Our preseason Division 3 women's college hockey power rankings are out. Now it's time to look at the top players to watch.
Some of Division 3's best players will be in New England this winter.
The best part? Many of these players were high-end prep prospects in the region not too long ago.
Here are a handful of players to watch this winter.
Natalie Stott
Amherst | Senior | G
Hometown: Franklin, Mass.
A former Williston Northampton star, Stott backstopped the Mammoths to their place as the region’s top team and a national finalist last season, and hopes to put a bow on an incredible career. The reigning New England Hockey Writers MVP and three-time All-NESCAC selection was 22-6-1 with a 0.95 goals against-average — her third sub-1.00 mark in as many seasons — and .957 save percentage last season. She allowed only 27 goals all season while pitching 11 shutouts, including one in the NESCAC title game victory over Middlebury.
Gretchen Dann
Amherst | Senior | D
Hometown: Hanover, N.H.
The other half of Amherst’s returning All-America duo, Dann was a force at both ends of the ice throughout last year’s run to the ultimate NCAA tournament game against Wisconsin-River Falls and earned NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year for her efforts. The Kimball Union product netted nine goals and 20 points in 38 games, but a career-best offensive performance did not take away from playing in her own end. Dann also led the NESCAC with a plus-23 rating and took credit for 28 blocked shots.
Breanna Studley
Colby | Senior | D
Hometown: Berkley, Mass.
The reigning All-American blueliner who prepped at Tabor was a major two-way contributor for Colby, which made its second-ever NCAA tournament appearance last season. Studley scored five of her team-leading nine goals on the power play and totaled 16 points across all of the Mules’ 27 games. She triggered a whopping 120 shots on goal (4.44 per game) from the blue line and blocked 32, all while leading the Mules with a plus-15 rating.
Livia Brooks
Norwich | Junior | F
Hometown: Walpole, Mass.
From her past as one of New England’s top prep players at Vermont Academy to becoming a back-to-back AHCA All-American and All-NEHC player as a Cadet, Brooks has authored an impressive career resume. She has already racked up 36 goals and 64 points in 54 games at Norwich, having followed up earning 2024 NEHC Player and Rookie of the Year honors (21-17-38) with another team-best performance (15-11-26) last season. Five of her goals as a sophomore were game-winners. Another 15-goal campaign this winter would make her a top-10 scorer in Norwich history.
Rebecca McKelvey
Rivier | Junior | F
Hometown: Barre, Vt.
The inaugural MASCAC Player of the Year and a finalist for the Laura Hurd Award as the top player in the nation last season, McKelvey led the conference in points with 31 and goals with 19 across 25 games. Both totals more than doubled those of her freshman year. She scored six goals on the power play and three game-winners, helping the Raiders reach the MASCAC title game in just their fourth varsity season, and played Plymouth State to quadruple overtime.
READ MORE: Check out our D3 men's power rankings
Moa Carlsson
Vermont State Castleton | Senior | F
Already a two-time New England All-Star entering her senior season, Carlsson returns to the Spartans in search of her third straight campaign with double-digit goals. Last season, the native Swede scored 11 times and finished with a career-high 20 points in 25 games. She scored six goals across a four-game span in late January and early February and hopes that touch can carry over to a new era in the Little East.
Teaghan Hall
Endicott | Senior | F
Hometown: West Springfield, Mass.
The returning Endicott captain has upped her scoring output with each passing season and aims to help the Gulls win their second straight conference championship. After earning 2024 CCC Co-Player of the Year and Laura Hurd Award finalist status, Hall scored 12 goals and a career-high 29 points last season. Five of her goals came on the power play, and she also set up the CNE title-winning goal against Curry. It was one of the top-five scoring seasons in program history.
Rachael Irving
Western New England | Sophomore | G
Hometown: Auburn, N.H.
Irving split time with now-senior Kayla Ireland as a Golden Bear freshman, but it is hard not to notice the impact she made on the way to earning CNE Goaltender of the Year honors. She tied for the national lead with a .962 save percentage and had a 1.24 goals-against average last season, going 8-3-3 while pitching shutouts in four of her 16 starts. Incredibly, two of her clean sheets were in back-to-back games to start her career.
Molly Martin
Albertus Magnus | Junior | D
Martin has been instrumental in the early development of the Albertus program, which enters just its third varsity season and second with a conference affiliation. Following a 25-point performance as a freshman, the Buffalo, N.Y., native posted 10 goals and 19 points in 24 games last season to become the program’s first-ever New England All-Star. She had a flair for the dramatic, scoring three overtime game-winning goals. A talented multi-sport athlete, Martin has also competed for the Falcons’ women’s tennis and women’s golf programs.
Emily Johns
Worcester State | Sophomore | F
Hometown: Clinton, Mass.
Johns didn’t have to travel far to make her immediate mark as the 2025 MASCAC Rookie of the Year, netting 12 goals -- three of which were game-winners — and 20 points for the Lancers. She recorded points in 13 of her 26 games. An incredible seven times throughout the season, she was the Rookie of the Week honoree. She is no stranger to the Central Massachusetts hockey scene, having been a state champion and four-time Telegram and Gazette All-Star at Clinton High School.
READ MORE: Preseason D3 women's power rankings
Emma Merrill
Bowdoin | Senior | D
Hometown: Portland, Maine
Merrill returns as a backbone for another ranked NESCAC squad. She was a second-team All-NESCAC honoree for the first time in her career a year ago, notching 12 points, a plus-3 rating and 18 blocked shots in 24 games for the Polar Bears. Two of her four goals were scored on the power play, and one was a game-winner. The Williston Northampton grad entered last season with just one career collegiate goal to her name.
