Lacrosse has always been the purebred of Medfield athletics, both at the youth and high school levels. However, hockey is a sport that has always been popular here in Massachusetts, and the town of Medfield is beginning to flex its muscle as a hockey hotbed with some of its natives going on to play at the Division I level.
Photo by Tim Hoffman
Two popular names that have stood out recently in the hockey world as it relates to Medfield are Boston College’s Molly Slowe, and BB&N’s Maya Mangiafico. Both natives of Medfield, Slowe is set to enter her junior season at BC this fall, where she will skate as a forward for the Eagles after winning back-to-back Hockey East titles during her freshman and sophomore seasons, as well as making trips to the Frozen Four each of the past two years. Meanwhile, Mangiafico recently made the commitment to play hockey at Brown beginning in 2020-2021. Entering her sophomore year this fall, Mangiafico first played at Medfield High before transferring to BB&N. When Mangiafico is not suiting up for the Knights, she can be found training and playing with the USA Selects.
Other than both growing up in Medfield, Slowe and Mangiafico also share another connection, as Slowe’s former teammate and backstop at BC, Katie Burt, was selected No. 1 overall in this past NWHL Draft on August 18 by the Boston Pride. Burt is a graduate of BB&N.
Photo by Tim Hoffman
The hockey world truly is a family and everybody knows everybody. Despite being six years apart in age, Molly Slowe and Maya Mangiafico certainly have a lot of similarities in both their hockey backgrounds, upbringings here in Medfield, and sharing of idols and teammates in Katie Burt. With these two young women strutting their stuff out on the ice, Medfield should continue to have a significant presence in the college hockey world for years to come.
Best of luck to Molly Slowe as she and the Eagles gets after it this winter up at the Heights as well as to Maya Mangiafico who looks to keep impressing and excelling at BB&N before her taking her talents down to Brown.
For funny and incisive sports analysis, follow Mike Flanagan on his personal Twitter at @fLAno0, or read his blog at www.flannylive.wordpress.com.
