First-year Stonehill coach Lee-J Mirasolo knew she was playing with fire when she decided to roster only two goalies this season. The program’s second coach in as many seasons, she said she was really conscious of wanting to bring in not just the right players, but the right people. She was secure in both Hanna Zukow and Eve Stone in net and thought it would be fine.
“We have two really outstanding goaltenders and we’re gonna try to ride this thing out,” said Mirasolo.
But after a pair of games with Assumption in late October, it became clear that the gamble may not pay off. Both goalies were unhealthy and it seemed likely the team would need another recourse for two games against St. Michael’s the following weekend.
The coaches tried to think of every option they possibly could and eventually, on Tuesday of that week, they took the problem to their team, explaining the situation and asking for volunteers.
“We felt like if we asked our team, we felt like our team would rally around someone who was on the team, one of our own, in a big way and that’s exactly what happened,” said Mirasolo.
It turns out that last season a few of the Skyhawks skaters took their turn in net for fun one practice and then-freshman Hannah Squires performed really well. When the Stonehill staff asked the collective team for volunteers, a few yelled out Squires’ name. In the end, Squires and Maddison Achtyl both volunteered, but Squires was selected.
“She was a perfect person to do this because she took it in stride. She stayed calm the whole time and just did an amazing job. She was all in. The thing about Hannah is she is a beloved teammate. She’s humble, she’s kind, she’s thoughtful,” said Mirasolo.
Squires ended up playing both weekend games for Stonehill – a 6-1 victory on Friday and a thrilling 6-5 overtime win on Saturday.
She got her goalie gear on Wednesday and spent time with the goalie coach on Thursday learning some basics. Then she spent the whole night watching YouTube videos, trying to absorb more information on how to be an effective goalie.
A biology major, Squires describes herself as analytical and logistical. As a defender, she at least had an advantage in terms of reading incoming plays, but she wanted clear rules and instructions on how to react in situations. When should she drop? When should she stay up? But the goalie coach told her not to think that way, wanting Squires to just have fun and react to the plays in front of her. But not having the technique or the rules to follow was a struggle, she said.
Friday was the easier game, she said, because she was running on adrenaline and the Skyhawks had the advantage in being at home and taking St. Michael’s a little by surprise. She knew after Friday’s win that their opponent would come back with more intensity for the second game.
There was also more internal pressure because the win had extended the team’s win streak to four games. After a rough start to the season where the team had lost six of their first seven games, things had started to come together for the SkyHawks and while no one would have blamed them if the streak was broken that weekend, when they got the first win, it amplified the desire to keep it going.
Squires was more nervous – and more sore – heading into Saturday’s game and her prediction about the increased intensity in the game was correct. The teams traded goals back and forth and she faced the hardest part of the weekend when the team had to kill a penalty in the overtime period. The Skyhawks held their opponents without a shot and in the end, it was the other player willing to put on the goalie gear, Achtyl, who scored the game-winner to give Stonehill – and Squires – a weekend sweep.
Both after Friday’s win and again in this interview, Squires tried to give the credit to her teammates.
“My teammates made it easy and put their bodies on the line for me. It was overall a team effort. I didn’t do much, I just had to stand there and let the puck hit me. They really did all the work,” said Squires.
But Mirasolo said the staff and Squires’ teammates let her know that no, she did something incredible and should accept the praise and be proud of what she did.
“The team rallied around Hannah and I in my soul thought that it would happen because she is so beloved by her teammates and it was exactly what happened. It was a really cool thing to see and I think it was a turning point for our team and the culture. It’s so much more than a sweep. It’s amazing that Hannah Squires played two games in net in her career and got a sweep, but it really is so much more than a weekend sweep for the culture of our program and the players on our team. It was a lot of things, but it was a true example of leadership from Hannah,” said Mirasolo.
But no one would be surprised that Squires volunteered, played well and still deflected praise.
It’s the second incredibly selfless thing she’s done this season, said Mirasolo.
Squires missed two weekends of games and a week and a half of practice earlier in the season because she donated stem cells as part of the Be the Match registry, which she joined as soon as she turned 18 years old.
It was through her grandfather that Squires developed a sense of selflessness and generosity and it was him she was thinking of when she moved forward with her donation after matching.
“My grandfather was one of the most thoughtful and caring people, always putting others before himself. I was really close with him growing up. So I’d like to say it’s from him and just seeing the way he lived. I just tried to mimic that every day now,” she said.
“Missing time was really worth it to me because I just kept on reminding myself that if this was my grandfather, if this was my mom, my dad, my sister. I would really hope someone would do this for them. I had the opportunity to save someone’s life and I think that’s more important than any hockey game.”
The coaching staff agreed and Mirasolo said she cried when Squires told her the reason she needed to take time away from the team. The staff was still just getting to know the team, but they’ve come to see that his sort of selflessness is emblematic of the type of person Squires is. And they’re so thankful that the program they took over is being built and led by good hockey players, yes, but better people.
“I think it was definitely a rough start to the season, but that weekend, things really started to come together. Now, it’s really the team. They’re the ones that make this thing go. They’re making it happen. They’re the ones that are building this culture,” said Mirasolo.
“Hannah Squires is the epitome of generosity of spirit to everyone around her. I just feel really fortunate to be around her every day and that I walked into a situation where she is a part of a team that I have the privilege of coaching. It’s really cool to watch and be a part of.”
