With the NWHL bringing two professional women’s hockey teams to New York State in markets such as Brooklyn and Buffalo, the gathering of elite players has ensured that the commitment to providing a high quality of hockey shall remain high. Among the players poised to maintain such a commitment is Beth Hanrahan.
Having suited up in all of the New York Riveters games, the native of Poolesville, Maryland was one of the team’s earliest acquisitions. Considering that Hanrahan competed in 140 games for the prestigious Providence Friars program, she is an exceptionally durable and reliable player that can be counted on to make significant contributions.
Hanrahan certainly entered her inaugural season with the Riveters on a very high note. Having graduated from Providence in 2015, she was the recipient of both the Hockey East sportsmanship award and the Friars MVP. Considering that she joins the same company as other MVP’s including Sara DeCosta, Cammi Granato and Genevieve Lacasse, it is an honor that holds high meaning for her as she looks to bring her strong leadership skills to the Riveters.
“It was an honor to play at Providence and be able to play with all the teammates I encountered over the years. With the MVP award, it was awarded by teammates, so it is such a great feeling to know it came from my team and to join such a great company of former MVPs at PC.”
Bringing a smooth scoring touch and the versatility to also bring grit as a defensive forward, Hanrahan plays for the love of the game. Although she is eager to contribute to the first win in Riveters history, the outpouring of fan support is poised to create some remarkable momentum. For Hanrahan, the chance to extend her career and play alongside several players that were once rivals at the NCAA level has contributed to what is clearly her favorite element of this season, “Being able to meet my new teammates and just being able to continue to play.”
Joining Janine Weber, the first player signed to an NWHL contract, as Friars alums with the Riveters, they are hoping to provide exciting moments for their growing legion of loyal fans, as Brooklyn is quickly becoming an exceptional hockey market on the East Coast. The fact that the NHL’s New York Islanders also call Brooklyn home has added a feeling of excitement to the Riveters inaugural season.
Akin to so many of her teammates, the chance for Hanrahan to extend her career is not only enriching, but the chance to live in the New York area and be able to say that she and her teammates are professional athletes in America’s largest market holds special meaning.
Hanrahan has reciprocated her appreciation for the chance to be part of such an exceptional chapter in New York sports history. Not only did she proudly don the pink jersey for the Riveters’ Strides for the Cure match, she also visited the Brooklyn War Memorial with several teammates, meeting members of the 361st PCH.
Such devotion to the community brings back memories of when the Dodgers played baseball in Brooklyn and were an integral part of the community not just as sporting heroes, but proud residents. It helped create a special relationship between players and fans that set a standard in sports, legendary to this day. Hanrahan and her teammates are rekindling such fond memories, while connecting with a new generation of fans, playing with heart and a determination that said fans have appreciated,
“It has been great. It is something (that) when you tell people, they look at you in shock. It is pretty great, and what better city to play in than NYC.”
“All quotes obtained first hand unless otherwise indicated”
Photo credit: Bruce Bennett, Getty Images
