LYNNFIELD — Add the name of another student-athlete from Lynnfield who will be playing an NCAA Division 1 sport in college.
Sarah Powers, a junior on the Phillips Andover Academy girls ice hockey team, has committed to play hockey at Boston College. The Eagles are knocking on the front door of the top 10, currently ranked 11th in the USA TODAY/USA Hockey Magazine Women’s Division 1 College Hockey poll as of Monday.
“The choice ultimately came down to the BC staff doing a great job on my visits and tours to convince me that they wanted me,” Powers said. “I love the rink, the coaches and staff, and the campus. Honestly, they rolled out the red carpet for me.”
Powers said she considered a few Ivy League schools including Yale, Cornell, and Dartmouth. She also looked into Providence College, Boston University, Northeastern University, and Penn State University before deciding on BC.
A big selling point for Powers in choosing BC was location.
“I love the fact that it’s close so my parents and family can see me play and I just loved the feel of the campus and facilities. It was a gut feeling,” she said. “Academically, I know I will get the support I need to succeed. The coaches are all out of this world. Their personalities and philosophies were the perfect fit. When I started to compare what all the schools offered, it just struck me that BC was the one. It is the place for me.”
The road to BC began with the Peabody/Lynnfield/North Reading girls hockey team. Powers played one year on the team in 2022 as a freshman, then transferred to Phillips Andover the following fall and re-classified as a freshman. As a sophomore in 2023-2024, the left winger led the team in scoring with 15 goals, helping to lead the team to the semifinals of the 2024 NEPSCAC tournament where the Big Blue lost to Williston-Northhampton 3-1.
Despite the rigors of Andover, Powers still finds time to play club for Assabet Valley, a Concord-based program.
“The norm when you go D1 in college is you have to go to prep school, but you are recruited from your club,” Powers said. It works out perfectly because Sunday is a day off that’s when everyone can play their club games.”
Powers, who also plays lacrosse and soccer, said that, unlike public and parochial schools, one of the most attractive benefits of playing sports at prep schools is they are proactive and “super supportive” of student-athletes who also play at the club level.
“The MIAA won’t let you miss games and practices to play club so it is extremely hard to play club with those rules in place,” she said. “The prep schools not only support, but encourage you 100% to play club.”
You might say sports is in the Powers’ family DNA. Powers began playing hockey at the age of two. Her father Sean played hockey at Stonehill where her mother Annie played soccer.
Sarah Powers also has three uncles who played collegiate hockey for top-notch programs. Scott Powers played hockey at Harvard, Paul Powers played hockey at UNH and is a member of the Wildcats Athletics Council Hall of Fame, and Kevin Powers played hockey at Bowdoin.
Sarah Powers’ siblings are not too discounted. Older brother Brendan, a freshman on the Union College men’s lacrosse team, won four state championships in hockey and lacrosse at St. John’s Prep. Her younger brother John is a sophomore at Lynnfield High where he plays hockey and lacrosse.
As far as academics goes, Powers said she is unsure about what she will study at BC, but is leaning toward business.
“Their business school is one of the top schools in the United States so that’s another added bonus of going to BC,” Powers said.
Powers has been invited to the USA Hockey U18 team selection camp the last two years. She hopes eventually to earn a roster spot on Team USA and compete at the world championships and Olympics.
For now, however, Powers’ is focused on helping Andover win a NEPSAC championship. The team opened the season on December 13 with 4-1 loss at Dexter Southfield and looks to regroup Wednesday when Andover heads to Taft for the Patsy K. Odden tournament.
Powers said she loves playing hockey at Andover and is confident her team has what it takes for success this season, despite the opening game loss.
“The first game was tough, but we will be totally fine the rest of the season. I see the game is especially about making the right play at the right time,” she said. “We’re always keeping it light but at the same time we are always locked in and upbeat.”
