Sabres honor local female sports leaders on Women in Sports Night

The Buffalo Sabres are proud to celebrate the contributions of female athletes, administrators and fans during our annual Girls and Women in Sports Night on Sunday, March 8 against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

This year, we’ll be highlighting five women who have made a profound impact in the Western New York sports community and beyond.

Below is a rundown of this year’s guests of honor and their accomplishments.

Chelsea Walkland

Chelsea is an assistant coach for the U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Hockey Team. Walkland is also an assistant coach with Colgate University, and has won an NCAA Division III National Championship with RIT. In 2023, she was invited by the Buffalo Sabres to help run their development camp!

Julie Murphy

Julie was a three-sport athlete at Williamsville South High School, voted first team all-Western New York in both softball and field hockey. She is currently both an assistant field hockey coach at Nichols and a head softball coach at Williamsville South, and was elected to the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame.

D'Ann Keller

As the deputy director of athletics for the University at Buffalo, Keller manages a 16-sport administrator team, with direct oversight of women’s basketball and soccer. She is known for her collaborative leadership style, fostering a positive staff culture and driving university success.

Lauren Vargo

As the Sport Services Manager for the Buffalo Sports Commision, Lauren serves as a driving force in the Western New York amateur athletics community. She plays an integral role in attracting, supporting, and executing sporting events that showcase our region on a national stage, and acts as a mentor and advocate for athletes throughout the area!

Taryn Burkholder

A West Seneca native, Burkholder attended Niagara University, playing lacrosse and serving as a two-year captain. She has been the head women’s lacrosse coach at Slippery Rock University since June of 2022, and has posted a 33-7 record over the last two years, guiding the Rock to become one of the top Division II programs in the country during her tenure.