BUFFALO – Suffolk women's hockey's head coach Taylor Wasylk is set to keep her own skates sharp throughout the 2021-21 season as she re-signed with the Buffalo Beauts of the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL), the team announced Thursday.
Wasylk re-ups her contract with the Beauts for her second consecutive campaign, which marks her fourth year in the NWHL. She was a late addition to the roster for the 2020-21 Lake Placid season and anticipates her return.
"I could not be more excited to re-sign with the Buffalo Beauts," Wasylk said. "I hold so much respect for the players, coaches and management that make up this team and organization as a whole. I had an incredible first experience with the team in Lake Placid in January and I am looking forward to carrying that into the 2021-22 season."
Wasylk continued, "I look forward to meeting and getting to work with some of the Beauts younger players beginning in October. I am hopeful that my prior experience in the league and my years spent as a collegiate coach will help me provide support and encouragement to some of our new players. Motivation, respect and hard work are some of the most important aspects of being a good teammate and I plan to utilize them all in an effort to create a positive team culture and bring us success on the ice."
Last January Wasylk was the only active NCAA head coach competing in Lake Placid. She got on the ice in four of Buffalo's six games throughout round-robin play. The defensive forward scattered three blocked shots over those outings and aided to the Beauts' 2-1 victory over the Boston Pride Saturday, Jan. 30.
Over three seasons in the NWHL, Wasylk has taken the ice in nine games split between the Beauts (4) and the Boston Pride (5) and handed out four helpers. The Port Huron, Michigan product made her professional debut in the 2017-18 campaign when she suited up for the Canadian Women's Hockey League's (CHWL) Boston Blades where she assembled a stat line of three goals and two assists in 12 regular season games. She joined the NWHL's Boston Pride in 2018-19 and has remained in the league ever since.
Prior to going pro, Wasylk was a standout player both collegiately and internationally. She skated in 145 games at Boston College and helped the Eagles to three consecutive Frozen Fours. She wrapped up her four-year career in maroon and gold four points shy of 100 with identical goals and set-ups of 48.
The righty donned the red, white and blue in her early-on competitive days as well. She helped the US Women's U18 squad to a gold medal in 2009 and a silver showing a year later. Additionally, she earned a silver medal with the USA Women's National Team in 2012.
After graduating from the Heights in 2014, Wasylk traded her skates for her whistle to begin her coaching career. Suffolk named her the inaugural head coach of the women's hockey program in 2016-17, which dropped its puck in its first-ever season in 2018-19.
Over three years directing the blue-and-gold, she has led the Rams to a 27-30-5 overall record with a pair of NEHC playoff berths including a championship contest run in the squad's sophomore season, 2019-20. The program already has a handful of accolades under its belt in its short history with an all-region nod in Tess Adams in 2018-19, 2018-19 NEHC Rookie of the Year Shana Cote, six All-NEHC selections and four NEHC All-Rookie Team members to go along with a AHCA Coach of the Year Finalist and NEHC Coach of the Year honors for herself.
In addition to skating with the Beauts over 2021-22, Wasylk will guide the Rams into new territory this season as Suffolk is set to compete in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) for the first time.