ECAC women’s preview/watch list: Will Colgate hold its position?

Only four members of the women's ECAC were in action during the 2020-21 college season. After an uncertain offseason, the Ivy League, which accounts for half of the conference’s teams, decided to opt out. Rensselaer and Union soon followed, leaving one-third of the conference to play out the partial campaign.

When the conference tournament rolled around, Colgate defeated St. Lawrence to win its first ECAC tournament title and earn a bid to the national tournament for the second time in program history. In the NCAA quarterfinals, the Raiders were bounced by Minnesota-Duluth.

Now, with the ECAC returning in full for 2021-22, New England Hockey Journal previews each of the 12 women's teams for the new campaign, which began with non-conference action on Sept. 23. Previously, NEHJ previewed the men's side of the ECAC. 

Brown

Upgraded locker room facilities at Meehan Auditorium are part of a $7.5 million project. Brown also features a new head coach in Melanie Ruzzi, a former assistant at Princeton, Harvard and Providence. The Bears, who did not play last winter, are driven to finish higher than 11th, which they haven’t been able to do in their past three seasons. Ruzzi will rely on seniors Shay Maloney, Hayley Kliczko, Mel Anderson, Lizzy Gross and Tina Paolillo, and grad student Megan Forrest. “Our team is anxious to make the most of the fresh start and to take steps throughout the year to strengthen Brown hockey,” Ruzzi said.

Clarkson

The Golden Knights, NCAA champs in 2014, 2017 and 2018, suffered their first losing season (albeit in a strange, shortened one) since the 2010-11 campaign last winter. Grad student Caitrin Lonergan (Roslindale, Mass.), scored 147 points at Boston College before transferring. She scored 20 points for Clarkson last season. Defenseman Nicole Gosling impressed as a freshman, netting 14 points in 19 games and playing tight defense. Sophomore forward Anne Cherkowski, a transfer from the University of Minnesota, has a high hockey IQ. Highly touted freshman defender Haley Winn could make an impact.

Colgate

A season after the Raiders won their first ECAC Hockey tournament title, things remain bright in Hamilton, N.Y. ECAC Rookie of the Year Kayle Osborne (1.70 GAA, .926) returns in net. Also back is ECAC Hockey Player of the Year and first-team All-American Danielle Serdachny, who posted 9-12-21 numbers. Another dangerous forward for opponents to watch is senior Noemi Neubauerova, who played for the Czech Republic in the IIHF Women’s World Championship. On defense, senior Tanner Gates, who has 55 career points, is coming off being named a first-team ECAC Hockey All-Star. Colgate has finished first or second in three of the past four seasons.

Cornell

Another program that didn’t play last season, the Big Red won the ECAC championship the past two full seasons, including the 2019-20 campaign in which they went 28-2-3 overall, 19-0-3 in league play. Cornell has advanced to the NCAA tournament in eight of the past 11 seasons. Senior forward Gillis Frechette (Weston, Mass.) tallied 17 goals and 30 points two seasons ago, but the team lost its five top scorers. Grad student Lindsay Browning, a talented netminder, went 28-2-3 with 12 shutouts the last time head coach Doug Derraugh’s team took the ice.

Dartmouth

Liz Keady Norton takes over as the program’s 11th head coach in 44 years. She was Boston University’s associate head coach and inherits a program that did not play last winter. Keady Norton previously was an assistant at Union and Harvard, thus she knows the ECAC well. There are reasons to be optimistic in Hanover, N.H. As freshmen, current juniors Catherine Trevors and CC Bowlby finished 1-2 in scoring. Trevors produced a 10-8-18 line, while Bowlby went 10-6-16. Senior forward Gabby Billing is a terrific leader. Up front, Canadian skaters Laura Fuoco and Carli Primomo might be impact freshmen.

Harvard

The Crimson return plenty of talent and depth from a 2019-20 squad that advanced to the ECAC semifinals for the first time since 2015. Senior Dominique Petrie (12-23-35), junior Kristin Della Rovere (19-15-34) and senior Becca Gilmore (10-14-24) headline a strong forward group. Junior Kyra Willoughby blocked 49 shots two seasons ago and sparks the defense. There is plenty of depth in net, led by senior Becky Dutton and junior Lindsay Reed. Head coach Katey Stone, who needs six wins to reach the 500-victory milestone, said her program “created some positive momentum” two seasons ago.

Princeton

Sarah Fillier won a gold medal with Canada at the women’s worlds after scoring three goals and three assists. Filler remains with Team Canada, which won’t name its Olympic roster until December. Even with Fillier’s status in flux, the Tigers are ready to soar coming off a 26-win season and the program’s first-ever ECAC tournament title. Junior forward Maggie Connors (22-25-47), who has 90 career points, and senior forward Sharon Frankel (9-15-24) did plenty of scoring two seasons ago. Junior defenseman Mariah Keopple (5-11-16) delivered the OT-winning goal to defeat Cornell in the ECAC title game.

Quinnipiac

Goaltending became a huge strength of the Bobcats with one enrollment. Record-breaking Boston University star Corinne Schroeder will spend her grad season in Hamden, Conn. In 91 games with BU, the Manitoba native produced eight shutouts and set school records in goals-against average (1.98) and save percentage (.929). Now Schroeder will attempt to shut down the ECAC’s top attacks. Also, three of the top four scorers return from a team that went 10-6-0 last winter. Senior forward Lexie Adzija (6-12-18) is back along with grad forwards Taylor House (7-8-15) and Renee Saltness (6-9-15).

RPI

Head coach Bryan Vines predicts “parity will be at an all-time high” in the ECAC. The Engineers did not take the ice last season due to the pandemic. Junior goaltender Amanda Rampado made 11 starts two seasons ago and posted a .912 save percentage. Defensively, sophomore Magdalena Erbenova is a talented skater with international experience. She played for the Czech Republic in the IIHF Women’s World Championship. Junior forwards Marah Wagner and Sarah Bukvik will pace the offense. Vines said the adversity the Engineers have faced the past two seasons has brought the team closer together.

St. Lawrence

The Saints will have to replace top scorer Anna Segedi, who netted 12 points in 13 games last winter but has joined a team in the Zheneskaya Hockey League in Russia. The second-leading scorer, junior Julia Gosling, was a first-team All-ECAC player with 7-3-10 in 10 games. Goslin, who has 31 points in 35 career games, was one of 28 players invited to Hockey Canada’s camp for consideration to represent the country at the Winter Olympics. Junior Lucy Morgan is a quality netminder with .928 and .933 save percentages during her first two seasons.

Union

Inexperience is an issue with the Dutchwomen. Only seven of the 22 players on the roster have played in an NCAA Division 1 game. The leading scorer from the 2019-20 team, senior forward Grace Heiting, is back, but the second-leading producer, Leah Herrfort, transferred to the University of Waterloo after two seasons at Union, which averaged only 1.5 goals two seasons ago. In net, sophomores Hope Crisafi and Olivia Rinzel and freshman Sophie Matsoukas will battle for playing time. Head coach Josh Sciba added two new assistant coaches in the summer, Chris Ardito and Breanne Wilson-Bennett.

Yale

Mark Bolding’s first season behind the bench was a memorable one in 2019-20. The Bulldogs won a program-record 17 games and a program-best 13 ECAC games. Plenty of offensive firepower returns after Yale didn’t take the ice last season. Returning are the top five leading scorers — junior forward Claire Dalton (12-24-36), junior forward Charlotte Welch of Winchester, Mass. (15-18-33), junior defenseman Emma Seitz (6-20-26), sophomore forward Elle Hartje (11-14-25) and sophomore Grace Lee (10-11-21). Senior goaltender Gianna Meloni posted a .914 save percentage in 21 games. The Bulldogs are a team on the rise.

NEHJ’s preseason rankings:

1. Cornell
2. Colgate
3. Yale
4. Princeton
5. Clarkson
6. Harvard
7. Quinnipiac
8. St. Lawrence
9. Dartmouth
10. RPI
11. Brown
12. Union

This article appeared in the print edition of the September/October 2021 New England Hockey Journal magazine.