Kicking around a soccer ball, having a dance party, and snacking on Starburst candy and fruit snacks. Sure, it sounds like a kindergartener's dream day, but that's how Corinne Boyles, Boston College's starting goaltender, prepares for 60 minutes between the pipes. A little unorthodox, sure, but the routine remains consistent throughout the entirety of the women's hockey team's six-month season. It's this standard procedure that Boyles draws on to be the rock of consistency that a goaltender has to be for her team.
The junior from Wheaton, Illinois learned this lesson from a master. Molly Schaus graduated in 2011, but her name still has a place at BC—specifically, right next to the school records for career saves, goals against average, and wins. The world champion taught Boyles a number of important lessons, the most important being how to keep the trust of one's team.
"We talked about everything that goes into being a consistent goalie," Boyles said. "Keeping a level head, and staying consistent for your team to trust you."
Having an All-American goalie ahead of her on the depth chart did not mean a slow freshman year. In 2009, Boyles' first season on the team, Schaus had temporarily turned in her Eagles sweater for the stars and stripes of the US national team, having been selected along with fellow BC star Kelli Stack to compete in the 2010 Winter Olympics. Boyles and Kiera Kingston split time on the ice over the course of the season in the starter's absence, filling the sizable spot left empty in front of the net.
Boyles called this first year a "big jump" in terms of competition. She had won a pair of U19 national championships with her Chicago Mission team, but the Hockey East conference comes with a steep learning curve. The freshman came away with a 5-10-7 record, but the talent was there, clearly visible in the four games in which she made 40 or more saves.
The next year, Schaus came back with some Olympic hardware, a silver medal, to begin her final campaign at BC. Boyles and head coach Katie King Crowley decided that the sophomore would redshirt the season. Doing so gave Boyles an extra year to prepare and learn from a veritable goaltender sensei.
"Being around Molly, you can just observe and learn from her," Boyles said.
The benefits were clear, but sitting out for an entire year is tough on any athlete. Boyles and her coach, however, agreed that it was the right move.
"It was the best decision for her at that time," Crowley said.
So Boyles, not having to worry about staying fresh for games, hit the weights. She worked out all year, building up the necessary strength for the position. Goalies often are on the receiving end of contact from opposing players trying to knock a puck loose.
"It was important for her to get physically stronger," Crowley said.
It was this preparation that Boyles credits for getting the starting job this season. She and Kingston had split time in 2009-10, but the junior impressed the coaches early on in this year's schedule.
"Corinne had a little more fight in her. We let her have a couple more games in the beginning," Crowley said.
The pair works together closely, "two goalies in their little goalie world," as their head coach puts it. The two are close friends who push each other day in and day out at practice. "She's been a great goalie partner," Boyles said of her senior teammate, who will be the first to offer words of encouragement or advice.
Currently, Boyles holds a 1.93 goals against average, a .929 save percentage, and a .721 winning percentage, and stands in the top three amongst Hockey East goaltenders in each category. Seven shutouts and multiple 40-plus save performances have proved her an elite goaltender.
Even the elite, however, can struggle and be pulled from the ice. Boyles has only been yanked a few times throughout the season, and though that risk is always there for a goalie, the junior doesn't dwell on it. Her confidence is a must in her line of work, as goalies are held responsible for each and every puck they let by. That responsibility can cause endless stress, but Boyles stays cool.
"I've never seen her all that rattled," Crowley said of her netminder. "People can blame a goaltender for a goal to go in when it's not necessarily their fault, but she's been doing it long enough where she understands that situation."
is a member of the 
Be the first to comment on this article!