As the Boston Blades look to rebound from a difficult season that culminated with the league’s worst record, a key component in the ambitious return to respectability involves rebuilding through the draft. Adding to the impact of such an effort is the challenge to bring talent into the fold familiar to Beantown’s hockey town fans. Among the Blades’ building blocks includes a familiar face in Chelsey Goldberg, proud to don the Blades’ black and gold colors.
Selected in the second round of the 2016 draft, Goldberg spent four sensational seasons with the Northeastern University Huskies capturing a pair of Beanpot championships. Having had the chance to play alongside such notable talent as Kendall Coyne, Lucia Povova and Florence Schelling, Goldberg blossomed into a leader for the program, while earning a spot on the Hockey East All-Academic Team.
Raised in Agoura Hills, California, where she starred for the Anaheim Lady Ducks, Chelsey Goldberg is firmly entrenched in Boston’s women’s hockey lore, calling the city a second home while comprising a new generation of skaters whose NCAA glories added to the city’s growing legacy in female sports. As the Blades allow her the opportunity to extend her proud Boston hockey career, it represents a strong point of pride for Goldberg,
“Being able to continue my hockey career in Boston is extremely special. I have been given the opportunity to play four years of college hockey at Northeastern University, so I feel as though I have made Boston into my temporary home.
Being away from California for many years has not always been the easiest but I have really developed an amazing support system and have met amazing people in Boston who will be in my life forever. That being said, it is really special to be able to continue playing in front of my biggest supporters, friends, and family that I have made on the East Coast.”
Adding to the Blades continuing effort to rebuild and return to the glories of yesterday, Goldberg’s initial sojourn with the black and gold involves the face that she shall call several traditional rivals from Hockey East conference and Beanpot tournament rivals Boston College Eagles and Boston University Terriers as her new teammates. Among them are Montreal-born Kayla Tutino, who was selected first overall in the draft and had the privilege of Terriers captaincy bestowed upon her during her senior season.
Joining Goldberg and Tutino in the collective effort towards a postseason berth in 2017 shall be Meghan Grieves. Enjoying the career milestone of becoming the latest member of the Blades sorority, she also experienced the historic prestige of an undefeated regular season with the Eagles. As a side note, sniper Casey Pickett, who was part of the Blades’ Clarkson Cup winning team in 2015 returns to the Black and Gold in 2015, a former teammate of Goldberg with the Huskies.
“I could not be more excited to be playing on the same team as my cross town college rivals. One of the greatest components about the game of hockey is being able to play with/ against friends and peers that maybe you shared a National Camp experience with, or maybe played on the same team as them growing up.
The hockey world really is so small, so it is always so fun reconnecting with those on the ice (on the same team or not) or after a competitive BU/ BC vs NU game. Throughout my years I became close with a lot of the players on our cross town rival teams, and I am looking forward to continuing those friendships and being able to play alongside them, instead of against them.”
Getting the opportunity to don the Blades jersey, Goldberg brings so much more than just solid playmaking abilities to the rink. Of note, she also brings an inspiring heart of gold. A remarkable hockey humanitarian, one of the defining moments of her time at Northeastern involved a 10-day mission of mercy in Kenya with teammate Alexa Armstrong.
Serving as athlete-ambassadors, volunteering as part of the True Start Athletics’ Care for Kenya Project, their presence undoubtedly helped improve the quality of the lives of the people they came across. Among them was a 10-year old boy at risk of becoming blind. Goldberg and Armstrong not only took him to the optometrist (at their own cost), they helped deliver school supplies and other necessities to many young children in the cities of Eldoret and Nakuru. Such empathy was an extension of Goldberg’s exceptional leadership, which also saw her serve as the President of Northeastern’s Student-??Athlete Advisory Committee.
It was only fitting that Goldberg’s debut with the Blades also incorporated the sense of helping to better the community. Although it may have been classified as an exhibition game, competing against the New England Eagles, a team assembled of former military veterans who help raise awareness about the serious issue of veteran suicide, it was the kind of special game that may have helped to set the tone for the empathic Goldberg’s promising Blades career.
Making her regular season debut in a hard-fought 2-1 overtime loss on October 15 against the Toronto Furies, Goldberg holds a very positive outlook on the season to unfold. Embodying more than just maturity and strong leadership, Goldberg demonstrates how the value of teamwork on the ice translates into paying it forward off the ice with great humanitarian efforts. It is the kind of character that makes Goldberg a possible catalyst towards turning the page on a dismal season while restoring the Blades glory days,
”Any given year any team can come out on top, but in my opinion the winning team always possesses character, heart, determination, and a group of girls that give it 110% for each other, every single day, in practice, in games, on the ice or off of the ice. We have a great group of girls, a lot of talent behind us, and I couldn’t be more excited to see how the season unfolds!”
”All quotes obtained first hand unless otherwise indicated”
Image obtained from Facebook
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