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**Trillium** · 09-18-2014, 12:50 PM

Re: ECAC D1 Women's Hockey 2014-15 Season

Reposting this detailed ECAC Pre-season Preview on AtEvenStrength.com blog which may be of interest. Divided into sections to meet posting constraints

1. Harvard
Key Departures: F Elizabeth Parker, F Gina McDonald
Key Returnees: F Miye D’Oench, F Hillary Crowe, D Melissa Gedman, D Sarah Edney, G Emerance Maschmeyer
Key Additions: D Michelle Picard, F Lyndsey Fry, F Karly Heffernan, F Dani Krzysczyk, F Lexie Laing

Harvard got off to a hot start last season despite losing some key players to the U.S. Women’s National Team, and stood atop the ECAC standings for much of the first half of the year. However, a short bench and a lack of experience caught up to them; their offense was inconsistent and their goaltending looked worn down by the end of the season. Despite holding the second-best record in the ECAC, they found themselves in a very close battle with Yale in the conference quarterfinals, and were pushed to three games by the Bulldogs before falling to Cornell in the ECAC semifinals. The Crimson went on to face Wisconsin in the NCAA quarterfinals, but were stymied by the Badgers’ defense and staunch goaltending of Alex Rigsby.

At the very least, Harvard should be able to find much more dependable scoring this year. Olympian Lyndsey Fry makes her return to the club for her senior season, while Miye D’Oench should also make some noise after a 39-point sophomore campaign and a solid showing for the U.S. in the U22 Series against Canada. Hillary Crowe, Samantha Reber, and Mary Parker all scored upwards of 25 points last season and make for decent top-six options. Kalley Armstrong, the 2013 ECAC Defensive Forward of the Year, makes her return to the roster after missing the 2013-14 season. Sydney Daniels is a high-upside player, and Dylanne Crugnale showed promise as well. The Crimson are also bringing in talent up front with the additions of rookies Karly Heffernan, Dani Krzyszczyk, and Lexie Laing, all of whom have competed at the U18 World Championships (the former two for Canada, and Laing for the United States).

On defense, the Crimson get back Olympian Michelle Picard, who competed with Fry for Team USA in Sochi. They also aren’t losing any players on the back-end, which is always a plus for any team, though they did lack depth. But Sarah Edney made significant strides last season, and Marissa Gedman is a dependable veteran. With the return of Picard, Harvard’s top-four should be in good shape, but there are still some question marks in regards to their depth D. Natasha Rachlin, Briana Mastel, and Robyn White stepped in as rookies last year, but they still have quite a bit to prove before they can be counted on consistently in high-pressure situations.

Emerance Maschmeyer should once again assume control of the starting goaltender position. Her first-half performance was a big reason why the Crimson had such a good start to the year; however, she wasn’t in top form at the end of the year, which was perhaps because of how heavily she was relied on. But Maschmeyer has proven that she can take over a game on almost any night, and she should have a more competitive team in front of her this year, lessening the strain on her. Back-up netminder Brianna Laing had some good showings last season, and she could be a go-to option if necessary as well.

Harvard’s forward depth should be much more sufficient with the return of Fry and Armstrong and the addition of Heffernan, Krzyszczyk, and Laing. Daniels should also improve production-wise this year, and the Crimson could boast the best forward group in the conference if all goes well. They’re still a bit short on blue line depth, but they’ll be able to get quality minutes out of their top-three defensemen. Maschmeyer is far and away the ECAC’s best goalie heading into the season, and she should be able to make up for Harvard’s defensive weaknesses on most nights.

2. Clarkson
Key Departures: F Jamie Lee Rattray, G Erica Howe, D Vanessa Plante, F Carly Mercer, F Brittany Styner, F Vanessa Gagnon
Key Returners: D Erin Ambrose, D Renata Fast, F Genevieve Bannon, F Shannon MacAulay
Key Additions: F Brielle Bellerive, F Katelyn Fournier, D Savannah Harmon, G Shea Tiley

Clarkson is coming off a successful 2013-14 campaign that ended in a spectacular run to the national championship. The Golden Knights had their doubters early on in the year after their scoring hit a bit of a dry spell. But Jamie Lee Rattray established herself as one of the country’s most dominant players, and with Erin Ambrose leading the defensive corps and Erica Howe providing quality minutes between the pipes, Clarkson had solidified itself as one of the country’s best teams by season’s end. Despite losing Ambrose and a host of others to injury, the Golden Knights rebounded from an ECAC Tournament championship loss by handling Boston College and Mercyhurst in the NCAA Tournament. They would go on to knock off powerhouse Minnesota in the title game, to the surprise of nearly everyone.

The credit for much of that national championship goes to Clarkson’s class of 2014, the members of whom are responsible for helping lift the program up to national prominence in just a few years. The Golden Knights earned a trip to the NCAA quarterfinals in 2013 after a very solid season, which also came as a surprise to many. They then captured their first NCAA title just a year later, thanks in large part to the contributions of Rattray, Howe, Carly Mercer, Vanessa Plante, and their classmates.

Replacing that core group of players is going to be a challenge for Clarkson. The team loses a Patty Kazmaier winner in Rattray and another go-to scorer in Mercer, but they’re also graduating scoring depth in Brittany Styner and Vanessa Gagnon. In all, the Golden Knights are graduating their four highest-scoring forwards. Replacing that kind of production will be a difficult task, especially at the start. Many of their forwards will have to settle into new, likely more demanding roles. But Genevieve Bannon is coming off a successful rookie campaign; she’s the team’s returning leading scorer at forward after a 27-point 2013-14 season. Shannon MacAulay, Cayley Mercer, and Olivia Howe all showed promise as well. As far as additions, the team is bringing in Canadian U18 player Brielle Bellerive and a potential top-six player in Katelyn Fournier.

Though Vanessa Plante will be sorely missed on the back-end, their defense is the Golden Knights’ highest-upside position heading into the season. Erin Ambrose has been a leader on the blue line since her very first game for Clarkson, and with two years and 86 points under her belt, she’ll look to make even more of an impact this year. Renata Fast has developed into a responsible D, and she should continue tracking upwards this year. Corie Jacobson has room to grow, and incoming freshman Savannah Harmon should have an immediate impact on the Golden Knights’ transition game.

Clarkson will have to make do between the pipes without Howe, who is largely irreplaceable. On a positive note, the team is bringing in Shea Tiley, who just won a gold medal with Canada at the 2014 U18 World Women’s Championships. She’ll be a bit raw to start, and the whole team will likely have to deal with some headaches as they cope without Howe. But Tiley, at the very least, offers potential, and the Golden Knights will hope she taps into it sooner rather than later.

Overall scoring is going to be down in Potsdam, at least at first, as the club looks to find a go-to, game-changing player with Rattray gone. But there are enough options up front for Clarkson’s forwards to remain competitive, even if their top lines are lacking some skill. On defense, they’ve got players who are ready to step into more prominent roles, and they should boast a dependable blue line again. Tiley is a promising goaltending recruit, but life without Erica Howe is going to be an adjustment for the entire club. That is a notable weakness heading into the new season for the defending national champions.

**Trillium** · 09-18-2014, 12:53 PM

Re: ECAC D1 Women's Hockey 2014-15 Season

3. Cornell
Key Departures: F Jessica Campbell, D Alyssa Gagliardi, D Hayleigh Cudmore, G Lauren Slebodnick
Key Returners: F Jillian Saulnier, F Emily Fulton, F Hanna Bunton, D Cassandra Poudrier, G Paula Voorheis
Key Additions: F Brianne Jenner, F Morgan McKim, D Sarah Knee, D Sydnee Saracco, G Amelia Boughn

Cornell’s third-place regular season finish last year may have been a bit surprising to some, because the team usually aims to occupy the top-most spot in the standings. They then were pushed to three games in their quarterfinal series against Princeton, but they defeated the Tigers and went on to beat eventual national champion Clarkson for the ECAC postseason title. The Big Red would not find the same kind of success in the NCAA Tournament, however; they were knocked out by seventh-seeded Mercyhurst in the opening round. This year, they have their sights set again on capturing a national title, but they have some questions to answer before they can be considered contenders.

The Big Red’s only notable loss up front is Jessica Campbell, who scored 14 goals and 36 points as a senior in 2013-14. They get back a more than suitable replacement in senior Brianne Jenner, who missed last season while training with the Canadian National Team and eventually went on to win an Olympic gold medal with the team in Sochi. She has 178 points in 98 career games and looks poised for a big year, as does senior Jillian Saulnier, who has developed into one of the most dominant players in the country. Emily Fulton and 2014 ECAC Rookie of the Year Hanna Bunton should also provide plenty of scoring, and players like Taylor Woods, Catherine DeBruin, and freshman Morgan McKim make for some good depth options.

Cornell is suffering much more significant losses on defense with the graduation of Alyssa Gagliardi and Hayleigh Cudmore, the team’s best and most productive blue-liners last season. Junior Cassandra Poudrier will have to step up and improve on an eight-goal, 28-point sophomore campaign; the team will also look for Morgan Richardson and Sydney Smith to contribute more. The Big Red are adding some back-end talent in Sarah Knee and Sydnee Saracco as well. Though Poudrier is a productive player and an effective puck-mover, the team is missing a dominant defenseman who excels on the defensive side of the puck, at least as it stands right now.

Cornell is also losing starting goaltender Lauren Slebodnick to graduation, but they’re adding a promising freshman netminder in Amelia Boughn. Boughn posted a .954 save percentage and 1.32 goals-against average while competing for the PWHL’s Mississauga Junior Chiefs in 2013-14, and she’s been invited to multiple Canadian U18 National Team camps. She’ll battle returner Paula Voorheis for the starting position; Voorheis started a number of games down the stretch for the Big Red last year, posting a .928 save percentage and 1.79 goals-against average in 14 games played.

With the return of Jenner to the line-up, Cornell boasts a very strong offense with some of the country’s most skilled forwards. The Big Red’s lower lines have some weaknesses, however, and they’ve got some big adjustments to make on defense. Though they might not settle on one go-to starter right away, they should be able to find a capable netminder between Voorheis and Boughn. If Jenner and Saulnier can carry the offense, and the goaltending can cover up for some of the shortcomings on defense, Cornell should be back in business as an elite ECAC team and a national contender.

4. Quinnipiac
Key Departures: F Kelly Babstock, F Amanda Colin, D Shelby Wignall
Key Returners: F Shiann Darkangelo, F Emma Woods, F Nicole Connery, D Cydney Roesler, G Chelsea Laden
Key Additions: F Taylar Cianfarano, F Nicole Kosta, F Erica Uden Johansson, D Alicia Barry

Though they have remained one of the conference’s better teams overall, the Bobcats have been plagued by inconsistency in recent years, looking dominant during certain stretches and then looking utterly ineffective during others. With the graduation of Kelly Babstock, hands down the best player in program history, Quinnipiac will be looking to take on a new identity this season. The Bobcats are hoping that it will be one of a successful postseason team that finally earns a bid into the NCAA Tournament in March.

Babstock owns virtually all of the program’s scoring records, and she’s been at the helm of the offense since she first suited up for Quinnipiac. Her high-end skill and flashy dominance will be sorely missed, but the Bobcats do have some pieces in place to make up a good top-six. They’ll welcome back point-per-game player Nicole Kosta, who sat out the 2013-14 season as well as Swedish Olympian Erica Uden Johansson. Shiann Darkangelo enjoyed a stint with the U.S. U22 Team this summer and she’ll be looking to build off a 23-goal, 40-point season, while Emma Woods should also improve after a successful rookie campaign. Nicole Connery, Morgan Fritz-Ward, and Meghan Turner all make for solid secondary scoring options, while Taylar Cianfarano, Best Forward and leading point-scorer at the U18 Women’s World Championships, should also figure in immediately.

Junior Cydney Roesler will again be the cornerstone of the defensive corps after emerging as the leader on the back-end as a sophomore in 2013-14. She scored a respectable three goals and 17 points to lead the team in D scoring and was effective for the Bobcats in all three zones. Taryn Baumgardt stepped in nicely as a rookie last year and will be counted on even more so this season with the loss of the top-four veteran Wignall. Kristen Tamberg, Lindsey West, and Emma Greco will help round out Quinnipiac’s D corps, and incoming freshmen Alicia Barry and Shannon Cherpak could also see some minutes.

The Bobcats should be set in goal with senior Chelsea Laden, who took over the starting job as a junior last year and fared well, with a 1.48 goals-against average and a .928 save percentage. She faltered a bit late in the year, and if for some reason she can’t handle the starting duties this year, Quinnipiac has a couple of solid options to look towards in sophomore Sydney Rossman and incoming rookie Rachel Myette.

They’ll be without a truly dominant force up front with the loss of Babstock, which will take some adjusting to, but the Bobcats have other skilled forwards to turn to. They also lack some depth on defense, but Roesler’s and Bamgaurdt’s development continues to track upwards, their top-four should be in good shape. Quinnipiac’s always been geared towards a tight defense, however, and the key for the team this year will be finding a group of players who can anchor a consistently capable offence.

**Trillium** · 09-18-2014, 12:54 PM

Re: ECAC D1 Women's Hockey 2014-15 Season

5. St. Lawrence
Key Departures: F Rylee Smith, D Mel Desrochers, D Dayle Wilkinson
Key Returners: F Brooke Webster, F Kayla Raniwsky, F Alex Moore, D Amanda Boulier, D Kirsten Padalis
Key Additions: F Kennedy Marchment, F Amanda McClure

The Saints are three years removed from a season in which they captured the ECAC Tournament title and earned themselves an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. Far from being a poor team last season, they were instead more of an average team who was exposed early on in the postseason by a team with more firepower up front. Despite a sub-.500 overall record, the Saints did fairly well in ECAC competition, and they’ll hope to build on that this year as some of their younger talent matures.

The loss of Rylee Smith to graduation hurts, but the Saints have some other options up front. Sophomore Brooke Webster will look to build off of a 23-point rookie campaign, while classmate Alex Moore brings a solid mix of size and skill. Senior Kayla Raniwsky will also likely step into a more prominent offensive role this year after 19-point season that saw her place fourth in scoring for St. Lawrence. Junior Abbey McRae suffered a setback after scoring 20 points as a rookie in 2012-13, but she also has the skill level to become a bigger factor production-wise this season. The addition of freshman Kennedy Marchment is certainly intriguing; she earned an invite to Canada’s U18 Team’s strength and conditioning camp back in 2013, and was second in PWHL scoring this past season with 29 goals and 66 points in 37 games with Durham West Lightning.

The departures of Mel Desrochers and Dayle Wilkinson also leave a sizable hole on the blue line, but the Saints will get back junior Amanda Boulier after she took a medical redshirt last season. In a breakout 2012-13 season, Boulier tallied eight goals and 32 points in 38 games. Sophomore Kirsten Padalis was impressive as a rookie last year, scoring 10 points from the back-end and seeing significant time in St. Lawrence’s top-four. The loss of Desrochers and Wilkinson will be a lot for this D corps to recover from, but if Padalis continues to develop and Boulier can step back into it this year, they stand a chance of staying afloat.

Goaltending is without a doubt the position of strength for St. Lawrence. Senior Carmen MacDonald backstopped the club to multiple postseason upsets when she was a rookie, and she’s only gotten better since then. She sees tons of rubber every night and is capable of stopping almost all of it. MacDonald recorded a .932 save percentage and 2.01 goals-against average in 2013-14 despite seeing almost 30 shots on average per 60 minutes of play.

Being able to skate with teams every game wasn’t the Saints’ problem last season; instead, their issue was finding ways to win games that they were in. They played 18 games that were decided by two goals or less, and their record in those games was 5-10-3. They’ve got some adjustments to make on defense, but MacDonald should be able to help cover up some inefficiencies there. What St. Lawrence really needs this year is to find some dependable scorers in tight situations who can help change a game–and they are hoping that some of their younger forwards will emerge as such.

6. Yale
Key Departures: D Tara Tomimoto
Key Returners: F Phoebe Staenz, F Janelle Ferrara, D Kate Martini, D Aurora Kennedy, G Jaimie Leonoff
Key Additions: F Eden Murray, F Emily Monaghan, D Mallory Souliotis, D Grace Wickens

Three years removed from an abysmal season that saw the club earn just one win, the Bulldogs have improved bit by bit, taking a lot of people by surprise. Thanks in large part to the addition of some international talent, Yale was surprisingly competitive last season, beating Harvard twice and tying the Crimson, Quinnipiac, and Clarkson on different occasions. They then gave Harvard a ton of trouble in the ECAC Tournament quarterfinals, taking the Crimson to two double-overtime games and forcing the series to a decisive third game before bowing out. The Bulldogs will hope to have even more success this year and establish themselves as a legitimate threat to the conference’s top teams.

Yale is losing just three forwards, and they scored a combined three points in 2013-14. Phoebe Staenz, Swiss national team player and 2014 Olympic bronze medalist, will look to build on a year in which she led the team in scoring with 26 points in just 20 games played and make an even bigger impact this season. Janelle Ferrara, Hanna Åström, Jamie Haddad, and Krista Yip-Chuck all make for a decent surrounding cast who have some more potential to tap into as well. Incoming freshman Eden Murray, who just recently earned an invite to Canada’s National Development Team (U22) camp in August, should also slot into the top-six right away. Classmates Emily Monaghan, Courtney Pensavalle, and Kaitlyn Gately all have offensive upside as well, and if things come together nicely for the Bulldogs, they could have a well-rounded top-nine.

The graduation of Tara Tomimoto leaves a hole in Yale’s top pairing, but the team will hope to make up for it with nine defensemen on the current roster. Kate Martini had a very solid sophomore season, scoring six goals and 14 points, and veteran defenseman Aurora Kennedy also figured into the offense nicely with 12 points and will likely be looked towards to set the tone both ways for this D corps. Sophomore Taylor Marchin impressed as a rookie with 11 points, and freshmen Mallory Souliotis and Grace Wickens should settle into the top-six right away.

Jaimie Leonoff had a really good 2013-14 campaign, posting a .924 save percentage and 2.69 goals-against average despite facing over 1,100 shots. She’s a very reliable option a goal, and her ability to make save after save gives the defense some breathing room. After playing nearly 2,000 minutes for the team last year, Leonoff will undoubtedly be the team’s go-to again this season.

Yale has a star up front in Staenz, and though they’re lacking another player with that kind of skill level, they do have some promising players around here who, if they continue to develop, could really bolster the offense this year. The Bulldogs didn’t have the most efficient defense last season, but Leonoff helped make up for some of it. The real question is whether or not their defensive corps can start to gel more and lift some of that burden off of her; if they limit changes against and spend less time in their own zone, they could exceed a lot of expectations once again.

**Trillium** · 09-18-2014, 12:56 PM

Re: ECAC D1 Women's Hockey 2014-15 Season

7. Princeton
Key Departures: F Denna Laing, F Sally Butler, D Rose Alleva, D Gabie Figueroa
Key Returners: G Kimberly Newell, F Brianna Leahy, D Ali Pankowski
Key Additions: F Alev Baysoy, F Kiersten Falck, D Hannah Sorkin, D Emily Achterkirch

Though the Tigers haven’t been able to truly contend for a top spot in the conference in recent years, they’ve always been a fairly competitive team in the ECAC. They’re not among the conference’s elite, but they’ve hovered around the .500 mark throughout their tenure as a DI team. They’ll be looking for their first 20-win season since 2005-06.

Princeton is losing their top two scorers from last season in Denna Laing and Sally Butler, so they’ll need to find some other reliable scoring. Senior Brianna Leahy is the team’s returning leading scorer with 21 points in 31 games in 2013-14, and junior Jaimie McDonell put up 15 points. The Tigers also have a solid sophomore class up front between Cassidy Tucker, Hilary Lloyd, and Fiona McKenna. The team is bringing in rookies Alev Baysoy, a three-time USA Hockey Development Camp invitee and a two-time Minnesota all-state selection, and Kiersten Falck, a two-time USA Hockey Development Camp invitee and a 2014 Minnesota Ms. Hockey Finalist.

Senior Ali Pankowski will have to step up on the blue line this year with the graduations of Rose Alleva and Gabie Figueroa. Pankowski was tied with Alleva for the team’s defenseman scoring lead last season with a respectable six goals and 16 points; she’s logged big minutes for Princeton over the course of her career and she’ll do the same again this year. The team has a couple of other veteran D in Brianne Mahoney and Karen MacDonald, and sophomore Kelsey Koelzer was decent as a rookie in 2013-14, netting six goals and 10 points. With only six defensemen on the roster, freshmen Hannah Sorkin and Emily Achterkirch will likely see some significant time right away, and both have some promise; Sorkin was named to the 2012 USA Hockey Development Camp all-star team and Achterkirch has also garnered some national recognition.

Princeton’s strength lies clearly in goal, with junior Kimberly Newell. She has emerged as one of the ECAC’s top netminders, though her career .911 save percentage and 2.79 goals-against average are misleading. She backstopped the Canadian Women’s Under-18 Team to a gold medal at the 2013 World Championships, and she’s got the ability to keep the Tigers in the game on any given night.

The team is lacking star players up front, as well as a true two-way top-pairing defenseman. But they have a good veteran presence on the blue line, as well as a sophomore class that is expected to build off of last season and contribute in bigger ways this upcoming year. Even with some talented rookie additions, the Tigers won’t have enough skill to be truly competitive. But Newell will give them a chance to win every night, and they should be in good shape as one of the ECAC’s middle-tier teams.

8. Colgate
Key Departures: F Taylor Volpe, F Jocelyn Simpson, D Megan Wickens
Key Returners: F Miriam Drubel, F Melissa Kueber, D Nicole Gass
Key Additions: D Lauren Wildfang, D Kaila Pinkney, F Breanne Wilson-Bennett

Colgate has not had a winning season since going 19-14-3 in 2008-09. Last season, they ranked in the bottom five of the conference in goals for per game, goals against per game, and shot differential per game. However, they’re one of the most intriguing teams in the country heading into the year despite some poor showings in recent years, because of the addition of a rather strong rookie class.

The Raiders will return leading scorer Miriam Drubel, who put up 10 goals and 23 points in 34 games for the team last season. Melissa Kueber and Taylor Craig are Colgate’s other top scorers up front, but besides those three, no other forward scored more than three points in 2013-14.The Raiders do have a decent crop of freshmen coming in, led by Canadian U18 National Team member Breanne Wilson-Bennett, who won a gold medal at the U18 World Championships in 2014. Fellow rookies Megan Sullivan and Annika Zalewski also have notable potential. Though Colgate could form a decent top-six out of their forward group, the team likely won’t see any huge improvements production-wise.

Though the Raiders are losing their number one defenseman to graduation in Megan Wickens, Nicole Gass had a solid sophomore year, posting one goal and 16 points from the back-end. With just one senior and one junior in the group, their blue line will be heavy on youth this season, and there are some pretty high expectations for their rookies. Lauren Wildfang captained the 2014 Canadian U18 National Team to a gold medal at the World Championships, leading all defensemen in scoring with seven points, while Kaila Pinkney was a member of the same squad.

Colgate’s goaltending was a sore spot last season; there was no clear number one, with Ashlynne Rando and Brittney Brooks rotating most of the year and Susan Allen seeing some time as well. Rando played nearly 300 more minutes than Brooks, and started the team’s last nine games, so it would seem that she has the inside track on the starting job this year. They will, however, need better than a .900 save percentage and 2.70 goals-against average if they hope to improve.

With some talented rookies coming in, the expectations for the Raiders coming into the year are higher than those of your typical 10-22-2 team. But there’s still a big lack of depth up front and there are no clear answers in goal. Wildfang will be looked towards immediately on the back-end but it remains to be seen whether or not she has the ability to step in as a top-pairing player. Colgate is undeniably adding some talent, but there’s a lot to make up for and they won’t be able to make those strides right away.

9. Dartmouth
Key Departures: F Ali Winkel, G Lindsay Holdcroft
Key Returners: F Lindsey Allen, F Laura Stacey, D Emma Korbs
Key Additions: F Brooke Ahbe, D Hailey Noronha

The Big Green had its worst season in program history in 2013-14, posting just a .317 winning percentage and falling to eventual national champion Clarkson in the first round of the ECAC Tournament. Dartmouth will look to bounce back from last season’s performance and regain its status as a winning program in the ECAC. They’ve got a lot of improvements to make in all areas if they hope to do so.

Juniors Lindsey Allen and Laura Stacey will lead the way offensively for the Big Green. Allen led the team in scoring last season with 14 goals and 23 points, while Stacey was second with four goals and 16 points. Stacey is a product of the Canadian National Team program, earning a stint with the Development Team this summer in a three-game series against the U.S. U22s, and she in particular could be poised for a bigger year. Stacey’s a pretty hard-nosed, gritty player, but Dartmouth lacks a truly skilled, game-breaking forward. They’ll be bringing in U.S. U18 Team member Brooke Ahbe, and Karlee Odland, Kennedy Ottenbreit, and Catherine Berghuis all could see some improvements in production this season.

Except for senior Lauren Kelly, the Big Green returns their entire D corps from last year. Emma Korbs, a former Canadian U18 National Team member, stepped right in as a rookie last season and led the blue line in scoring with eight points. She’ll be tasked with leading the defense as just a sophomore, and will be helped by senior Morgan Illikainen, sophomore Eleni Tebano, and junior Olivia Whitford. Dartmouth is also adding Hailey Noronha, who won a gold medal at the 2014 U18 World Championships with Team Canada. Just like with their forwards, though, the Big Green are lacking a high-end player on the back-end.

By far the biggest question mark this season for Dartmouth is in goal. Lindsay Holdcroft, last year’s starter, has graduated, and there are only two goalies on the current roster: last year’s back-up Robyn Chemago, and senior Gianna Guarino, who seems to have transferred in. Chemago’s stats actually weren’t much worse than Holdcroft’s, with a .905 save percentage compared to Holdcroft’s .906, but she did see significantly less time in net, only starting four games.

There isn’t much promise up front beyond the Big Green’s two best players, so they’ll be plagued by scoring issues again. They lack a true top-tier player at any position, and goaltending is taking a significant hit. If neither Chemago or Guarino can step up, Dartmouth’s shallow depth on defense will be greatly exposed. Though additions like Ahbe and Noronha could eventually develop into difference-makers, they won’t be able to make enough of an impact this year to help the team improve more than marginally.

**Trillium** · 09-18-2014, 12:58 PM

Re: ECAC D1 Women's Hockey 2014-15 Season

10. Rensselaer
Key Departures: F Jordan Smelker, D Madison Marzario
Key Returners: F Alexa Gruschow, F Lauren Wash, D Heidi Huhtamaki
Key Additions: D Amanda Kimmerle, F Whitney Renn, F Marisa Raspa

Though the Engineers haven’t been able to compete among the teams in the top half of the conference, they can usually compete as a middle-of-the-pack club. RPI has reached double digits in wins in eight of their nine seasons at the Division I level, which isn’t particularly remarkable, but it does go to show that they’ve had some level of consistency. The Engineers will be looking to break the 10-win plateau for the first time since 2009-10.

Rensselaer is losing arguably their best player in Jordan Smelker, who was mixed in with the U.S. National Team player pool throughout her college career. Luckily, though, Smelker is the team’s only notable loss up front. The Pioneers are returning leading scorer senior Alexa Gruschow, who put up seven goals and 20 points in 2013-14, and their leading goal-scorer, junior Lauren Wash, who had 12. Although they were short on star power, they were better off depth-wise than other teams at the bottom of the standings. In all, last year’s squad had 10 players who scored at least double-digits in points, and eight of those players are returning.

Kathryn Schilter and Heidi Huhtamaki will lead the way defensively. Huhtamaki in particular had a good rookie year for the Engineers, posting three goals and 15 points in 29 games to lead the defense in scoring. She’ll be looked towards to make some even bigger strides this year and become a leader in all aspects on the blue line for RPI. After Schilter and Huhtamaki, the picture gets much cloudier, but incoming freshman Amanda Kimmerle should be able to help out in some way; out of Anoka, Minn., she attended USA Hockey National Camp in 2012.

Goaltending has been the real soft spot for the Engineers in recent years. Senior Kelly O’Brien, who played 30 games for the team last year, posted sub-par .904 save percentage and 2.30 goals-against average. Though she didn’t have the most outstanding defense in front of her, she saw the second-lowest shot total of 11 ECAC goalies who played more than 50% of their team’s minutes. Back-up Brianna Piper fared even worse, with a .888 save percentage and 3.43 goals-against average. RPI isn’t bringing on any other goaltenders this season. The Engineers’ skaters might make for a competent hockey team, but in the end, their goaltending will more than likely hamper them from competing this year.

11. Union
Key Departures: D Maddy Norton, F Stefanie Thomson, D Ashley Johnston
Key Returners: F Christine Valente, D Alex Tancrell-Fontaine, F Kathryn Tomaselli
Key Additions: F Hannah Erickson, F Nicole Russell

The Dutchwomen were the ECAC’s worst team last year, though they did hold a better overall record than 11th-place Brown. Union has never had a winning record in 11 seasons of Division I competition; last season’s winning percentage of .279 checks in as the highest in program history. They’re going to have to make significant strides in all areas if they hope to improve on that this year.

Up front, the Dutchwomen are losing Stefanie Thomson, their second-leading scorer, but they’ll retain the rest of their core forwards. Senior Christine Valente is the team’s leading returning scorer after a five-goal, 19-point season in 2013-14, while junior Kathryn Tomaselli was tied for the goal-scoring lead last year with 11. Beyond those two, Courtney Turner is the only returning forward who hit double-digits in points last season. Incoming freshmen Hannah Erickson, out of Achiever Academy in Minnesota, and Nicole Russell, a four-time U.S. U18 camp invitee, have some notable skill, but it looks like offense is going to be hard to come by again for Union.

The team is also losing defenseman Maddy Norton, who led the Dutchwomen in scoring in 2013-14 with 21 points. Coupled with the loss of Ashley Johnston, another senior who saw some important minutes, Union’s defense is taking a pretty big hit. But senior Alex Tancrell-Fontaine has come along nicely, scoring 17 points in 34 games to help out the offense from the back-end, and she should take on an even more significant role for the defensive corps this year. The Dutchwomen are bringing in two freshmen D, Brandy Steeler and Caitlyn McLaren, but the group is still lacking heavily on skill and will have a hard time competing against the ECAC’s more talented forward groups.

Shenae Lundberg was about as good as she could have been in goal last season; though she’s not the type of player who can stand on her head every night, she was tested a lot nearly every game, facing about 30 shots on average per 60 minutes of play. Freshman Alexx Ridding helped her Midget AA Team to the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association provincial title in 2012-13 and recorded a 1.94 goals-against average and a .936 save percentage in the Provincial Women’s Hockey League in 2013-14. She could push for the starting role right away if Lundberg looks shaky.

Union will be coping with the loss of a top forward and two top defenders from last year; though they have some talent at the very top of their line-up, they don’t have enough of it throughout to be competitive in the ECAC. They could see some possible upgrades in goal if Ridding pans out, but it most likely won’t be enough to make a difference for the team in the standings.

12. Brown
Key Departures: G Aubree Moore, F Jessica Hoyle, D Kelly Kittredge
Key Returners: F Sarah Robson, F Janice Yang, F Erin Conway, D Hunter Davis
Key Additions: F Sam Donovan, F Dara Wais, D Cynthia Kyin, G Julianne Landry

Brown finished 2013-14 as the second-worst team in the conference, and it’s going to be a tough task for the team to improve more than marginally. The Bears haven’t hit the .500 mark since 2005-06, and they haven’t qualified for an NCAA Tournament since 2001-02.

This season’s prospects aren’t looking too good at this point, either. The Bears return five of their top six scorers from last year, but none of those players are particularly productive in comparison to other teams’ top scorers. Nobody on their roster scored more than Sarah Robson’s 14 points in 2013-14; Janice Yang was the team’s leading goal scorer with a total of seven. Brown will be very thin up front again this year, though sophomore forward Erin Conway is one player to look out for. Incoming freshmen Sam Donovan and Dara Wais also have some potential. Both players are three-time USA Hockey national camp participants; Donovan was a three-time All-State selection and a Ms. Hockey runner-up in Minnesota with Irondale, and Wais was a JWHL All-Star with Washington Pride.

The Bears’ depth isn’t looking much better on the back-end, either. They’re losing two veterans to graduation in Kelly Kittredge and Jennifer Nedow, and the group as a whole doesn’t feature any real playmakers; their entire defensive corps scored 24 points over the entirety of last season. Hunter Davis, Lauren Vella, and Catherine LeBouef are going to log a lot of minutes. Incoming freshman Cynthia Kyin, a three-time USA Hockey Development Camp participant, will also likely see immediate top-four minutes.

Brown’s goaltending situation is also up in the air heading into the year. Despite the club’s weaknesses, Aubree Moore was a legitimate option in net, giving the Bears a chance to win nearly every night. With Moore lost to graduation, the team will likely look to incoming freshman Julianne Landry to step in immediately and assume control of the starting position. She captured USA Hockey National Championships with Assabet Valley in 2009, 2012, and 2014, and is a four-time USA Hockey National Development Camp invitee. Sophomore Monica Elvin saw some playing time behind Moore last season, and will also be competing for the starting role. In all, I don’t expect Brown to be able to build off that 4-20-5 record from last year. The team isn’t upgrading at any position and they’ll likely be even worse off in goal with Moore now graduated. Though additions like Sam Donovan, Dara Wais, and Cynthia Kyin could make an impact somewhere down the line, it’s doubtful that they’ll make enough of one this year to have a positive effect on the team’s success. The Bears lack a go-to player at any position and have serious issues depth-wise, and they’re not expected to make any noteworthy improvements.

**Trillium** · 10-30-2014, 04:04 PM

Re: ECAC D1 Women's Hockey 2014-15 Season

Week 1 Predictions? (Sorry we missed out on the SLU/Clarkson matchup Tues.)

Friday Oct 31
Clarkson @ Brown
Quinnipiac @ Colgate
Princeton @ Cornell
Union @ Dartmouth TIE
RPI @ Harvard
SLU @ Yale

Saturday Nov 1
SLU @ Brown
Princeton @ Colgate
Quinnipiac @ Cornell
RPI @ Dartmouth
Union @ Harvard
Clarkson @ Yale TIE

Tues Nov 4
UConn @ Brown

**HockeyEast33** · 10-30-2014, 10:34 PM

Re: ECAC D1 Women's Hockey 2014-15 Season

Originally posted by Trillium View Post

9. Dartmouth
Key Departures: F Ali Winkel, G Lindsay Holdcroft
Key Returners: F Lindsey Allen, F Laura Stacey, D Emma Korbs
Key Additions: F Brooke Ahbe, D Hailey Noronha

.........

By far the biggest question mark this season for Dartmouth is in goal. Lindsay Holdcroft, last year’s starter, has graduated, and there are only two goalies on the current roster: last year’s back-up Robyn Chemago, and senior Gianna Guarino, who seems to have transferred in. Chemago’s stats actually weren’t much worse than Holdcroft’s, with a .905 save percentage compared to Holdcroft’s .906, but she did see significantly less time in net, only starting four games.

WOW - this is really pathetic for Dartmouth - despite the author's ignorance, Guarino played for Assabet Valley on their U19 Minor team I believe and graduated in 2011 and went straight to Dartmouth (it's on their website - thought I remembered her name). She didn't transfer in - she just hasn't been playing for the last 3 years!!!! How in the he** did Dartmouth fail so miserably in recruiting that they ended up with a single backup goalie that hasn't played in 3 years??!!

**vicb** · 10-31-2014, 07:29 AM

Re: ECAC D1 Women's Hockey 2014-15 Season

Week 1 Predictions

Friday Oct 31
Clarkson @ Brown
Quinnipiac @ Colgate
Princeton @ Cornell
Union @ Dartmouth
RPI @ Harvard
SLU @ Yale

Saturday Nov 1
SLU @ Brown
Princeton @ Colgate
Quinnipiac @ Cornell
RPI @ Dartmouth
Union @ Harvard
Clarkson @ Yale

Tues Nov 4
UConn @ Brown

**Bhikukhu** · 10-31-2014, 07:38 AM

Re: ECAC D1 Women's Hockey 2014-15 Season

Week 1 Predictions

Friday Oct 31
Clarkson @ Brown
Quinnipiac @ Colgate
Princeton @ Cornell
Union @ Dartmouth
RPI @ Harvard
SLU @ Yale (Tie)

Saturday Nov 1
SLU @ Brown
Princeton @ Colgate
Quinnipiac @ Cornell
RPI @ Dartmouth
Union @ Harvard
Clarkson @ Yale

Tues Nov 4
UConn @ Brown

**mattj711** · 10-31-2014, 08:15 AM

Re: ECAC D1 Women's Hockey 2014-15 Season

Week 1 Predictions

Friday Oct 31
Clarkson @ Brown
Quinnipiac @ Colgate
Princeton @ Cornell
Union @ Dartmouth
RPI @ Harvard
SLU @ Yale

Saturday Nov 1
SLU @ Brown
Princeton @ Colgate
Quinnipiac @ Cornell
RPI @ Dartmouth
Union @ Harvard
Clarkson @ Yale - TIE

Tues Nov 4
UConn @ Brown

**Trillium** · 11-05-2014, 09:45 AM

Re: ECAC D1 Women's Hockey 2014-15 Season

Week 1 Rank:

1. Bhikukhu 9/13 69.2%
t2. vicb 8/13 61.5%
t2. mattj 8/13 61.5%
t2. trillium 8/13 61.5%

**Trillium** · 11-05-2014, 10:00 AM

Re: ECAC D1 Women's Hockey 2014-15 Season

Friday Nov 7
Maine @ Brown TIE
Penn St @ Colgate TIE
RIT @ Princeton
St. Cloud @ RPI
Providence @ Union

Sat Nov 8
Maine @ Brown
Penn St @ Colgate
RIT @ Princeton
St. Cloud @ RPI
Dartmouth vs SLU
Boston U @ Yale

**vicb** · 11-05-2014, 03:55 PM

Re: ECAC D1 Women's Hockey 2014-15 Season

WEEK 2

Friday Nov 7
Maine @ Brown
Penn St @ Colgate TIE
RIT @ Princeton
St. Cloud @ RPI
Providence @ Union

Sat Nov 8
Maine @ Brown
Penn St @ Colgate
RIT @ Princeton
St. Cloud @ RPI
Dartmouth vs SLU
Boston U@ Yale

**Bhikukhu** · 11-05-2014, 09:37 PM

Re: ECAC D1 Women's Hockey 2014-15 Season

Friday Nov 7
Maine @ Brown
Penn St @ Colgate
RIT @ Princeton
St. Cloud @ RPI
Providence @ Union

Sat Nov 8
Maine @ Brown
Penn St @ Colgate
RIT @ Princeton
St. Cloud @ RPI
Dartmouth vs SLU
Boston U@ Yale

Announcement

ECAC D1 Women's Hockey 2014-15 Season

ECAC D1 Women's Hockey 2014-15 Season

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