Making a Splash

Minutes away from her debut with the Boston College women’s hockey team, Gaby Roy ’20 sat in the depths of the University of New Hampshire’s Whittemore Center, fidgeting and texting her father.

 

“I was so nervous before that game,” admits the Marshfield, Mass., native. “My teammate sitting next to me was like, ‘Calm down. You’ll be fine.’”

 

Any nerves dissipated quickly and, after a scoreless first period, Roy gave the Eagles a 1-0 lead with her first collegiate goal, banking in a wrist shot off the left crossbar six minutes into the period. She was just getting started.

 

Roy picked up her second score with two minutes remaining in the frame, completed the hat trick midway through the final period, and added a fourth goal with just over a minute to play in the game. She became just the 12th player in program history to score four goals in a single game, and the first player to do it in her college debut since 2019. “Things just kept going my way,” recalls the freshman forward. “My teammates and linemates were doing really well, and the puck just kept ending up on my stick at the right time.”

 

“Gaby was a quiet leader through her play and impressed us every day with her abilities,” recalls SPS girls hockey coach Heather Farrell. “It is no surprise that her determination and hard work paid off and she found some early success with the Eagles.”

 

After completing her Sixth Form season at SPS as team and Lakes Region MVP, an engaging coaching staff drew Roy to BC, as well as a roster full of familiar faces from her club hockey days, including SPS teammate Natalie Tulchinsky ’20.

 

“If you don’t know anyone, it can be kind of scary,” notes Roy. “But having that background with people and not having to get to know an entire team was really nice.”

 

The pace and intensity of the collegiate game was jarring at first, but Roy adapted quickly and remained a consistent contributor following her historic first night. In an unfortunate twist, Roy suffered a broken foot in mid-January and gained a new perspective on what it meant to be part of a team, even without competing.

 

“It was hard pushing through it, knowing you couldn’t play,” says Roy, “but my teammates, coaches, and the medical staff were so supportive.”

 

Commitment to a rigorous rehab program paid off, and Roy was able to take the ice just two months after her injury for the Eagles’ matchup against third-ranked Ohio State in the NCAA quarterfinal round. And while the Buckeyes bested BC, 3-1, overcoming the injury and getting back on the ice has Roy hopeful for her future with the program.

 

“I want to keep improving in every aspect of the game,” she says, “and I’m looking forward to expanded travel and getting the full team experience next year.”