Friends Turned Foes: Women’s Beanpot Pits Past Teammates Head-To-Head

Skylar Irving, Abby Newhook, Julia Shaunessy and Carson Zanella were all teammates in high school, suiting up for Tabor Academy in Marion, Mass.

But they knew their time together as teammates had an expiration date. When college called, Irving went off to Northeastern, Shaunessy took her bags to Boston University while Newhook and Zanella made their way to Boston College.

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Despite going their separate ways, it was far from the last time the girls would see one another. The Women’s Dunkin Beanpot offered them the opportunity to get back on the ice together, but this time as foes.

“Obviously it’s a super competitive environment,” Newhook told NESN.com. “But when we were at Tabor together, we all knew we were all going to be playing against each other in the Beanpot. So, we’ve kind of joked around about it for a while.”

Their friendships remained even though they landed at different schools and began competing against each other. And they were far from the only ones in that type of situation.

BC captain Gaby Roy is a Marshfield, Mass., native, which is where Shaunessy hails from as well. Several other girls, like Irving, grew up in surrounding towns on the South Shore developing not only their love for hockey with their friends skating by their side, but their dynamic skillsets which brought them to Div. I programs.

“It’s really funny rooting for someone on your team your whole life and then you have to go in the Beanpot and play against them,” Roy said. “Yeah, there’s some trash talking, but at the end of the day, we all know we still love each other. We’re all still friends.”

Friendships are put aside when they meet as opponents on the ice, especially with so much on the line during the Beanpot. But when the final horn sounds, it brings some relief no matter the outcome of the game.

“The moment the game ends, it’s like you’re best friends again,” Shaunessy said. “But those three periods it’s head down, playing the game. It’s honestly a crazy experience to be able to put those friendships behind you in the moment.”

The Beanpot is a marquee event for these four schools as Harvard and BU will square off in one semifinal at historic Matthews Arena next Tuesday followed by Northeastern facing BC. The final will then take place the following Tuesday at TD Garden.

Even with Boston bragging rights up for grabs, the girls try not to dive too much into the trash talking and keep things light. But everyone seemed to point to BC senior forward Katie Pyne, who played for the Bay State Breakers like many of the players who will suit up in the Beanpot, as some unafraid to stir the pot in a good-natured way both on and off the ice.

“I’d say Katie Pyne definitely is a little bit of a trash talker,” Shaunessy said. “She means it well and she’s just trying to get you riled up. But she always has jokes coming.”

The impact that Irving’s former Tabor teammates had on her, especially Newhook, isn’t lost on the Huskies star. She recalled how she lived in the same dorm in high school as Newhook and credits the BC forward for helping “develop” her game.

The Beanpot almost turns into a reunion of sorts. Irving rattled off several players on BC roster who she knows. Undoubtedly, Shaunessy, Newhook, Roy and Zanella could all do the same with the rosters of BU, Northeastern and Harvard.

Going against former teammates or friends brings a special element to the Beanpot, one in which Irving, like the rest, cherish. Their hockey careers started with some of these friends by their side. And they are still there when the Beanpot commences, just in a different uniform this time.

“It makes it more fun,” Irving said. “Every team has somebody that I played with. It kind of brings bragging rights a little bit, too. You’re playing against people you grew up with at the end of the day and we came so far from where we started and we kind of got to see the whole process as we got older and all of that. To be able to play with big stakes now, it’s so cool to see and look back on it.”

NESN Dunkin’ Beanpot coverage is presented by Dunkin’.