Until we visited with Hayley Scamurra of the Buffalo Beauts in Rochester, she had yet to be on the losing side of any NWHL game — regular season, playoff or preseason. Sorry about that Hayley! Scamurra has found a real home in the Beauts’ lineup. She’s been a major contributor since signing the day after her collegiate career ended.
Currently she’s on Buffalo’s top line with Maddie Elia centering and Taylor Accursi on the opposite wing and the trio has combined for six points (3g-3a) and 20 shots on goal over the first two games. Their chemistry may seem sudden on the surface, until we dug a little deeper into their success.
“We played in junior together, so our chemistry had time to prosper you could say,” Accursi told us. “It’s great being linemates with her because we really feed off of each other. Not just Hayley and I, but Elia too!”
In three regular season games, two playoff games and one in preseason, Scamurra has amassed seven points (3g-4a) with the Beauts. That’s what we call a pretty, pretty, pretty good start to a professional career, my friends.
NWHL: This season you have two new linemates. How much did you know about Maddie Elia and Taylor Accursi before this season?
Scamurra: I played with Accursi during high school and I also played with Elia for one season in high school because we went to the same high school. With Accursi I played with her in the Canadian league. So I’ve had experience with both of them and it’s been nice that I knew them ahead of time before being put on a line. We all get along really well and are able to talk about stuff off the ice as well.
NWHL: You have some soccer in your background growing up. How does that help in your hockey career now?
Scamurra: I played in high school. It was always good to have another sport to go to besides hockey so I wasn’t hockey 24/7. I encourage that to anyone growing up to have multiple sports.
NWHL: Outlook for the season? Personal goals?
Scamurra: I just want to help our team move forward and I think that’s making sure my line produces every game. That’s my main focus this year.
NWHL: This game was pretty close to home for you. What did you think of the atmosphere here tonight in Rochester?
Scamurra: It was really nice to see everyone. I used to play here (at Bill Gray’s Regional IcePlex) actually when I was U14 so it was really fun to come back and play here in my “home rink.”
NWHL: Last season after finishing college you immediately joined the Beauts and didn’t lose a game, winning the Isobel Cup championship along the way. That must have been quite the whirlwind for you. Were you able to process all of that until it was over?
Scamurra: It all happened so quickly. The day after my collegiate career ended I got a call to come play (for Buffalo) and I was so thrilled and excited. I got thrown right into practice, and we had a game the next weekend. Then we just kept winning and it was really exciting. All of the girls were amazing. But yeah, it was definitely a whirlwind.
NWHL: You were drafted by Buffalo (10th overall/2016 NWHL Draft) so was this league something you wanted to be a part of, or thought about during your last season in college?
Scamurra: Definitely. And I knew some girls on the team already so I was following it. I knew I would play for them after my college career was over, and it’s nice for me because it’s near my hometown. I knew I’d come back here and play, I did think about it and wanted to get better (in college) so that when I played with them I’d be improving.
NWHL: You opted to go to college in Massachusetts (at Northeastern) rather than New York. How’d you come to that decision?
Scamurra: I wanted to kind of get out of New York State and just experience a different city and I loved it at Northeastern. It is in the city but it has a small-town feel to it. I enjoyed every minute and love it there.
NWHL: Was there any chance you stayed in that area and signed with Boston this offseason since you are still taking a few classes there this semester?
Hayley Scamurra: They never really approached me and I just wanted to come back home too. My time in Boston has been great but I wanted to come home and be closer to my family.
Photo By: Michael Hetzel
NWHL: While doing great things on the ice in college you also did some admirable work off the ice also — senior season you were named best defensive forward in the WHEA and you were also named to the WHEA All-Academic Team. So you’re not only a talented player, but super smart too it seems, eh?
Scamurra: (laughs) Yeah, I’ve always had a strong focus in school. Hockey is a fun thing to do but eventually I’ll have to go into the real world and get a job (grins). But I really enjoy school and Northeastern really focuses on your academics as well as athletics.
NWHL: As we briefly mentioned you’re finishing up some classes now. What is your major?
Scamurra: Right now I’m in Speech/Language Pathology and we do a co-op at our school, so that’s why I have one more semester left. Then I have grad school next year, hopefully in Buffalo.
NWHL: So that’ll be easier for you to practice and play for the Beauts next year. We can pencil that in, right?
Scamurra: (smiling) Exactly, yeah!
