Sophie Shirley, a rising Canadian star who won a national championship with the Wisconsin Badgers this year has signed with the PHF's Boston Pride.
Sophie Shirley, a rising Canadian star who won a national championship with the Wisconsin Badgers this year has signed with the PHF's Boston Pride.
Another top NCAA prospect, Sophie Shirley, is set to join the Boston Pride next season inn the PHF. Shirley signed a one-year contract with the Pride.
"I am so excited to kick off my professional hockey career with the Boston Pride. I have heard nothing but great things about the city, organization, and hockey community.” said Sophie Shirley in a team news release. “I’m looking forward to getting started in Boston with the incredible coaching staff and players to work towards bringing home a championship!"
Shirley joins Alina Müller, Chloé Aurard, and Gabrielle David as elite NCAA graduates signing in Boston this offseason.
Shirley twice represented Canada's U-18 national team, earning Best Forward honors at the 2017 U-18 World Championships. She followed that up by winning Rookie of the Year playing in the CWHL with the Calgary Inferno in 2018.
Following those experiences, Shirley spent five seasons in the NCAA playing for the Wisconsin Badgers, where she won two national championships and was twice named a finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award as the NCAA's top player.
"Sophie is one of the most pure skaters we have seen in hockey over the many years. Her ability to create plays and score goals is incredible, and she makes others around her better.” said Boston pride head coach Paul Mara, “We couldn’t be more excited to add her to the Pride lineup. With the style of play in Boston, we are extremely confident she will be an amazing asset to our team.”
Last season Shirley had 37 points in 41 games on a loaded Wisconsin Badgers team that eventually won the NCAA national championship. She was also a member of Canada's Collegiate Series team that featured members of the Canadian and USA national teams competing against one another. Shirley has long been on Canada's national team radar, and surrounded by the talented group of players in Boston, her development will only continue on that upward trajectory.