The Great Revival of the Boston University women’s hockey program continued on Tuesday night, when former goaltender Callie Shanahan became the first Terrier to be selected at the PWHL draft straight out of BU. Former captain Tamara Giaquinto followed at 44th overall to the Montreal Victoire, 16 slots after her assistant captain went to the New York Sirens at 28.
Both players attended the draft in Ottawa, the culmination of a historic season that saw Giaquinto and Shanahan help BU to its first Hockey East title in a decade.
“This year’s been incredible,” Giaquinto said on the broadcast moments after being selected.
Shanahan was taken in the draft’s fourth round by a New York team that finished last in the PWHL standings each of the league’s first two seasons. But the Sirens lost their starting goalie to the league’s expansion and entered with only one netminder on the roster. So the Commerce, Mich. native, who finished her BU career with a .918 save percentage, could have a chance at New York’s net (the Sirens added another goalie with the final pick of the draft).
Shanahan dealt with significant injuries during her sophomore and junior years before surging as a senior, specifically in the postseason. Perseverance was an enormous part of her story on Comm. Ave., and by the end, she was as important to BU as anyone.
Now, she heads to New York, where she’ll be a big part of an enormous youth movement that added Patty Kaz award winner Casey O’Brien with the third pick and Clarkson’s Anne Cherkowski, who beat Shanahan in the NCAA regional first round in an otherwise excellent performance from the goalie.
“All the adversity I’ve been through, it’s really prepared me for this,” Shanahan said. “I’m just so beyond excited to take on this challenge.”
Giaquinto, the Hockey East defender of the year, was taken in the draft’s sixth and final round by the Victorie, which finished atop the PWHL regular season standings last season. She’ll be teammates with legendary forward Marie Phillip-Poulin, a BU alum widely regarded as the greatest women’s hockey player ever.
Giaquinto’s rise as a graduate student aligned perfectly with the resurgence of her team. Hailed for her patience through a slow start to her BU career, she exploded for nine goals and 18 points in her final season after combining for six and 26 over her first four. Giaquinto’s signature one-timer was lethal on the skater-advantage, where she scored six goals.
Both Shanahan and Giaquinto were accompanied by their families. The latter, a Toronto native, headed to her city’s sworn enemy.
“I was actually talking about that with some of my friends,” she said over a laugh. “Being a Leafs fan has been tough.”
