said. “They utilize each other for fuel and to make the other better. It’s really nice for them to have each other to bounce ideas off of and feelings and always help in every aspect of their lives.” 

After a Frozen Four upset last season, the Huskies are back and ready for a redemption season. It also means that the Carter and Knoll power duo is skating for its last few months together wearing the red and black jerseys. While the team was what brought them together, it is their immense passion and dedication to their shared values that will forever connect them.

“It’s a privilege to play with my best friend day in and day out,” Carter said. “I’m very grateful that Northeastern brought us together, and I know it’s a friendship that’s going to continue beyond our years.”