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Women’s Division I College Hockey: Weekend Wrap October 2, 2023

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(1) Wisconsin at Lindenwood

Lacey Edwards scored twice while Casey O’Brien and Laila Edwards each added a goal and an assist to lead Wisconsin to their first win of the season 6-0 on Thursday. In the second game, the Badgers matched or set several records en route to a 16-1 win. It was the first time they’d had three players tally a hat trick in one game – Cassie Hall had four goals while Lacey Eden and Sophie Helgeson each scored three. It was a program high for goals scored. Caroline Harvey, Sarah Wozniewicz, Kelly Gorbatenko and Britta Curl also scored in the win. Sarah Davies broke up the shutout with a goal in the second. 

(2) Ohio State at (4) Colgate

Colgate jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period thanks to penalty trouble for OSU and power play goals from Elyssa Biederman and Kristýna Kaltounková. But they couldn’t extend the lead and Ohio State began to claw back, first with a Sloane Matthews put back in the second and Hannah Bilka’s first goal as a Buckeye in the third. The game looked destined for overtime when rookie Emma Pais picked the pocket of an OSU defender as she tried to exit the zone and took the puck in herself to score the game winner with under a minute to play. In the second game, the roles were reversed. OSU took a 2-0 lead at the beginning with a goal from Sloane Matthews in the first and Kiara Zanon’s first as a Buckeye 1:18 into the second. But Colgate mounted the comeback this time, as Neena Brick scored in the first two minutes of the third and  Kaltounková added a power play goal with 1:19 to go in regulation. But this time it was Ohio State that got the breakaway goal to win it all as Jenna Buglioni made it a 3-2 win for the Buckeyes. 

(5) Northeastern at LIU

In the first game, the rookies took control for Northeastern as Allie Lalonde scored the first of her career and Peyton Compton doubled the lead to make it 2-0 at intermission. From there Peyton Anderson and defender Kristina Allard traded goals to close out the game and give the Huskies the 6-0 win. On Saturday, Northeastern peppered the net with 40 shots, but Tindra Holm was huge in keeping the game in check. The Huskies didn’t break through until Katy Knoll’s shorthander with under six minutes to play. Taze Thompson doubled the lead a minute later and the Huskies escaped with the 2-0 win. 

Maine at (8) Quinnipiac

The Bobcats got started quickly as Nina Steingauf found Sadie Peart in transition and Peart skated right past the defense to put a wrister in the back of the net :49 into the game. Transfer Julia Nearis scored her first for Quinnipiac when Kate Reilly put the puck on her stick in the neutral zone and Nearis had nothing but empty ice between her and the net to make it 2-0. Kendall Cooper’s empty-netter gave the Bobcats the 3-0 win. The Black Bears took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission of the second game of the series thanks to a goal by Lily Fetch, but Quinnipiac buckled down from there as they scored five unanswered to close out the game and weekend sweep. Maya Labad, Jess Schryver, Nina Steingauf, Emerson Jarvis and Cooper each got a goal in the win. 

Boston College at (9) Clarkson

The Golden Knights outshot BC 9-1 to start the period, including a penalty kill, and did not let up from there. Laurence Frenette put the puck away after a flurry around the net to give Clarkson a 1-0 lead eight minutes into the game. Darcie Lappan and Anne Cherkowski added goals in the final frame to give the Golden Knights a comfortable 3-0 win. Things looked like the might turn around for BC in the second game when they forced a turnover and Julia Pellerin scored just 30 seconds into the game to give them a 1-0 lead. They had a chance to extend the lead later in the first when Brooke McQuigge was given a major and game misconduct, but Clarkson killed the long penalty and built momentum. Alexie Guay scored on her former team with a power play tally later in the period to make it 1-1. The game swung completely in the Golden Knights’ favor when Jenna Goodwin and Keira Hurry scored less than a minute apart in the second to give their team a 3-1 lead. Cherkowski extended the lead to 4-1 in the opening minutes of the third period. Abby Newhook clawed one back late in the game, but BC ran out of time to mount a comeback as Clarkson took a 4-2 win and weekend sweep. 

Connecticut at (11) Penn State

It took until the third period for the first game in this series to break open, but then Riley Grimley and Kathryn Stockdale scored 91 seconds apart to put Connecticut up 2-0 and Penn State couldn’t recover. Tia Chan earned a 33 save shutout in the win for the Huskies. On Saturday, the Nittany Lions came out firing, but Chan was up to the task and UConn took a 1-0 lead midway through the frame with a power play goal from Brooke Campbell. Penn State looked like they might have tied the game in the second on a delayed penalty, but a review showed the puck was touched up before the goal. Alyssa Machado found the equalizer with about seven minutes left in regulation. But neither team was able to eke out the win and it ended a 1-1 draw. 

Women’s Division I College Hockey: 2023-24 NEWHA season preview

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LIU won their first league title and the conference’s first automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament last season. They are the preseason favorite, but Saint Anselm and Stonehill both look poised to make it a tough fight until the end of the season. The Sharks saw a number of players enter the transfer portal and will be looking to replace some of their veterans across all positions. They have been very good in the role of upstart the past few seasons, but now they’re at the top and it will be necessary for LIU to begin to shift and mature into the kind of program they want to be long term, not just the one they could be at the beginning. Stonehill took over that newcomer/upstart role last season, but their coach departed after that spectacular season to take the head role at her alma mater, BU and now Stonehill is starting all over again. They have to find a way to harness what they did last season and not let it be a flash in the pan. And Assumption joins the league for their first-ever season, making this an eight team league. 

 

Assumption

Last Season

This is Assumption’s first year with a DI hockey team

Names to Know

Sheridan Terrazzano had 11 goals and 16 assists in two seasons at Post. She’s familiar with the league and more than doubled her point output from freshman to sophomore year. She’s got an even bigger opportunity in front of her here 

What to Watch For

There are just three upperclassmen on this roster. It was a smart move to bring in a transfer to start in net. Presumably Carissa Mudrak can build on her experience in the league and represent a calming and steadying force for the Greyhounds on defense, but Terrazzano and Kiersten Browning will have to provide the same elsewhere on the ice and on the bench. The roster is incredibly young and comprised mostly of freshmen. But these are freshmen that decided to take part in founding a program and being part of something historic. I hope the coaching staff can harness some of that drive and intrepid nature and help channel it into offense on the ice. 

This league loves an underdog and for new programs to make a big splash. NEWHA has proved to be an amazing incubator for new programs to build up their talent and their program. It’s such a great thing for the growth of women’s hockey. It also makes for some incredibly entertaining games. 

Crystal Ball

The preseason coaches poll put them seventh, so I will too. 

Franklin Pierce

Last Season

18-15-3, 15-9-3 (fourth). Lost to LIU in the NEWHA semifinals.

Names to Know

The Ravens were super active in the transfer portal, bringing in six new players to help round out the roster. I love that they went for a talented DIII player in Gwen Bowler, among others.

Jill Hertl had the sixth best save percentage in the country in her rookie year. She was absolutely stellar in net and still has so much time to learn and grow. It’s amazing to have such a solid goalie to build from who’s only a sophomore. 

What to Watch For

Ten points separate third from sixth place in the preseason poll and it feels like there’s another sizable gap between Franklin Pierce and the teams below them on that ranking. I don’t think backsliding is a big concern, which means there’s nowhere for the Ravens to go but up. They have potential and not a lot to lose and we can only hope the team embraces that mentality and the coaches give the players the opportunity to push a little more, be a tiny bit more reckless and look to take some calculated risks with the potential of big rewards. It feels like FPU could be a pain in the sides of the teams above them in the standings and really have an impact on the way the final standings shake out. 

Crystal Ball

I’m putting FPU fourth. 

Long Island University

Last Season

20-14-3, 157-4-3 (first). Earned their first-ever NCAA tournament berth. Lost to Wisconsin in the opening round. 

Names to Know

Jeannie Wallner was a first-team all-NEWHA selection and led LIU with 15 goals and 29 points last season. The 5’10” forward uses her size to her advantage in front of the net, has a great stride for recovering on defense and is absolutely stellar in big situations. She had four game-winning goals, including the game-winning penalty shot in a showdown for first place against Saint Anselm in early January.

Swedish national Tindra Holm shines in net for the Sharks. She was NEWHA Goalie of the Year, a National Goaltender of the Year Award semifinalist, MVP of the NEWHA tournament after pitching a shutout in the final and was 8th in the country in save percentage. She doesn’t get to play a ton internationally, serving mostly as Emma Soderberg’s backup, but she proves the depth of Sweden’s goaltending when she is in net at LIU. 

What to Watch For

Long Island have been a captivating team since the moment they first took the ice a few seasons back. They’ve accomplished a ton in a short time and are now in a position to be the hunted, not the hunters. Their somewhat new status means most of the women on the roster have been playing together as a core for several years. They have a chance this year to really solidify LIU atop the conference and move from charming upstart to intimidating mainstay. 

The Sharks aren’t messing around when it comes to scheduling, opening the season home against Northeastern and on the road to visit Minnesota Duluth. They’ll also play Princeton and Quinnipiac later in the season. These kinds of games help the team improve and help them gauge themselves against the rest of the teams in the country. Long Island knocked off a lot of firsts, but they aren’t content with going to the NCAA Tournament and getting blown out in the first round. In a league that won’t necessarily prepare them for the speed and physicality of the postseason, Kelly Nash has made sure the have chances to learn and grow and try and be better prepared for their next NCAA game. 

Crystal Ball

Returning most of their pieces and icing one of the best goalies in the country certainly makes it difficult to pick LIU anything other than first. 

Post

Last Season

4-29-2, 4-19-1 (sixth). Lost to Stonehill in the opening round of the NEWHA conference tournament. 

Names to Know

With the team’s two top scorers moving to Assumption, Maddy Noonan will take on a bigger role in the Eagles’ offense. She was third on the team with 11 points and was named to the NEWHA All-Rookie Team, the first player in program history to receive the honor. 

What to Watch For

Seven players departed the program in the offseason. There are now nine rookies on a roster missing many of last year’s key pieces. CoachGretchen Silverman will be looking to continue to establish the solid footing necessary for the program to grow from and solidify the character and identity of Post Women’s Hockey. I’d imagine there will be some growing pains. 

Post were 40th of 42 teams in team offense and dead last in team defense, but interestingly were in the top 15 in the nation on the penalty kill. They’re also one of the more penalized teams in the country. They need to figure out how to bring the same intensity they have during the PK to the rest of the game 

Crystal Ball

It could be a long rebuilding kind of year for Post. I have them sixth. 

Sacred Heart

Last Season

16-18-3, 12-10-2 (fifth). Lost to Franklin Pierce in the NEWHA quarterfinals. 

Names to Know

Carley Greene and Molly Elmore split time in net last season, but there are not four goalies on this roster and it will be interesting to see how those minutes get split and who steps up to earn the bulk of the time, particularly now that Sacred Heart has added Abbie Ives as an assistant coach. There’s a big opportunity here to use her knowledge and for all four women to learn a lot. 

What to Watch For

Coach Thomas O’Malley went out in the offseason and brought in a handful of players with tons of potential that weren’t getting a lot of ice time at bigger schools. Now he’ll look to use the experience of these players to build up an offense that was fifth in the conference in scoring and shore up a defense that was third best in NEWHA. 

In a close season where I think a few conference points will separate first from fifth, the Pioneers have a very friendly run to the end of the regular season. They have to make sure they keep focus and earn all the points they should from teams below them in the standings, something they have sometimes struggled with. 

Several Pioneers put up double digit assists while scoring just a few goals. This team seems determined to dish the puck and I hope we see them get a little more aggressive overall on offense and put the puck on the net. 

Crystal Ball

I gave Franklin Pierce the edge, so I have Sacred Heart fifth but I also think people may be underestimating them. 

Saint Anselm

Last Season
18-17-4, 14-6-4 (second). Lost to LIU in the NEWHA championship game. 

Names to KnowAlexandra Lalonde played about 130 minutes in net last season, but with Allie Kelley off to Syracuse, suddenly Saint Anselm is in need of a starter. They bring in rookie Courtney Stagman from Andover, Minnesota who could very well challenge for the role. 

Senior Natalie Tulchinsky flourished with the Hawks last season after transferring from Boston College where she’d managed four goals and four assists in two seasons. Last year she lead Saint Anselm with 20 goals and her 42 points were good for second on the team. She’ll come back with a lot of swagger and should be fun to watch now that she’s comfortable. 

What to Watch For

The coaches picked Saint Anselm second, but I’m just not sure. They were streaky to start the year last season and though they closed out the regular season with three straight wins and went on a run in the conference tournament, they had just one other regular season win in the second half. 

The Hawks played nine overtime games last season and won just two. They also had four ties. They need to find that little bit extra to end the game in regulation and they need to have the fortitude and fitness to keep those overtime games from slipping out of their grasp. I’d really like to see them run together more wins and weekend sweeps before I believe they can be at the top of this conference at the end of the season. 

Crystal Ball

I think the battle at the top of the table this year will be very interesting and could shake out with any of the top three as winners. For now, I’m putting Saint Anselm third. 

St. Michael’s

Last Season

2-26-4, 1-19-4 (seventh). Lost to Saint Anselm in the opening round of the NEWHA tournament. 

Names to Know

Junior Angelina Ruiz has a great instinct for when to unleash her shot and pick her spot through traffic. She needs a couple of linemates that can match that energy and really attack on offense. She also needs to be smarter and stay out of the penalty box. There’s a reckless passion that she’s got to find a better balance with. 

What to Watch For

With just four players scoring ten or more points last season, the Purple Knights have to find a way to muster up more offense. They’re a little older and more experienced in net and on defense this season and now they need to trust what they learned last season so they can be more aggressive and push more on offense. 

Crystal Ball

I think they’ll finish eighth

Stonehill

Last Season

19-16-2, 14-9-1 (third). Lost to Saint Anselm in the NEWHA tournament semifinals.

Names to Know

Alexis Petford was an absolute superstar last season, leading the conference in goals and points – in fact, her 28 goals were good for third-best in the country. She’s the reigning NEWHA Rookie of the Year and was on the USCHO All-Rookie Team. 

New head coach Lee-J Mirasolo is getting her first shot at the helm after 12 years as a DI assistant. There are big shoes to fill here after what Tara Watchorn did in just one season and Mirasolo is coming from Harvard, a program whose coach came under fire with allegations of abuse and was eventually allowed to retire. There’s a lot of possible baggage and Mirasolo will be looking to step out of that shadow and prove that Stonehill made a good choice in giving her a shot. 

What to Watch For

Can the Skyhawks repeat their debut performance? Starting with Alexis Petford leading the offense certainly helps. This is a solid team that didn’t turnover many players, but did get a whole new coaching staff. Will the players and their new coach mesh? Will implementing a whole new way of doing things just a year after they began be too much to handle? I don’t think so, but if we see Stonehill stumble this season, I can’t imagine looking back and not understanding why. There’s a lot that could go wrong and a lot that could go right and how the staff and players navigate that maze will determine which wins out. 

Crystal Ball

After such a stellar premiere, I’m giving them nudge at second, but they’ll have to look out for Saint Anselm.

Longtime Minnesota Duluth goaltender coach Nicklin elevated to assistant coach with Bulldogs men’s hockey team

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Brant Nicklin has worked with UMD goalies for a number of years (photo: Brett Groehler).

Minnesota Duluth has elevated the role of longtime goaltender coach Brant Nicklin to assistant coach.

Nicklin has been a volunteer assistant coach for the Bulldogs men staff since the 2014-15 season, and prior to joining the men, served as the UMD women’s goaltending coach from 2009 to 2014. Nicklin was on coaching staff for the UMD women’s hockey NCAA title in 2010, as well as the men’s back-to-back titles in 2018 and 2019. He’s also worked in that same capacity at St. Scholastica and has run a number of local goaltending schools and clinics.

“Brant has been a valuable part of our staff for many years, and I’m thrilled Bulldog hockey will continue to benefit from his knowledge and experience as we welcome him in his expanded role of assistant coach,” said UMD head coach Scott Sandelin in a statement.

“I have a lot of pride and passion for the university and the Bulldog program,” added Nicklin. “It is a privilege having the opportunity to continue working with the players, coaches and hockey staff.”

Nicklin was the Bulldogs’ ace in the goal for four seasons and exited UMD in 2000 ranking first all-time in saves percentage (.895), shutouts (8) and appearances (137), second in saves (3,880), and goals-against average (3.40) and third in wins (55), and still owns team records for games played (137).

He went on to sign a free agent contract with the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins and participated in two of their training camps. In four years as a professional, he played for the Central Hockey League’s Oklahoma City Blazers (2000-01) and San Angelo Saints (2003-04), the United Hockey League’s Quad City Mallards (2001-02) and Rockford Ice Hogs (2002-03), the East Coast Hockey League’s Florida Everblades (2000-01) and the American Hockey League’s Milwaukee Admirals (2002-03).

Nicklin graduated from UMD in 2006 with a B.A. degree in recreation.

NCAA announces recruiting violations for Air Force men’s hockey team, team accepts responsibility for infractions

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The NCAA announced Thursday recruiting violations pertaining to the Air Force hockey team.

In an announcement regarding the Air Force golf coach and gambling, the hockey violation was noted.

“The school, enforcement staff, men’s ice hockey head coach (Frank Serratore) and two assistant coaches agreed that an additional violation at Air Force occurred in the men’s ice hockey program, when two assistant coaches had approximately 18 impermissible recruiting contacts with a prospective student-athlete and his father before that student-athlete had entered the Transfer Portal,” reads the infraction. “The men’s ice hockey head coach is responsible for the behavior of his staff, and thus the parties agreed to a head coach responsibility violation.”

It was not clear who the assistant coaches are – past assistants or current assistants.

Level II-standard penalties have been levied for the men’s hockey assistant coaches and Serratore.

Women’s Division I College Hockey: 2023-24 WCHA season preview

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Five of this conference’s eight teams were ranked in our first poll of the season, including a sweep of the top three spots by Wisconsin, Ohio State and Minnesota, in that order. The Badgers are coming off their seventh National Championship, which they won 1-0 over Ohio State, who won the regular season title, while the Gophers defeated them for the tournament crown. 

With a number of program-defining players moving on after last season, the WCHA will look a little different but should be no less exciting and competitive. Wisconsin bolsters the talent and experience of last year’s successful freshman class with a new group of young and exciting rookies. Ohio State and St. Cloud State have rounded out their rosters with impactful transfers. Minnesota looks to establish a new identity while Minnesota Duluth is showing they are established as a perennial part of any national conversation. Intriguing rookies at St. Thomas could give the program a big boost while Minnesota State and Bemidji State look to build on the momentum they’ve created the last few seasons. 

On paper, Wisconsin looks to have an inside edge on winning the conference simply because they lost the fewest key pieces and have a very friendly schedule to open the year, giving them plenty of opportunity to gel as a team. Many of the questions and concerns for the other top WCHA teams are less about skill and talent and more focused on intangibles. Without seeing how the teams play together, it’s tough to know if those concerns are valid or not. Just assume that any one of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Minnesota Duluth and Ohio State could win the conference and all of them will likely remain ranked in the top 10 for the duration of the season. 

 

Bemidji State

Last season

5-30-1, 2-26 (eighth). Lost to Ohio State in the WCHA quarterfinals.

Names to know

Genevieve Hendrickson joined the Beavers last season and was immediately impactful on the offense. Now her sister Talya joins Bemidji and the chemistry the two bring together could be a really great kick start to what the team needs to build. 

Makenna Deering is a mobile defender who returns as the best shot-blocker on the team, but also stepped up well into the offense. She brings some needed depth of scoring and a good eye for when to unleash a shot from the top of the zone. 

What to Watch For

There was a lot of turnover on this roster this offseason, as several players transferred out – many to other teams within the WCHA. Now the Beavers have a fairly inexperienced roster of players who haven’t skated the bulk of the team’s minutes or spent much time in net. There’s an opportunity for a reset here and for the current group to reestablish a culture and baseline for what they want Bemidji State women’s hockey to look like. 

Just one player tallied double digits in points last season and she is not back this year. There was an even distribution of a small number of points among that roster, but if Bemidji is going to keep pace in any way this season, they have to be aggressive on offense.

Crystal ball

With a lot of offseason movement and an ever increasingly difficult rest of the conference, it’s going to be difficult for Bemidji to move up the standings this season. I have them eighth. 

Minnesota 

Last Season

30-6-3, 22-3-3 (second). Lost to Wisconsin in the NCAA semifinals.

Names to know

Abbey Murphy is both one of the most electric and most frustrating players to watch in the country. When you see the moves she can pull with the puck, the needles she threads to find a lane to the net, the wicked shot, the ability to stake claim to prime real estate around the net and how she can absolutely take charge of a game and turn it around for her team, you can’t help but be annoyed by the overly aggressive moments, embellishments and jawing that more often than not lead to penalties. She’s a pest and she definitely gets in opponents heads, but she being that kind of player is about tiptoeing the line of physicality and chirping so that you’re in their head and get the advantage. Murphy is not so good at that part of the dance. Maybe the most frustrating part is that she doesn’t need any of the extras. I find myself wishing she’d just go out and play. She’s damn talented if she can stay out of her own way. 

Transfer defenders Taylor Stewart and Solveig Neunzert both bring size and experience to the Gopher blue line this season. Both are calm, solid, unflappable skaters that know how to clog up passing lanes, step into traffic and win back the puck. Both will have a chance to take on bigger roles from the point on offense and could be really interesting additions to the offensive dynamic, as well. I’m particularly excited by the possibilities of Neunzert growing her game that way. 

What to Watch For

There is plenty of talent on this Gopher roster, so it’s not so much that Minnesota will need to replace the skill of Taylor Heise and Grace Zumwinkle in terms of goals and points. But those two were leaders who were vocal and demonstrative and also led by example. They pushed each other, pushed their teammates and ensured the whole team was along for the ride. They brought a wealth of international experience. That kind of leadership is going to be much more difficult to replace and replicate. Maybe more than any other team in the country, I think the Gophers’ fortunes this season will be tied to which players take on more leadership this season and how well the group can keep up the drive and motivation that relentlessly pushed Heise and Zumwinkle. 

When it feels like every single WCHA point is going to matter, it could be a tough final two weeks for the Gophers, who end the regular season at Wisconsin and then home against Minnesota Duluth. 

Skylar Vetter was very good in net for Minnesota last season, but they brought Lucy Morgan in as a grad transfer and I feel like she could really push herself into the conversation for starting minutes. Morgan was a standout at St. Lawrence, helping shore up her team in the face of tough opponents in the ECAC and I think she’ll transition well to the WCHA. 

Crystal Ball

I love what the Gophers added this offseason, but they have to replace generational, program-defining players in Taylor Heise and Grace Zumwinkle. I think we’ll probably see Minnesota forge a new identity, but that likely doesn’t happen quickly. I absolutely believe they could upset everyone’s plans, but for now, I’ve got them tied for third with UMD. 

Minnesota Duluth

Last Season

26-10-3, 17-8-3 (fourth). Lost to Minnesota in the NCAA regional final.

Names to know

Freshman goalie Ève Gascon is probably the most touted goalie prospect we’ve ever had in women’s college hockey. She was the second to earn a win in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and was first female player to play for a boys major U-18 team in Quebec in 2018. At 20, she comes in with tons of experience and combines being a technical, methodical goalie with speed and big playmaking ability. She has a huge opportunity to be a four year starter at UMD and has big skates to fill with the graduation of Emma Söderberg. 

Senior Olivia Wallin joins UMD after three years at Penn State where she skated on the top line. She’s got great vision, is stellar at dishing the puck and not afraid to pick her spot. The WCHA is very different from the CHA and it will be interesting to see how she adapts to the speed, style and physicality, but there’s an opportunity for her to really stand out and become a leader on the Bulldog offense. 

What to Watch For

Four of the Bulldogs’ top five scorers are no longer on the roster, but this is a team that has always shown scoring depth and an ability to get scoring from all over the ice. Some of their highest scorers are regularly defenders as this is a team that’s very good at moving up and down the ice as a unit, getting the blue liners involved and finding their passing lanes so that defenders are often setting their counterparts up perfectly on the way to the net. 

The Bulldogs continue to consistently good by playing a really successful team game where you might have a standout player or two, but there isn’t one single focus. That makes turnover far less impactful here and gives new players a chance to slot in without so much pressure. They play a strong, smothering defense and are smart about the transitions they push and opportunities they pounce on. Their defense is particularly big this season and I expect to see them frustrating opponents with poke checks and by covering more ice. 

Crystal Ball

I talked myself in circles trying to find a reason to pick Minnesota or Minnesota Duluth before the other, so in the end I’m putting them both third. The Bulldogs’ success is probably pretty tied to how well Ève Gascon adapts to the college game. 

Minnesota State

Last Season

15-20-1, 9-18-1 (sixth). Lost to Wisconsin in the WCHA quarterfinals.

Names to know

Lauren Barbro took about half the starts in net last season, but the Mavericks also brought in Suzette Faucher, who was the 2020-21 NEWHA Goalie of the Year with Franklin Pierce, saving at least 30 shots in 18 games, including a career high 57 against Penn State. She brings poise, patience and athleticism to Mankato and could be a really interesting option for MSU in net. With four goalies on the roster, I’m guessing the team will try out different combinations to start the season, but a safe bet says they’ll settle on some combination of Barbro and Faucher. 

Senior Madison Mashuga led the team with 10 goals last season. She hasn’t gotten near as much attention as some of her teammates over the past few years, but she’s proved really adept at being in the right place at the right time, picking her spots and being unafraid to put the puck on net. Mankato needs even more of that from her this year and I think she has what it takes to take on a bigger role leading the offense. 

What to Watch For

After setting a program record for wins two seasons ago, the Mavericks weren’t able to push any further last year and equaled their win total. The hardest part of the WCHA for a team in the middle is how difficult it is to move out of that spot. When the team picked as fourth best in your conference is ranked 8th in the country and the 5th best team is ranked 13th nationally, it can seem a mighty big hill to climb. This season they need to focus on getting sweeps in the series they can win and look for opportunities to push back on and grab points from the teams ahead of them. They did a lot of work to get to this point and now signs of progress are going to be much smaller and harder to find. They need to keep up the confidence and find ways to steal some games from those top teams. 

Last season the Mavericks were receiving votes in the polls in the opening month after logging three straight one-goal losses to Ohio State and Minnesota Duluth. They face off with Wisconsin, UMD and Minnesota in the opening weeks of the season again this year and it would be awesome to see them close that gap even more. Can they snatch some important early conference points? 

Crystal Ball

I have Mankato finishing seventh

Ohio State

Last Season

33-6-2, 23-4-1 (first). Lost to Wisconsin in the National Championship game. 

Names to know

The Buckeyes’ transfer-in list is the stuff coaches dream of, with two-time Olympian Cayla Barnes and two-time World Championship forward Hannah Bilka from BC, former National Rookie of the Year and two-time CHA Player of the Year Kiara Zanon from Penn State, national team pool player Kelsey King from Minnesota State, Quinnipiac’s leading scorer Olivia Mobley and Clarkson’s leading blocker and Canada national team pool player Stephanie Markowski. Barnes may prove to be the most valuable. She is a very different player than 2023 Patty Kazmaier Award winner Sophie Jaques, but she can fill a similar role in terms of stepping into offensive play while not giving up ground on defense. 

Freshman Joy Dunne is a 5’11” forward that absolutely dominates the space she occupies on the ice. She is quick and deceptive for her size and is unafraid to unleash her massive shot from anywhere on the ice. She was the USA team captain at the last U18 Women’s World Championships and handled herself incredibly well in front of a lot of attention as the team lost their first-ever semifinal game at the tournament. She was instrumental in keeping her team together to rally for the bronze and stepped up big time behind the scenes. She’s a leader on and off the ice and I’m excited to get to watch her play regularly. 

What to Watch For

What’s there to say about a team that was national runner up and went out and added several national team players/Olympians and weapons from across the country through the transfer portal and a couple of impressive rookies to boot. However, that’s a lot of different players (and some pretty big personalities) that need to come together and get comfortable in new roles. 

Last year’s class graduating felt like the end of an era for this team – the last members of the group of players that signed on when OSU wasn’t a national powerhouse and who helped bring the program to prominence. I think it will be interesting to see how the team mindset shifts a little as the next generation write their part of the story. With the shift in the transfer portal, we’ve seen the impact a player can make in a year or two and I don’t mean to imply that the incoming players aren’t important or aren’t a part of the legacy, but I also think it’s important for some of the younger players to get dug in and start creating not just what the team looks like and accomplishes this season, but what they can build on for the next few years. 

Crystal Ball

Wisconsin proved to be better in the last game of last season, so for the moment Ohio State is second. I’ll be watching to see how they gel, how players adjust to different roles and how they replace that dynamic two-way play of Sophie Jaques. 

St. Cloud State

Last Season

18-18-1, 11-16-1 (fifth). Lost to Minnesota Duluth in the WCHA quarterfinals.

Names to know

Klára Hymlárová is a dynamic two-way forward that proved incredibly deadly on special teams. She’s as effective a defender as scoring threat on special teams, blocking shots and quarterbacking the power play, scoring eight extra-attacker goals. She led the Huskies with 17 goals.

Jojo Chobak and Sanni Ahola have proven to be one of the most adept and effective goalie tandems in the country, combining for a .923 save percentage and a 2.48 goals against average. Chobak’s shutout of Wisconsin in their Fill the Bowl game last season was one of the best goalie games of the season. 

What to Watch For

We named Brian Idalski our Coach of the Year last year for good reason. He took over the reins in St. Cloud just before the season started with a roster he didn’t recruit and barely had time with before play started and nearly tripled the number of conference wins and doubled the number of wins overall. They earned at least a point from every other team in the conference – something they’d not done since 2010. They tied the program high in wins that hadn’t been touched since 2008 and had the second-most conference wins in a season. He used the transfer portal over the offseason to fill in some of the gaps he felt the roster had and the team returns most of the pieces from last season that helped turn the program around. The result should be another dangerous team that can upset the top four in the conference and push for an NCAA tournament bid. 

Their schedule is pretty back-loaded, which means they have time to build for some of the toughest matchups and also means they must take advantage and not drop any early conference points. 

Crystal Ball

I both think the Huskies are going to be massively improved this season and am not sure how to put them any higher than fifth. The top half of the conference is tough to crack and the key for SCSU will be stringing together wins after pulling off big upsets last season. 

St. Thomas

Last Season

8-27-1, 3-24-1 (seventh). Lost to Minnesota in the WCHA quarterfinals.

Names to know

They had two very solid and experienced goaltenders in Saskia Maurer and Alexa Dobchuk, who graduated so Joel Johnson went out and added Calla Frank and Olivia King through the portal. Both played within the WCHA before, though Frank has more experience with the volume of shots St. Thomas’ net is likely to see. I like the move of bringing in goalies with experience, but wonder if that locks Maggie Malecha out all together, which would leave the team in this same position next year, as both Frank and King are grad students. 

What to Watch For

The Tommies won a few more non-conference games last season, but weren’t able to accomplish much more in conference games. It’s clear this program is still growing and they definitely continue to make moves in the right direction through recruiting and the transfer portal. There’s potential here, but they still need time and much like I said above, it’s just an incredibly difficult conference to try and get a foothold in and make any moves. The ceiling is probably sixth at best, so it’s how they find motivation and confidence in that narrow window that will be important here, especially since they play the top four teams in the conference one after another in October and early November. 

There are a total of 12 new players on this roster – nine freshmen and three transfers. The learning curve is going to be steep for this squad. 

Crystal Ball

The incoming players for St. Thomas are incredibly intriguing and I think there’s potential for this team to be better than people expect, but as with St. Cloud, the hill to climb is absolutely massive. An improved season for them might not actually show any change in the final standings. I have them sixth. 

Wisconsin

Last Season

29-10-2, 19-7-2 (third). Won their sixth National Championship.

Names to know

KK Harvey lived up and then exceeded her own hype this season. She scored the game-winner in the national semifinal and assisted on the game-winner in the national championship game. She was our co-Rookie of the Year and Wisconsin’s first rookie All-American in more than 20 years. She went on to have a breakout tournament with Team USA at the 2023 Women’s World Championships, leading all scorers with 14 points, the first defender to do so in IIHF Women’s Worlds history. She’s just a sophomore, but will look to bring that wealth of experience back and keep providing what feels like effortless shut down defense while stepping up in the offensive play and showing off the kind of skating most of us can only dream of. 

Rookie defender Ava Murphy is similarly dynamic, with a wicked shot from distance, great instincts from the blue line and the ability to close quickly on defense. She’s incredibly poised and solid on defense with a solid eye for picking out where to place a pass in transition. 

What to Watch For

Last season’s rookies made a massive impact and this year’s incoming class look poised to do the same. In addition to the two blueliners above, the Badgers added transfer Anna Wilgren on defense and get Chayla Edwards back for one more season. Like last season, they are in want of a starting goaltender, but 6’0” rookie Ava McNaughton is certainly going to push Jane Gervais and Chloe Baker for playing time. However, with the defense Wisconsin is putting on the ice, goaltending seems far less of a worry. 

This team pulled off a bit of a shocker last season, winning their 7th National Championship after losing 10 games for the first time in a decade. They were scrappy and resilient and still came out on top, which is going to give them even more confidence than a team of this caliber normally has at the beginning of the season. They know what they’re made of and that they can fight back. This is a very young, very talented team that has nothing but confidence in themselves and each other, but the humility to know it’s never that simple. 

They end the season at home against Minnesota and then Ohio State in late February. If the conference is as close as we all anticipate, those games will have massive implications in the conference title, tournament and national rankings. 

Crystal Ball

The defending national champions get the benefit of the doubt for the preseason number one. As with last season, they don’t have a true starter in net to start, but they should be an offensive powerhouse and this year they have the bonus of having one of the most interesting bluelines in the country.

RIT tabbed Atlantic Hockey favorite in 2023 coaches poll, Tigers’ Wilkie chosen preseason player of year

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Carter Wilkie was an offensive catalyst last season for RIT (photo: Caroline Sherman/RIT Athletics).

Defending regular-season champion RIT is the winner of the 2023-24 Atlantic Hockey preseason coaches’ poll.

The Tigers earned seven of 11 possible first-place votes in balloting among AHA head coaches (coaches could not vote for their own teams) for 105 points to outdistance second-place Sacred Heart, which received two first-place votes and tallied 99 points.

AIC finished third with 90 points and one first-place vote. Last season’s AHA postseason runner-up, Holy Cross, finished fourth with 82 points and earned the remaining first-place vote.

In addition, individual preseason honors were announced. These were also voted on by conference coaches.

2023-24 Atlantic Hockey Preseason Coaches Poll
(First-place votes)
1. RIT (7)/105
2. Sacred Heart (2)/99
3. AIC (1)/90
4. Holy Cross (1)/82
5. Canisius/79
6. Niagara/68
7. Army West Point/53
8. Air Force/47
9. Mercyhurst/35
10. Robert Morris/30
11. Bentley/27

Preseason Player of the Year (Votes)
Carter Wilkie, Jr., F, RIT (9)

Preseason All-Atlantic Hockey Team
F- Carter Wilkie, Jr., RIT
F- Max Itagaki, So, Army West Point
F- Jack Ricketts, Sr., Holy Cross
D- Gianfranco Cassaro, Sr., RIT
D- David Melaragni, Gr., Canisius
G- Tommy Scarfone, Jr., RIT

Augustana head coach Raboin named assistant for 2024 United States national junior team

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Garrett Raboin is Augustana’s first head coach (photo: Augustana Athletics).

Garrett Raboin, who is in his first season as head coach of the inaugural Augustana men’s hockey team, will serve as an assistant coach of the 2024 U.S National Junior Team.

Raboin joins the staff that is led by head coach David Carle (Denver) and assistant coaches Brett Larson (St. Cloud State), Steve Miller (Minnesota) and David Lassonde (USA Hockey), and video coach Travis Culhane (Denver).

Team USA will play in the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship Dec. 26, 2023 – Jan. 5, 2024, in Gothenburg, Sweden. The U.S. is in Group B alongside Czechia, Norway, Slovakia and Switzerland, and will play its preliminary round games at Frölundaborg Arena.

Prior to arriving at Augustana, Raboin spent four seasons as an assistant coach at Minnesota. Prior to joining the Gophers, Raboin spent six seasons as an assistant at his alma mater, St. Cloud State.

As a player, Raboin was a two-time all-WCHA selection and led St. Cloud State to three NCAA tournament berths. He went on to play professionally in Europe for two seasons.

Former Mercyhurst goalie, coach Aubry joins Omaha staff as Mavericks’ new associate coach

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AUBRY

Omaha has announced the addition of Peter Aubry as associate coach for the men’s hockey team.

Aubry previously worked with the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks and AHL’s Rockford IceHogs in a development and analytics role.

“Peter Aubry is a great addition to the Mavericks, and we are very excited to have him here in Omaha with us,” Omaha head coach Mike Gabinet said in a statement. “The amount of experience at the professional and Division I level he is bringing with him will make an immediate impact on our program and culture.”

Aubry made a two-week appearance behind the Blackhawks bench in Nov. 2021 where he helped three-time Stanley Cup winner Marc Andre Fleury post a .939 save percentage in that span.

Prior to joining the Ice Hogs in 2015, Aubry served as an assistant coach at Lake Superior State in 2014-15 and at his alma mater, Mercyhurst, from 2011 to 2014.

A 2002 graduate of Mercyhurst, Aubry earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting & finance. In 2018, Aubry secured his master’s degree in organizational leadership from Mercyhurst as well.

“I am honored and excited to join Mike Gabinet and his staff at Omaha. Mike’s reputation is outstanding, and we connected immediately,” Aubry said. “As such, it is with great enthusiasm that I look forward to joining the UNO community and helping our student-athletes accomplish their goals.”

Boston University starts 2023-24 as No. 1 team in preseason USCHO.com Division I Men’s Hockey Poll

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BU players celebrate a goal against Minnesota in the 2023 national semifinal (photo: Jim Rosvold).

With 17 first-place votes, Boston University is the No. 1 team in the 2023-24 preseason USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll.

Defending national champion Quinnipiac garnered 22 first-place votes and sits No. 2, while Minnesota earned 10 first-place votes to sit at No. 3.

Denver is No. 4, and Michigan rounds out the top five with the remaining first-place vote.

USCHO.com Preseason Men’s Division I Poll – Sept. 25, 2023

Boston College is sixth, followed by North Dakota at No. 7, St. Cloud State at No. 8, Michigan State ninth, and Michigan Tech at No. 10.

The bottom half of the poll is Cornell, Western Michigan, Ohio State, Merrimack, Harvard, Penn State, Minnesota Duluth, Providence, Northeastern and Notre Dame, respectively.

In addition to the top 20 teams, 20 other teams received votes in the preseason poll.

The USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll is compiled weekly and consists of 50 voters, including coaches and media professionals from across the country. Media outlets may republish this poll as long as USCHO.com is credited.

Former Trinity women’s hockey star Weiss named assistant coach for Bantams men’s team, will be first female assistant in D-III men’s hockey ranks

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Kim Weiss was a top player for Trinity from 2007 to 2011 (photo: Trinity Athletics).

The Trinity men’s hockey program has announced the hiring of former Trinity women’s hockey great Kim Weiss as an assistant coach for the 2023-24 season.

Weiss becomes the first female assistant coach in the NCAA Division III men’s hockey ranks, according to a Trinity news release.

“This is a huge opportunity for the program,” said Trinity head coach Matt Greason in a statement. “Kim has spent years in the trenches of coaching to gain invaluable knowledge of the game and how to teach it. I believe she is one of the best young coaches in the game, and we are lucky to have her back home at Trinity.”

Weiss joins the Bantams staff after serving as associate head coach of the NAHL’s Maryland Black Bears. Weiss signed on as an assistant coach for the Black Bears in 2021 and worked her way up to the associate head coach role. Weiss made history in March 2023 as she served as head coach for the Black Bears, guiding them to a pair of victories.

With the Black Bears, Weiss was responsible for defensemen, forwards and the power play, where she helped increase the power play success from 16 percent to 24 percent, and the penalty kill from 80 percent to 83 percent with 16 short-handed goals.

Prior to joining the Black Bears, Weiss was director of player development and head coach of the Washington Pride girls hockey program. She was a part of the Landon School boys varsity hockey program from 2014 to 2019 and claimed the Mid-Atlantic Prep Hockey League championship in 2015.

Weiss was a standout female hockey player at Trinity from 2007 to 2011, earning Division III first team All-American and NESCAC player of the year status in 2011. Weiss set the program marks for career points (108), career goals (62), and single-season goals (22).

As a senior, Weiss was a finalist for the 2011 Laura Hurd Award as the Division III player of the year. As a junior, Weiss helped led the Bantams to the NESCAC championship game and the program’s first NCAA Division III tournament appearance. Weiss earned NESCAC all-conference honors in each of her four seasons, including three first team selections. During her four-year career, the Bantams totaled a 70-24-11 record with three appearances in the NESCAC semifinals.

Weiss is currently a part of the NHL Coaches Association Female Coaches Program and has been a featured speaker in their mentorship program.

Vermont men’s hockey promotes Bradley to assistant coach, adds Madolora as new assistant, names Stalberg advisor to coaching staff

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From left, Brendan Bradley, Shane Madolora, Viktor Stalberg.

Vermont has announced staffing updates for the men’s hockey team ahead of the 2023-24 season.

Brendan Bradley has been promoted to assistant coach and the Catamounts have hired Shane Madolora to the same role. In addition, Viktor Stalberg will the rejoin the Vermont hockey team as advisor to the coaching staff.

Bradley enters his second season with the Catamounts after serving in a volunteer capacity last season. Following graduation, Bradley had a successful pro career in the AHL and ECHL. Since his retirement from playing, Bradley coached in Pennsylvania in the prestigious Flyers Elite program. He also served as an assistant coach at King’s and with Holy Ghost Prep.

In his UVM career, Bradley played in 147 games, and he had 20 points or more in all four of his seasons in Catamounts colors. In total, he picked up 31 goals and 54 assists for 85 points. In his senior campaign, he served as captain of the Catamounts.

“Pride in this program, and a belief that we will win on a nightly basis is very important as we move into this new era of UVM men’s hockey,” said UVM head coach Steve Wiedler in a statement. “Brendan lived it and brings this passion with him to the rink every day. His playing experience here at UVM and beyond will aid in the development of our current student athletes while his knowledge of our current roster will support the stability and continuity of our coaching staff moving forward. We talk about bleeding green and gold within this program; you can’t find another guy around D-I NCAA college hockey that does that more than Brendan.”

Madolora comes to Burlington via RIT where he was the volunteer goalie coach last season. Madolora graduated as RIT’s Division I-era career leader with a .932 save percentage, which is tied for 10th in NCAA history. He is also tops with a 1.97 GAA, which remains tied for 20th in the NCAA record book. Madolora remains first in Tiger history (and tied for 20th in NCAA history) with 13 career shutouts, as well as fourth with 1,727 saves, fifth with 36 wins, and tied for fifth with 65 appearances. Madolora was voted the 2010-11 Atlantic Hockey goaltender of the year after landing the first of back-to-back first-team all-conference nods.

Madolora played professionally for four years following his RIT career, including training camp invites from the NHL’s San Jose Sharks and AHL’s Rochester Americans, along with appearances across the top leagues in France, England and Italy. He also served as head coach/director of player personnel for the Rochester Monarchs Tier II junior program and from 2016 to 2019, was an assistant coach with the RIT women’s hockey team.

“Shane will bring a polished and detailed approach to our coaching staff,” said Wiedler. “On top of being an exceptional DI NCAA goaltender himself, his ability to develop goaltenders over the last few years at RIT has been exceptional. Every reference call we made on Shane raved of his professionalism and attention to detail. He’s been a head coach at the Junior A level and will bring our staff a wealth of knowledge in multiple areas of our program. We are excited to welcome Shane and his wife Lauren to Catamount Country.”

Stalberg spent eight seasons in the NHL with six different teams and won the 2013 Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks. He played in nearly 500 NHL games and posted 82 goals and 86 assists in his career. In addition, he represented Sweden at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.

During his junior year at Vermont, Stalberg was a first team All-American and finalist for the Hobey Baker Award with 24 goals and 22 assists, leading the Catamounts to the 2009 Frozen Four. In three seasons with UVM, he never missed a game and registered 84 career points. In 2020, he was announced as a UVM athletics hall of famer.

“Vik was one of the first alumni to reach out and express not only support, but an interest in helping the program however possible,” said Wiedler. “His playing career and personal story through the doors of UVM carries a lot of similarities to some of our current student-athletes. He has a strong sense of pride in this program and belief in its ability to win championships. Our coaching staff will lean on Vik to provide us feedback on our style of play, and key characteristics that made the program so successful while he was here.

“We are extremely lucky to have one UVM Athletics Hall of Famer fill a vacant spot left by another UVM Athletics Hall of Famer as Viktor will do with the departure of Patrick Sharp with his new role with the Philadelphia Flyers.”

Minnesota favorite to win Big Ten hockey title in 2023 coaches poll, Gophers’ Snuggerud, Notre Dame’s Bischel unanimous preseason all-conference

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Minnesota’s Jimmy Snuggerud scored four goals in a game last season (photo: Minnesota Athletics).

Minnesota is considered the favorite to capture the 2023-24 Big Ten championship, according to the Big Ten Hockey preseason coaches poll.

Preseason all-Big Ten teams were also selected in voting conducted by conference head coaches.

PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN

FIRST TEAM
Forward Gavin Brindley Michigan So.
Forward Jimmy Snuggerud # Minnesota So.
Forward Stephen Halliday Ohio State So.
Defenseman Seamus Casey Michigan So.
Defenseman Luke Mittelstadt Minnesota So.
Goaltender Ryan Bischel # Notre Dame Gr.
SECOND TEAM
Forward Rutger McGroarty Michigan So.
Forward Frank Nazar III Michigan So.
Forward Bryce Brodzinski Minnesota Gr.
Defenseman Mike Koster Minnesota Sr.
Defenseman Drew Bavaro Notre Dame Sr.
Goaltender Justen Close Minnesota Gr.
HONORABLE MENTION
Forward Dylan Duke Michigan Jr.
Forward Joey Larson Michigan State So.
Forward Landon Slaggert Notre Dame Sr.
Defenseman Ryan Chesley Minnesota So.
Defenseman Jimmy Dowd Jr. Penn State Sr.
Goaltender Trey Augustine Michigan State Fr.
# unanimous selection

PRESEASON POLL

1. Minnesota
2. Michigan
3. Michigan State
4. Notre Dame
5. Wisconsin
6. Penn State
7. Ohio State

North Dakota deputy AD Martinson named chair of NCAA men’s and women’s ice hockey rules committee

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MARTINSON

North Dakota deputy director of athletics Erik Martinson has been named the NCAA men’s and women’s ice hockey rules committee chair.

“It is an incredible honor to work with so many great people across the entire landscape of collegiate hockey,” said Martinson in a statement. “The work that this group does behind the scenes to improve the game is something that we all take pride in and are excited to do.”

Martinson has served as a member of the committee since 2020 and will serve as the chair during his final year of his term.

During his time, he has helped oversee a bevy of positive changes to help increase game flow and ensure accuracy of calls made by officials including overhauling the video replay process, the current overtime format, adapting the offside rule to match the NHL, clarifying the language for supplementary discipline and more.

The committee is made up of 13 members from all areas of NCAA hockey and oversees all Division I and Division III men’s and women’s programs.

Women’s Division I College Hockey: 2023-24 Hockey East season preview

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Despite graduating program-defining players Alina Müller, Maureen Murphy, and Chloé Aurard, Northeastern is still the favorite in Hockey East. They’ve established a dominant perch atop the standings here and no one team has seemed to be able to link together several seasons of top tier play that can put regular pressure on the Huskies.

Both Vermont and Providence are the two teams most likely to upset Northeastern’s dominance, though my dark horse is Boston University. Vermont returns most of the roster that took second place in the conference, which had league voters giving them the edge in the preseason poll, but Providence has the easier second-half schedule and possibly the higher ceiling – at least, they have more unknowns. I love the changes in the roster at BU, but think it’s probably going to take a little while for Tara Watchorn to make this team her own. 

I can’t imagine picking against Northeastern in Hockey East until there’s a team that proves that they can pressure and beat them with consistency. The teams and league will all be better for a more competitive environment. 

Boston College

Last Season

20-15-1, 16-11-1 (fourth). Lost to Northeastern Hockey East semifinals.

Names to know

Transfers Sammy Smigliani and Jade Arnone will help fill out the offense. Smigliani in particular is used to a more physical style of play that I think will be important for BC this season. The forward group, in general, is on the smaller side and the Eagles have played a swift game based on breakouts and quick moves around defenders. They’ll still do some of that with Abby Newhook and Gabbie Roy, but think someone who can grind along the boards and in corners like Smigliani will be a good addition to that style. 

Freshman Molly Jordan led the 2023 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championships in time on ice and was the lone American on the all-tournament team. She was reliable, unflappable and came up big again and again as the US struggled in Sweden. She’s the kind of well-round, stalwart defender coaches rave about and will be a massive addition to the BC defense. 

What to Watch For

The Eagles lost their biggest names to the transfer portal this offseason and they’ll be feeling that impact on both defense and offense. Hannah Bilka, Cayla Barnes and Alexie Guay have all moved on, taking a third of the team’s points with them. Barnes led the team in blocks and was a shut down defender that did well to slip into offensive play. It’s honestly a little difficult to envision what this team looks like without these players that felt like they were a part of everything the Eagles did on the ice. This is a team that needs a whole new identity. While I’m not sure we’ll see it pay off this season, this might be good for a program that hasn’t been able to be consistent in several years. The players on this team need to take this adversity and use the opportunity to create new character to define the program. There needs to be something shaken up to get them out of the rut they’ve been in. Time will tell whether these players are up to that particular challenge. 

BC opens their season with road trips to Clarkson and Wisconsin, which is definitely going to put them to the test early on. Both those teams play a physical game that doesn’t leave a lot of time for decision making or puck movement. They’ll provide an early tough test for BC that I won’t be expecting to manifest in points for the Eagles, but could really show us a lot about who they are and what they’re capable of as they fight through four straight tough games. 

Their goalie group is made up of two freshman and a sophomore, Grace Campbell, who appeared in three games and has a total NCAA ice time of 177 minutes. I’d imagine this is a wide open battle that won’t be settled in September or early October. It should be fun for fans to watch the players push each other to get better and earn the role. 

Crystal Ball

I’m picking BC sixth. 

Boston University

Last Season

11-20-3, 915-3 (seventh). Lost to Merrimack in the opening round of the Hockey East tournament.

Names to know

Luisa and Lilli Welcke are transfers from Maine who play for the German National Team. They were both named to the Hockey East All-Rookie team last season and were among the team leaders in scoring. Their international experience shows in how quickly they handle the puck and make decisions. 

Freshman Alex Law was electric for Canada in the U18 Women’s World Championship semifinal where they eked out a 3-2 win over Finland where she scored the game-tying and game-winning goals. 

What to Watch For

For the first time in its 19 year program history, there is a new coach leading the Terriers. Alumna Tara Watchorn stepped into the role when Brian Durocher retired at the end of last season. Watchorn proved herself as a head coach with Stonehill last season, taking the brand new program to the conference tournament semifinals and a 19-16-2 record in its first season of existence. 

The Terriers have struggled with scoring for a few seasons now, so the addition of the abovementioned forwards is vitally important to BU’s ability to succeed. They were 28th out of 42 teams with just 2.15 goals scored per game. 

The question of who will become their starting goaltender is a very interesting one. Callie Shanahan played a handful of games last season behind Andrea Brandli. Watchorn brought in transfer Alexa Matses from Northeastern, who hasn’t played many minutes, but has been paired with the last two Goaltender of the Year Award winners. It could be interesting to see what she’s capable of out of their shadow. 

Crystal Ball

I’ve got the Terriers fourth to start the season

Connecticut

Last Season

18-13-4, 126-11-4 (fifth). Lost to Boston College in the Hockey East quarterfinals.

Names to know

Tia Chan had the fourth best save percentage (.935) and sixth best goals against average (1.67) in the country last season. 

Jada Habisch led the team with 13 goals and she tied with Coryn Tamala to each lead the team with 21 points. 

What to Watch For

Connecticut finished fifth in the conference, but were the 10th stingiest defense in the entire country. The Huskies continue to be absolutely stellar from the blue line, but lost .6 goals per game of offense from 21-22 to 22-23. They return most of last year’s forwards, but the big push this season has to be to rely on that defense and take some more chances on offense. 

The Huskies travel to play Minnesota to start the new year. We don’t get to see too many Hockey East/WCHA matchups. They also close out the regular season against teams that should be near them in the standings. They have a chance to close out on a really strong run and build momentum to the postseason. 

Crystal Ball

I have them fifth.

Holy Cross

Last Season

7-26-1, 6-21-0 (ninth). Lost to New Hampshire in the opening round of the Hockey East tournament.

Names to know

With several transfers out, the Crusaders will need big contributions from young players. Alexia Moreau was second on the team with eight goals. She’ll be counted on to not just light the lamp, but to anchor the offense while dishing the puck and setting up teammates. She’s proven adept at finding seams and I’m hoping we see that view of the ice expand this season. 

Emma Min led the team with 60 blocks. She’s a smaller defender, but pesky and completely unruffled by stepping in front of the puck. I’d like to see her think a little more big picture in terms of starting transitions and being in a position to step up into the zone and put a shot toward the net to create opportunities for second chance goals. 

What to Watch For

Holy Cross had just one conference win two seasons ago, so the six they hung on the board this year were a huge step forward. They had six one-goal losses, but were 2-2 in overtime. The Crusaders scored wins over #14 Vermont and #15 Connecticut. Anyone watching this team closely knows that they continue to improve and build. The team is starting to play with the confidence of a squad that knows they can push against everyone in the league. They’ve sort of quietly been building momentum, gaining experience and are going to give Hockey East plenty to worry about his season. 

Crystal Ball

I have Holy Cross tenth.

Maine

Last Season

15-18-2, 12-13-2 (sixth). Lost to Providence in the Hockey East quarterfinals.

Names to know

Senior Mira Seregély led the team with 23 points. She has been a consistent point producer that’s as adept at setting up a teammate as she is scoring herself. She’s a Hungarian National Team player who brings physicality and experience and will be a good leader among a team with a 10 freshmen and five incoming transfers. 

What to Watch For

A late hire just before last season, Molly Engstrom starts her second season at the helm with a wildly different roster. Four players transferred out, five transferred in and they have a big freshman class. There has been a major program shift in Orono and it will be interesting to see how Engstrom having even more of an impact on the makeup of the squad affects outcomes this season. The team had essentially the same record over the past two seasons. The hope is that the team starts to move forward from here. 

The group of transfers is diverse and come from a wide range of schools. It really seems Engstrom went hunting for a specific kind of player and I’m interested in trying to determine what it is that she saw in each of them that made them the right fit. 

Crystal Ball

I’m putting Maine seventh.

Merrimack

Last Season

9-25-2, 5-20-2 (tenth). Lost to Northeastern in the Hockey East quarterfinals.

Names to know

Teaghan Inglis was third on the team in scoring last season, as a defender. She’s now the highest scoring returner on the roster. Her 200 foot game and ability to make an offensive impact from the blue line make her so important to Merrimack’s success this season. She’s not afraid to put the puck on net and see what happens and the Warriors are going to have to take advantage of that and score some second chance goals in the dirty areas. 

Celine Tedenby played just four games in a Warriors uniform before losing her season to injury. She brings a focused drive to the net and presence in front of the net that the Warriors need this season. 

What to Watch For

After showing some growth over the previous few seasons, things stagnated a little for the Warriors last year. They’ll be looking to keep building on the ground they’ve gained and hope to move out of the cellar in the standings after they finished last in 2023. On the positive side, they won their second conference tournament game. It won’t be an easy path for them this season, as they graduated three of their top four scorers who accounted for 42% of their goals last season. 

Merrimack was the second-most penalized team in the country last season, spending nearly 10 minutes a game in the box. They had a top-third power play, but unfortunately for them they spend a lot more time killing penalties than with a player advantage. 

Crystal Ball

I think they’ll finish ninth.

New Hampshire

Last Season

12-21-3, 9-15-3 (eighth). Lost to Vermont in the Hockey East quarterfinals.

Names to know

Kira Juodikis led the Wildcats with 17 goals (seven more than anyone else on the team) and was second with 28. She also led the team in shots. She’s tall, she’s strong on her skates, she’s great at limiting visibility of puck around the perimeter and she continues to improve using her long reach and stick to disturb the flow, prevent breakouts and win turnovers. 

What to Watch For

With the graduation of the best netminder in UNH history, there’s a very large void in net for the Wildcats and the three goalies on the roster have a combined one game of collegiate experience. Freshman Sedona Blair won silver with Team USA at the 2022 U18 Women’s World Championships, but didn’t see the ice. She’s 5’10” and moves well through the crease and knows when to use her long reach. 

UNH has finished eighth in the conference over each of the past three seasons. There is opportunity to make moves in the conference this season, but they need to string together wins and figure out a way to earn wins in close games. They were 1-2 in overtime and 1-2 in shootouts. They also had eight one-goal losses – but the silver lining is that seven of them were in the first half of the season and the final one was a 1-0 loss to Vermont in the Hockey East Tournament quarterfinal. This feels like a team that could be on the verge of taking a big step forward, but they really have to embrace the opportunity and not let it be snapped up by someone else. 

Crystal Ball

I have UNH eighth.

Northeastern

Last Season

34-3-1, 24-2-1 (first). Lost to Ohio State in the national semifinal.

Names to know

Rookies Alexandra Lalonde and Peyton Compton were both members of USA’s 2023 bronze-medal winning U18 Women’s World Championship team. Compton is small and agile and uses her slight stature to get into space that wouldn’t be open for some other players. Lalonde showed really good vision of the ice and an ability to know where the play would develop and where her linemates would be. Both have the talent to join the pantheon of great Northeastern forwards. 

Megan Carter was Hockey East Best Defender and a First-Team All-Conference selection. She’s calm under pressure and especially adept at turning the play around in transition and finding her teammates as they work up the ice. Northeastern might not have the same fast-paced breakout this season, but I expect no matter what their offense looks like, Carter plays a big supporting role. 

What to Watch For

There’s definitely been a major turnover of iconic players from this roster over the past two seasons and there is no doubt that there are big gaps to fill in the lineup, but the Huskies are also returning six fifth-year players in Katy Knoll, Becca Vanstone, Peyton Cullaton, Megan Carter, Gwyn Philips and Peyton Anderson. Philips took advantage of finally being the starter and earned Goalie of the Year. 

More than 40% of the team’s scoring graduated with Alina Müller, Chloé Aurard and Maureen Murphy. The rest of the team was used to playing more supporting roles to those three, so their year is really going to hinge on whether or not any of the skaters look at the gaps they left behind and take that as an opportunity to step up their game. Philips should serve as a model for taking advantage of shifting roles and making the most of the chances available. Players like Peyton Anderson and Skylar Irving have come up big at times over the past few years for Northeastern and I think if they’re going to keep their stranglehold of the top of the conference, at least one of them and one of the rookies have to really come into their own and embrace the challenge. 

Crystal Ball

This is Northeastern’s conference to lose.

Providence

Last Season

22-11-4, 15-8-4 (third). Lost to Northeastern in the Hockey East championship game.

Names to know

Sophomore Reichen Kirchmaier was named to the conference All-Rookie team last season and was third on the team with 22 points. She’s the highest returning scorer this season and looks primed to lead the offense this year. She’ll benefit from playing with and learning from experienced players like Lindsay Bochna and Wisconsin transfer Grace Shirley, who never seemed to find her role and settle in with the Badgers but who has a smoothness to her skating that makes her very fun to watch. 

What to Watch For

Not to put the focus only on goalies, but some of the best in the league ended their careers last season, including Sandra Abstreiter at Princeton. Her steady presence in net really gave the team the cushion to grow into a top of the table team in Hockey East – they finished third three of the last four years and lost the tournament championship game to Northeastern in two of those years. 

There’s a bit of blurring the lines between defense and offense when you watch Providence play. The forwards get back quickly and are involved in their own zone and the blue liners are active around the perimeter in the offensive zone, aren’t afraid to shoot or slash in to the net and help create a really well-rounded lineup that shows depth and moves pretty seamlessly around the rink. 

Crystal Ball

I’m putting them third, but think we could see a lot of movement in those top four spots. 

Vermont

Last Season

22-11-3, 16-8-3 (second). Lost to Providence in the Hockey East semifinals.

Names to know

Natálie Mlýnková emerged as one of the most interesting international players currently playing in the NCAA. She’ll need to have a bigger role this season without Theresa Schafzahl by her side, but she’s capable of being the same kind of creative, play-making presence that Schafzahl was for this offense. She led the team with 23 goals and was also third on the team with 41 blocks. Vermont will need her to be confident and smart in transition and really find the balance of being the lead playmaker while also finding her teammates for outlet passes and slashing in on net. 

Jessie McPherson was 12th in the country with a 1.80 goals against average. She logged the fifth-most minutes among netminders and her steady presence and ability to come up big when she’s needed the most are such an integral part of the team dynamic and the ability of players to take chances on offense.

What to Watch For

The Catamounts earned their second-straight runner up finish in the regular season, but for the second time, were out of the tournament in the Hockey East semifinals. Generally, when they won last season, they won big and when they lost, it was by a goal or two and they let more than a couple of games they probably should have won end in ties or losses. For Vermont to really be a national contender, they have to put away those games and consistently win weekend series. 

League schedulers across the sport have been leaning into the drama and this year, Hockey East is no different. UVM travels to Boston to face Northeastern for the final weekend of the regular season. 

Crystal Ball

A strong finish to the season leads me to believe they can finish second.

Women’s Division I College Hockey: 2023-24 CHA season preview

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There’s an argument to be made that no conference has seen more change in the last six months than the CHA. In the 2023-24 season, they welcome Robert Morris back into the fold after a two year absence. Several of the league’s teams have seen major roster turnover.  Lindenwood has a fully new coaching staff and every school was able to add a fourth paid assistant this season. Some big names departed – including several that transferred within the conference – and there are a number of players returning for their fifth year of eligibility. 

All that upheaval makes it difficult to know how CHA teams will stack up nationally or how the conference standings will shake out. Penn State won their second regular-season championship before capturing their first CHA Tournament crown, giving them their first-ever NCAA Tournament berth. But they lost a lot to the transfer portal and graduation and I am really intrigued by Mercyhurst, so I’m picking the Lakers to win the conference title.

Lindenwood

Last Season

5-27, 5-11 (fourth). Lost to Penn State  in the opening round of the CHA tournament.

Names to Know

Morgan Neitzke is the only skater to have reached double digits in goals and assists – she lead the team with 29 points. 

What To Watch For

Coach Shelley Looney was let go at the end of last season after amassing an 18-115-7 record over four seasons. Taylor Wasylk takes over after several seasons at the helm of DIII Suffolk University. Wasylk and her staff have a tough hill to climb. The Lions have never finished above fourth in the conference in 11 years as a member. 

Lindenwood has struggled mightily on defense for several seasons and that simply has to be the focus before anything else. They were 41st out of 42 teams last season, allowing 4.53 goals per game. They also continue to be one of the most penalized teams in the nation. The new staff has to find a way to get this team disciplined and playing cleaner so they can focus on the fundamentals and not spend so much time playing shorthanded. 

This is a pretty experienced team, with a small incoming class and solid returners. There’s a base to build off here.

Crystal Ball

The Lions haven’t been able to find their footing or create much to build on over the past few seasons and that makes it difficult to move up in the standings. I have them fifth. 

Mercyhurst

Last Season

21-14-2, 12-3-2 (second). Lost to Penn State in overtime in the CHA Tournament championship game.

Names to know

Sara Boucher led the team with 21 assists and 38 points. After a stellar rookie year, Vanessa Upson regressed a bit as a sophomore. If this team is going to come together and succeed, I think they need her to find her equilibrium and step up as a leader this season. 

Goalie Ena Nystrøm, defender Sydney Pedersen and forward Sara Boucher were named to the preseason all-CHA team. Freshman Henlee Mahoney was named preseason co-Rookie-of-the-Year.

Sofia Ljung was part of the U18 Sweden team that upset the US in the semifinals. She showed a sense for clogging lanes, shutting down passes and not letting players get a free look at the net. I’m excited to see what she brings to the Lakers this season. 

What To Watch For

Mercyhurst is definitely the most intriguing-on-paper team coming into this season. They’ve been impressive the past two seasons with a younger roster. Now that those players are more experienced, Mike Sisti has brought in a rookie class with players from Denmark, Finland and Sweden alongside St. Cloud State transfer Olivia Cvar. I like the size of this team and expect them to be tough to battle along the boards and shoulder to shoulder. They finished just five points behind Penn State last season and I think it’s going to be a closer fight this year. 

The Lakers played four games in Sweden in July, including taking the National Team to shootout and a narrow 2-1 loss. The trip should have been incredibly important to their team bonding and gelling as well as building confidence and obviously that kind of exposure only improves recruiting efforts in the future. 

Crystal Ball

I don’t actually think this is that controversial, but I’m going to pick Mercyhurst to win the conference. 

Penn State

Last Season

27-9-2, 14-1-1 (first). Qualified for their first-ever NCAA Tournament. Lost to Quinnipiac in triple overtime in the first round. 

Names to know

Tessa Janecke was the USCHO and HCA Rookie of the Year. Her standout season saw her breaking all the program records for freshman including single season points, assists and goals while tying for the national lead among newcomers with 47 points. She is going to need to be even better while drawing a bigger portion of defense’s attention now that the five other leading scorers from last year’s team have either transferred or graduated. 

Grad transfer defenders Maggie MacEachern and Alva Johnsson should be dynamic additions to the Penn State blue line. Johnsson is tall and uses her long reach well. Both are skilled at blocking shots and forcing turnovers to create breakouts in the other direction. 

What to Watch For

Last season, the Nittany Lions announced they were for real with a season-opening win over #2/3 (and eventual national champions) Wisconsin. They added wins over UMD, Boston College, St. Lawrence, Brown and Boston University. Those were crucial to keeping Penn State in the rankings and had they lost their conference tournament, would have given the tournament selection committee a lot to think about. Coach Jeff Kampersal continues to stack their non-conference schedule, this time opening at #5 Northeastern. They’ll also play Colgate, Cornell and Yale before the season is over. 

Penn State is no longer off anyone’s radar and they don’t bring the same pace and talent they had with Kiara Zanon and Olivia Wallin on the roster. It’s a very different game when you come back as the champion and all your opponents know what kind of weapons you have. They’ll need some players to really step up and meet the talent Janecke brings to give her room to make plays and shoot the puck. 

Crystal Ball

I would not be at all surprised to see Penn State win again, but based on how much offensive firepower they lost, I’m going to need to see how they adjust and who steps up to support Janecke before I believe they can topple Mercyhurst. I have them second. 

RIT

Last Season

4-26-2, 1-13-2 (fifth). Did not qualify for the CHA tournament.

Names to know

Junior Sarah Coe gives RIT a foundation and the opportunity to begin to be more aggressive offensively. The improvement in her stat line from over the past two seasons is a credit to her, but also shows how the team in front of her has gotten better. She faced nearly 100 fewer shots, gave up 23 fewer goals, averaging 1.23 fewer goals against per game, all while playing 115 more minutes. The defense in front of her improved and she rose to the occasion. Those are the things the Tigers can build on and look to on the really hard days to know that the work they are putting in is paying off. 

What to Watch For

The Tigers have shown the ability to grow and improve over the course of a season under Celeste Brown. They doubled their wins from last season and cut their opponents average margin of victory in half during the second part of the season. The goal now is to start that progression much earlier and find ways to turn a few of their eight one-goal losses into ties or wins. I love how they battled back time and again last season, keeping opponents much closer in the second game of a series. It says a lot about their determination and that grit serves them well. There’s room for them to take down teams within this conference and build confidence and momentum. 

Crystal Ball

With just one conference win last season, I think RIT remains sixth until we see a little more from them. 

Robert Morris

Last Season

The Colonials are returning to play after a two year hiatus when the university attempted to cut the program.

Names to know

Six women – Mya Neugent, Calli Arnold, Allyson Hebert, Gillian Thompson, Wasyn Rice and Maggie Hatch – are returning to the ice with RMU this year. They stuck it out, trained together last season after the program was reestablished and form the core of the new Colonials program. They’re joined by Chace Sperling, who transferred to St. Cloud State for two seasons, but returns to her original home at RMU. Sperling, Hebert, Thompson and Rice were part of the 2021 team that won the CHA Championship. With a team comprised of nine rookies and nine transfers, these six are going to be so important to establishing culture, creating a team and setting the basis the program will build on from here on out.

What to Watch For

It seems likely Robert Morris is going to experience some growing pains as they refind their footing and bring this program back to campus. It’s been an incredibly tumultuous few years and it’s difficult to trust the university and the athletic department at this point. Players have to be able to compartmentalize and play the games without the worry and the history bearing down on them too much. 

The Colonials have what looks to be a friendly final month of the season and will need to make sure they’re winning the winnable games while stealing some points from the likes of Mercyhurst and Penn State. 

Crystal Ball

It’s kind of impossible to get a handle on the Colonial’s ceiling after not playing last season, so I have them fourth. 

Syracuse

Last Season

10-24-2, 6-9-1 (third). Lost to Mercyhurst in the CHA semifinals. 

Names to know

Sarah Thompson is the lone top scorer returning to Syracuse this season. She led the team with 14 goals and was second with 24 points. She’ll be surrounded by new linemates, but will need to be the leader of this offense, particularly early on. 

Sophomore Maya D’Arcy was a CHA All-Rookie Team selection last season and the team needs her to be an even bigger part of the defense this year. She’s smart in front of the puck, solid at blocking shots and plays bigger than her size. She could be one of the breakout stars on this team this year. 

What to Watch For

With four freshmen, six incoming transfers and a total of eight graduate or fifth year players, it’s safe to say that there’s been a lot of upheaval in Syracuse. Second-year coach Britni Smith has certainly made her mark on the Orange, working to set up her team with the players she thinks can help them win. Five of the team’s top six scorers either graduated or left the program. The Orange averaged 2.2 goals for and 3.3 goals against last season. The defense has to be better than that, but the lack of scoring before they lost most of their offensive threats does not bode well. They need some new players to take on bigger roles and step up, but from a player perspective, it’s a difficult balance to be trying to gel with the team and create cohesion while also taking on more and looking to stand out. How the team and players navigate that is going to decide if they are successful this season. 

The Orange also have a question mark in net. Arielle DeSmet leaves some big pads to fill. They brought in transfer Allie Kelley from Saint Anselm as well as freshman Bella Gould and return Amelia Van Vliet, who has a few starts in three years, appearing in just 12 games. Locking into a start or tandem early could go a long way to establishing the defense and creating that solid back to build out from. 

Crystal Ball

The Orange had one of the most active offseasons, with 11 players coming or going from last year’s roster. They’re also adding four rookies and are in coach Britni Smith’s second season. Team cohesion is important for everyone, but I think it will be extra necessary for Syracuse to be successful. I’ll put them third for now.

Former Adrian, RIT, MSOE women’s hockey coach Davis named new head coach at Saint Mary’s

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DAVIS

Saint Mary’s announced Monday that Chad Davis has been named the new head women’s hockey coach.

Davis, who spent last season spearheading the launch of the women’s hockey program at Milwaukee School of Engineering, comes to Saint Mary’s after spending two seasons as the head women’s coach at Rochester Institute of Technology, where he was named CHA coach of the year in 2019.

He replaces Sarah Murray, who stepped down earlier this offseason.

“We are thrilled to have Chad lead our women’s hockey program and our amazing student-athletes,” said SMU athletic director Brian Sisson in a statement. “His many years of experience as a head coach, developing student-athletes, and taking programs to new heights will be great for our program and our students.

Prior to his stint at RIT, Davis put together a stellar resume at Adrian, amassing a 150-37-10 record in seven seasons with the Bulldogs. Davis won the NCHA regular-season championship in four consecutive seasons (2015-18) and captured the conference tournament title three times (2016-18). His teams also made three consecutive NCAA tournament trips from 2016 to 2018 and finished as the national runners-up in 2017. Davis was named the AHCA/CCM coach of the year during the same season.

“I would like to thank athletic director Brian Sisson, president Father Burns, and the entire hiring committee for the opportunity to lead the women’s hockey program at Saint Mary’s University,” said Daivs, who inherits a team that finished 8-15-2 a year ago. “I look forward to meeting the team and beginning the championship process. My family and I are excited to be a part of the Winona community.”

Davis played at American International, appearing in 52 games as a goaltender from 2001 to 2004. He also played professionally with the CHL’s Laredo Bucks before starting his coaching career, which began with stops at American International and Robert Morris.

“As a former hockey student-athlete, and someone who has taken a team to the national championship, we are excited to get started and see Chad’s impact on our program,” Sisson said. “We welcome his wife Lauralee, and kids, Claire, Luke, Logan, and Camryn to the Cardinals family.”

Minnesota grad, 2022 Patty Kazmaier Award winner Heise taken No. 1 overall in 2023 PWHL Draft

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Minnesota’s Taylor Heise won the 2022 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award (photo: Wesley Dean).

Former Minnesota standout and 2022 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award winner Taylor Heise was the top pick in Monday’s inaugural PWHL Draft, going to the Minnesota franchise.

Five other former NCAA players went in the opening round as Jocelyne Larocque (Minnesota Duluth) went No. 2 to Toronto, Alina Muller (Northeastern) No. 3 to Boston, Ella Shelton (Clarkson) No. 4 to New York, Savannah Harmon (Clarkson) No. 5 to Ottawa, wrapping up with Erin Ambrose (Clarkson) going to Montreal sixth overall.

Of the 90 players selected in the 15-round draft, 84 played NCAA hockey. Two did not play NCAA hockey and four others played college hockey in Canada.

2023 PWHL DRAFT

Draft Round (Overall)Player's NamePositionPWHL TeamCollege Team
1 (1)Taylor HeiseFMinnesotaMinnesota
1 (2)Jocelyne LarocqueDTorontoMinnesota Duluth
1 (3)Alina MullerFBostonNortheastern
1 (4)Ella SheltonDNew YorkClarkson
1 (5)Savannah HarmonDOttawaClarkson
1 (6)Erin AmbroseDMontrealClarkson
2 (7)Kristin O'NeillFMontrealCornell
2 (8)Ashton BellDOttawaMinnesota Duluth
2 (9)Jaime BourbonnaisDNew YorkCornell
2 (10)Sophie JaquesDBostonOhio State
2 (11)Emma MaltaisFTorontoOhio State
2 (12)Nicole HensleyGMinnesotaLindenwood
3 (13)Grace ZumwinkleFMinnesotaMinnesota
3 (14)Kristen CampbellGTorontoWisconsin
3 (15)Jamie-Lee RattrayFBostonClarkson
3 (16)Jessie EldridgeFNew YorkColgate
3 (17)Jincy Dunne-RoeseDOttawaOhio State
3 (18)Maureen MurphyFMontrealProvidence/Northeastern
4 (19)Dominika LaskovaDMontrealMerrimack
4 (20)Gabrielle HughesFOttawaMinnesota Duluth
4 (21)Chloe AurardFNew YorkNortheastern
4 (22)Loren GabelFBostonClarkson
4 (23)Natalie SpoonerFTorontoOhio State
4 (24)Maggie FlahertyDMinnesotaMinnesota Duluth
5 (25)Susanna TapaniFMinnesotaNorth Dakota
5 (26)Jesse CompherFTorontoBoston University
5 (27)Hannah BrandtFBostonMinnesota
5 (28)Elizabeth GiguereFNew YorkClarkson
5 (29)Hayley ScamurraFOttawaNortheastern
5 (30)Kati TabinDMontrealQuinnipiac
6 (31)Kennedy MarchmentFMontrealSt. Lawrence
6 (32)Daryl WattsFOttawaBoston College/Wisconsin
6 (33)Corinne SchroederGNew YorkBoston University/Quinnipiac
6 (34)Jessica DiGirolamoDBostonSyracuse
6 (35)Kali FlanaganDTorontoBoston College
6 (36) Clair DeGeorgeFMinnesotaBemidji State
7 (37)Natalie BuchbinderDMinnesotaWisconsin
7 (38)Victoria BachFTorontoBoston University
7 (39)Theresa SchafzahlFBostonVermont
7 (40)Jill SaulnierFNew YorkCornell
7 (41)Aneta TejralovaDOttawaN/A
7 (42)Tereza VanisovaFMontrealMaine
8 (43)Madison BizalDMontrealOhio State
8 (44)Katerina MrazovaFOttawaMinnesota Duluth
8 (45)Brooke HobsonDNew YorkNortheastern
8 (46)Emily BrownDBostonMinnesota
8 (47)Brittany HowardFTorontoRobert Morris
8 (48)Denisa KrizovaFMinnesotaNortheastern
9 (49)Sidney MorinDMinnesotaMinnesota Duluth
9 (50)Allie MunroeDTorontoSyracuse
9 (51)Taylor GirardFBostonLindenwood/Quinnipiac
9 (52)Jade Downie-LandryFNew YorkMcGill (Canada)
9 (53)Zoe BoydDOttawaQuinnipiac
9 (54)Gabrielle DavidFMontrealClarkson
10 (55)Maude Poulin-LabelleDMontrealVermont/Northeastern
10 (56)Kristin Della RovereFOttawaHarvard
10 (57)Paetyn LevisFNew YorkOhio State
10 (58)Emma SöderbergGBostonMinnesota Duluth
10 (59)Melissa ChannellDTorontoWisconsin
10 (60)Sophia KuninFMinnesotaWisconsin
11 (61)Amanda LeveilleGMinnesotaMinnesota
11 (62)Maggie ConnorsFTorontoPrinceton
11 (63)Sophie ShirleyFBostonWisconsin
11 (64)Abigail LevyGNew YorkMinnesota State/Boston College
11 (65)Lexi AdzijaFOttawaQuinnipiac
11 (66)Jillian DempseyFMontrealHarvard
12 (67)Claire DaltonFMontrealYale
12 (68)Sandra AbstreiterGOttawaProvidence
12 (69)Olivia ZafutoDNew YorkColgate
12 (70)Shiann DarkangeloFBostonSyracuse/Quinnipiac
12 (71)Rebecca LeslieFTorontoBoston University
12 (72)Michela CavaFMinnesotaUConn/Minnesota Duluth
13 (73)Liz SchepersFMinnesotaOhio State
13 (74)Hannah MillerFTorontoSt. Lawrence
13 (75)Emma BucklesDBostonHarvard
13 (76)Kayla VespaFNew YorkSt. Lawrence
13 (77)Amanda BoulierDOttawaSt. Lawrence
13 (78)Elaine ChuliGMontrealUConn
14 (79)Ann-Sophie BettezFMontrealMcGill (Canada)
14 (80)Caitrin LonerganFOttawaBoston College/Clarkson
14 (81)Emma WoodsFNew YorkQuinnipiac
14 (82)Tatum SkaggsFBostonOhio State
14 (83)Alexa VaskoFTorontoMercyhurst
14 (84)Minttu TuominenDMinnesotaOhio State
15 (85)Sydney BrodtFMinnesotaMinnesota Duluth
15 (86)Olivia KnowlesDTorontoMinnesota
15 (87)Jess HealeyDBostonMinnesota Duluth
15 (88)Alexandra LabelleFNew YorkMontreal (Canada)
15 (89)Audrey-Ann VeilletteFOttawaMontreal (Canada)
15 (90)Lina LjungblomFMontrealN/A

Bowling Green hockey coach Eigner placed on leave, three players suspended over alleged off-campus hazing incident

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Three Bowling Green hockey players have been placed on interim suspension and head coach Ty Eigner has been placed on administrative leave in response to a report of alleged hazing at an off-campus event involving players on the team, according to a news release posted Monday afternoon.

https://x.com/DBriggsBlade/status/1703823196892324269?s=20

“Immediately upon receiving a report of alleged hazing, the University notified local law enforcement and initiated its own investigation,” reads a statement. “BGSU has placed three students on interim suspension from the team. Additionally, Head Coach Ty Eigner has been placed on administrative leave, pending a full review. Effective immediately, Curtis Carr has been named interim head coach and William Switaj has been appointed to serve in an interim advisory capacity.

“Through our commitment – both on campus and across the state – the University remains steadfast in its mission to eradicate hazing. Our community continues to embrace a culture of accountability, and we continue to be grateful for those who report concerns.”

The names of the players suspended were not made public by the school.

CCHA announces results of coaches, media preseason polls, individual awards ahead of 2023-24 hockey season

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Blake Pietila collected 10 shutouts in 2022-23 for Michigan Tech (photo: Michigan Tech Athletics).

The CCHA has announced the results of the 2023-24 coaches and media polls and preseason awards chosen by the coaches and media.

2023-24 CCHA Preseason Coaches Poll
Michigan Tech – 67 (4 first-place votes)
Northern Michigan – 66 (3)
Bowling Green – 55
Bemidji State – 49
St. Thomas – 45 (1)
Minnesota State – 45
Ferris State – 36
Lake Superior State – 29

Co-Preseason Players of the Year
Austen Swankler, JR, F, BGSU
Blake Pietila, SR, G, MTU

Preseason Rookie of the Year
Eric Pohlkamp, FR, D, BSU

Preseason All-CCHA
Andre Ghantous, SR, F, NMU
Kyle Kukkonen, SO, F, MTU
Austen Swankler, JR, F, BGSU
Ben Wozney, JR, D, BGSU
Josh Zinger, SO, D, NMU
Blake Pietila, SR, G, MTU

2023-24 CCHA Preseason Media Poll
Michigan Tech – 152 (11 first-place votes)
Northern Michigan – 133 (2)
Bowling Green – 124 (2)
Minnesota State – 114 (1)
Bemidji State – 100
St. Thomas – 88
Ferris State – 72
Lake Superior State – 49

Preseason Player of the Year (Media)
Austen Swankler, BGSU

Preseason Rookie of the Year (Media)
Eric Pohlkamp, BSU

Preseason All-CCHA (Media)
Andre Ghantous, F, NMU
Kyle Kukkonen, F, MTU
Austen Swankler, F, BGSU
Kyle Looft, D, BSU
Josh Zinger, D, NMU
Jed Pietila, D, MTU
Blake Pietila, G, MTU

Rivier men’s hockey team adds assistant coaches Purdue, Coughlin, goaltender coach Bastoni to staff

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From left, Billy Purdue, John Coughlin, and John Bastoni.

Rivier has announced the addition of Billy Purdue and John Coughlin as assistant coaches and John Bastoni as goaltender coach.

Purdue played with the Raiders in the 2022-23 season after wrapping up a four-year career at Post. During his college career, he took time to assist the EHL’s Seahawks Hockey Club in the 2019-20 season before serving as an instructor with IPH Hockey Skills in 2021.

“I am really excited to join the Rivier men’s ice hockey coaching staff,” said Purdue in a news release. “I feel fortunate for the opportunity to coach at the collegiate level after spending four years playing, including my last at Riv. I am looking forward to the season.”

During his first year on the bench, Purdue will continue his pursuit of his MBA in Healthcare Administration at Rivier.

Coughlin brings a wealth of experience at the high school, junior, and collegiate levels with him as he rejoins the Rivier staff this season. He began his coaching career as an assistant at Framingham State in the 1990-91 season. Nearly a decade later, he served as the associate head coach of the Eastern Jr. Kodiaks out of Exexter, N.H. from 2009 to 2011. During the 2021-22 season, Purdue was an assistant during Rivier’s inaugural season. Last season, he served as the Malden Catholic High School girls varsity hockey coach while also scouting for the ACHA team at St. Cloud State.

“I am very excited to be back at Riv,” said Coughlin. “I love this team and look forward to working with the returning players, new players and coaching staff.”

Prior to his coaching career, Coughlin was a four-year letter winner at St. Lawrence, graduating in 1985.

Bastoni joins the Raiders staff after assisting at multiple programs over the past two seasons. In 2021-22, he served as the goaltender coach for both the Saint Mary’s (Lynn) High School and the University of New England teams before assisting Salem State in 2022-23.

“I couldn’t be more excited to join the Rivier coaching staff,” said Bastoni. “This is an up-and-coming program with talent all over the roster. I look forward to helping this team achieve new heights in the 2023-24 season and beyond.”

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