Carter Hochman 鈥�19 Runs Social Media for Professional Women鈥檚 Hockey Team

A person in a suit gives a fist bump to a hockey player who is on the ice in an arena. Image by Ed Brennen
UML alum Carter Hochman '19 records himself giving a fist-bump to PWHL Boston forward Taylor Girard for a social media post before their recent 2-1 win over Toronto at the Tsongas Center.

04/30/2024
By Ed Brennen

Carter Hochman 鈥�19 has enjoyed some memorable moments at the Tsongas Center.听

It鈥檚 where the aspiring sports journalist covered UML men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 basketball games as a sideline reporter for ESPN3 during his junior and senior years of college. It鈥檚 where he donned the Rowdy suit and served as mascot at men鈥檚 hockey games. It鈥檚 where he walked across the Commencement stage to receive his bachelor鈥檚 degree in听English听with a concentration in journalism and professional writing.

And now, it鈥檚 where he works as social media and marketing associate for听, a new Professional Women鈥檚 Hockey League team that plays its home games at his alma mater.

鈥淲alking through the halls of the arena is a full-circle moment for me,鈥� Hochman says. 鈥淚 owe just about every aspect of my career to 51视频.鈥�

Hochman was hired as PWHL Boston鈥檚 first-ever social media and marketing associate last October. Working with the team photographer and videographer, he produces sponsored and 鈥渙rganic鈥� content for the team鈥檚 tens of thousands of followers on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, X and Threads.听听

A person in a suit and glasses works on a laptop at a table in an arena. Image by Ed Brennen
PWHL Boston Social Media and Marketing Associate Carter Hochman '19 works on a team walk-in post before a game at the Tsongas Center.

The job, he says, fulfills his dream of working as a creative storyteller in the sports world.

鈥淪ports have always been a giant part of who I am,鈥� says Hochman, who was goalkeeper for his high school soccer team in Lexington, Massachusetts, and was recruited to play for UML鈥檚 Division I men鈥檚 soccer team.

As backup goalie for the River Hawks, Hochman was part of the 2016 team that won the America East championship and finished the year ranked third in the nation. A program that hadn鈥檛 received much attention suddenly had highlights on ESPN鈥檚 鈥淪portsCenter鈥� and overflow crowds at Cushing Field.

鈥淚t affirmed for me that I made the right decision to come here. From an athlete鈥檚 perspective, experiencing that kind of atmosphere solidifies that what you鈥檙e doing is meaningful,鈥� says Hochman, who keeps that perspective in mind in his role with PWHL Boston.

Off the field, Hochman leveraged technology to start creating his own sports content as a student. He and a few fellow English majors started a website and podcast about sports called 鈥淭he Nosebleeds.鈥� Hochman also started a blog called 鈥�30 Second Sports,鈥� which he wrote for almost seven years. After graduating, he hosted two more podcasts, one about Boston sports called 鈥淥ff the Post鈥� and another about goalies, from any sport, called 鈥淛ust for Keeps.鈥�

A person in a suit holding a microphone interviews a person in a white and black top on a basketball court. Image by ESPN
As a student, Carter Hochman '19 was an ESPN3 sideline reporter for UML men's and women's basketball games.

鈥淚f you have a phone or a computer, there are so many things you can do yourself today with no money involved,鈥� he says. 鈥淓ven if six people are listening to your podcast, you鈥檙e getting your practice and getting a little better.鈥�

While a student, Hochman found time to do 鈥渆very job under the sun鈥� for the UML Athletics Department, assisting with game-day operations and public address duties and taking on the role of Rowdy at hockey games. When he saw that the department was looking for a basketball sideline reporter for UML games on ESPN3, he auditioned and got the job 鈥� which 鈥渁bsolutely reaffirmed鈥� his desire to work in sports.

After college, Hochman interned as the public relations and social media manager for Cape League Baseball and in the communications department of the America East Conference. He was a freelance writer for DraftKings and spent four years with Major League Soccer鈥檚 New England Revolution, assisting the broadcast team with statistics.

But it was Hochman鈥檚 鈥淥ff the Post鈥� podcast that helped him get his big break with PWHL Boston. Surveying the local sports landscape, he and co-host Brandon Gagnon noticed that the Boston Pride, a women鈥檚 team in the now-defunct Premier Hockey Federation (PHF), didn鈥檛 get a lot of media coverage, even though it was consistently winning league championships. So Hochman began interviewing Pride players and gradually became an authority on the team.

Three people walk into an arena while a group of people watch them. Image by Ed Brennen
As PWHL Boston players enter the Tsongas Center for that night's game, Carter Hochman, right, coordinates walk-in video content with the team's camera crew.

鈥淚t was an opportunity to talk about women鈥檚 hockey, which was niche at the time, and become really good at it,鈥� Hochman says. 鈥淚t was my first real inkling that I wanted to work in professional women鈥檚 hockey, specifically here in Boston.鈥�

When the PHF dissolved last summer and its players formed the six-team PWHL, Hochman jumped at the chance to work for the Boston club.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know this could be a full-time opportunity. And I didn鈥檛 think I could enjoy something like this as much as I do. It checks every single box,鈥� he says.

Hochman has grown the team鈥檚 social media presence, particularly on Instagram, which has jumped from around 5,000 followers at the beginning of the season to almost 45,000 followers heading into the regular-season finale 鈥� with a playoff berth still on the line.

He works out of the team鈥檚 main office and practice facility in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and travels with the team on road trips. Before a recent home game against first-place Toronto, Hochman was at the Tsongas several hours before the 7 p.m. puck drop, creating sponsored posts for the starting lineup and the player 鈥渨alk-ins鈥� to the arena. Donning a rainbow bowtie to celebrate the team鈥檚 Pride Night, he also captured fist bumps with players Amanda Pelkey and Taylor Girard during pregame warmups.听

A person looks at their phone while standing next to an ice rink where hockey players are skating. Image by Ed Brennen
Carter Hochman '19 checks his phone from the PWHL Boston bench while players warm up for that night's game vs. Toronto at the Tsongas Center.

鈥淲e鈥檙e showing followers why these are the best players in the world,鈥� Hochman says of a roster that includes Megan Keller, who won Olympic gold with Team USA in 2018 and silver in 2022, Alina M眉ller, a two-time Olympian for Switzerland, and Jamie Lee Rattray, who won gold with the Canadian Olympic team in 2022.

After the game, a thrilling 2-1 Boston win, Hochman created more sponsored posts of game highlights. Then it was home for a few hours of sleep before the team bus left for New York the next morning.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot that I鈥檓 proud of when it comes to the content that we鈥檝e done,鈥� says Hochman, who looks forward to helping the team grow its fan base in the coming years. 鈥淭his is just the beginning, and it was whipped up in six months, which is unheard of.鈥�

When Boston played its first-ever game on Jan. 3 at home against Minnesota, Hochman walked out of the tunnel and saw 4,012 fans packed into Tsongas.

鈥淔ans were on the edge of their seats before warmups even started,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 got extraordinarily emotional, because that鈥檚 what it means to them. They鈥檙e the reason we do this.鈥�

It was yet another memorable moment for Hochman at the Tsongas Center.

Share