By Sarah Kotowski, Northeastern Athletic Communications

It is a scene any hockey enthusiast desires, one that can be readily conjured from the idle recesses of the mind – clear, pristine ice in the open winter air, surrounded by not much else at all. Here, it is easy to discern the sharp slice of skates across the ice, the whopping of pucks on sticks, hurtling to the back of the net. The airwaves crackle as the players yell, calling out both commands and encouragement. Such is the glory of the backyard rink.
 
On a rink just like this, in Williamsville, New York, Hayley Scamurra, a junior forward on Northeastern's women's hockey team, got her start. With her three brothers, Jared, Colin, and Travis, Scamurra spent many a chilly winter afternoon playing with a motley crew of her and her brothers' friends.
 
"It was just so much fun," Scamurra remembers. "We took out our kitchen table and used it as a dressing room, and then we'd scrimmage all day. We would jump into snow piles after playing."
 
Looking back even further, Scamurra recalls a memory similar to those recounted by many of hockey's greats – "I was pretty much put in skates before I could walk. I must have been about three years old." This, without a doubt, was at the hands of her father, Peter, who played four seasons in the NHL with the Washington Capitals.
 
"My dad was the one who taught me to shoot and skate," Scamurra says. "He was my coach until I was fourteen." With a slight chuckle, she adds, "Technically, he'll always be my coach."
 
To say that Hayley Scamurra has hockey in her blood is an understatement, and it is not difficult to detect the ease with which she followed her father and brothers into the sport. However, Scamurra is quick to note the equally important influence of her mother, Rebecca, who has no history of playing the family sport.
 
"She's not the athletic one," Scamurra jokes. "But she's always there for support, or whenever I need to take a break from hockey."
 
With the support of her family, Scamurra has been able to flourish with the Huskies. As head coach Dave Flint says, "Hayley has been a big part of our success this season. I moved her to center this year and she has been fantastic defensively. She has had a breakout season and has proven to be a top forward in the NCAA."
 
Her contribution to the team, as well as the opportunity to play here, is not something Scamurra takes lightly. "Just playing in the city of Boston is highly regarded, and everyone thinks it's so cool, so it's a good feeling to be with Northeastern," she says. "I'm honored to put on the jersey."
 
Gazing into the future, Scamurra concedes that plans to play professional hockey are definitely on the horizon. "The NWHL is blossoming," she says, noting that she would certainly enjoy being a member of the league. "I would be blessed to be a part of that."
 
But for now there is Matthews Arena and her fellow Huskies, representing what it means to be a part of the red and black pack. Amidst the hoots and hollers of the Dog House, it is not a distant cry from the backyard rinks of her youth, back where it all began.