Only four ECAC teams competed in the abbreviated season last year, so there is a lot of unknown in the conference to start this season. Many of the squads have two years – half the roster – of new players to acclimate. There are some very intriguing rookies that seem to be a bit under the radar, but if they get going quickly, could easily shake up the standings. For me, the top six teams are far closer than the pre-season poll would suggest. There are also a couple of teams ranked about 6-9 that not only could cause problems in individual games, but could be poised to unseat one of the perennial top teams.
Brown
Last Season
Ivy League schools did not participate in the 20-21 season due to the pandemic.
19-20 results: 3-23-3, 2-18-2 (eleventh). Did not qualify for the ECAC tournament.
Names to know
Senior Shay Maloney was the team’s most valuable player her freshman and sophomore years. She led the team in points the last time they hit the ice.
Senior Hayley Kliczko is the only goalie on the roster with collegiate experience.
What to Watch For
New coach Mel Ruzzi is embracing the history of women’s hockey at Brown and looking at the past to inform and inspire the future. The team is getting renovated digs at the rink and Ruzzi said it’s fortuitous timing – there’s a full changing of the guard happening, symbolically and literally. Ruzzi has a lot of experience and it will be fun to see how that all informs her stint as head coach.
Crystal Ball
I’m picking Brown 10th
Clarkson
Last Season
8-10-0, 5-3 (third). Lost to St. Lawrence in the ECAC Tournament.
19-20 results: 25-6, 14-4 (third). Lost to Princeton in the ECAC semifinal. Was scheduled to play Wisconsin in the NCAA quarterfinal.
Names to know
Fifth year returner Caitrin Lonergan has been waiting a long time for a full season. She transferred to Clarkson two years ago and was almost immediately injured. She looked great in last season’s abbreviated season. With the transfer of Elizabeth Giguere, Lonergan should be the offensive leader of this squad. Watch her speed, her puck handling and how she reads the ice.
Sophomore Anne Cherkowski is a transfer from Minnesota that has two years of experience with Canada’s U-18 World Championship team. She’s a strong forward with a good shot that should be a good addition to the Golden Knights’ offense.
What to Watch For
Clarkson was the Elizabeth Giguère show for the past four years for good reason, but now the team will need to find a new identity. There are plenty of talented skaters on this squad and it will be interesting to see who steps up and fills some of that role. It’s expected that Lonergan will, but Gabrielle David has a chance to come out of the shadows a bit.
The Golden Knights have been flashy on offense in recent years, but this team used to be more well-known for their defense. Avery Mitchel transferred out, but Olivia Hanson is transferring in. The blue line is young and new. Clarkson generally leads their opponents in puck possession, which should give the defense more chance to ease in and learn each other.
Crystal Ball
I have Clarkson second to start the season.
Colgate
Last Season
15-7-1, 8-4 (first). Lost to Minnesota Duluth in overtime in the NCAA quarterfinals.
19-20 results: 17-15-7, 11-8-3 (sixth). Lost to Clarkson in the opening round of the ECAC Tournament.
Names to know
Junior Danielle Serdachny was Colgate’s first first-team All-American last season and was also named ECAC player of the year. She led the team in points and is poised to have an even better season this year.
Sophomore Kayle Osborne was league Rookie of the Year and had a great first season in net for the Raiders. She held her own against the league’s best teams on rotation and should continue to grow.
Sophomore Kalty Kaltounkova was one of the best players on the team as a rookie and coach Greg Fargo said there isn’t much to change with her. She played for the Czech team in the recent World Championships and Fargo said she’s shown a bigger commitment to strength and conditioning, so she’s even leaner, faster and stronger than last season, which should scare her opponents.
What to Watch For
The Raiders graduated a single goal from their roster. They won the league and tournament titles last season and return nearly all the players from that roster. There doesn’t seem to be any reason to expect them not to continue to lead the way in the ECAC. That being said, there’s nothing more difficult than holding the top spot from start to finish and there are a lot of threats in the league this year.
Their schedule definitely eases them into the season, but they also play Minnesota in late October just before their ECAC schedule starts. They should sweep through those early series, but seeing how they match up against the Gophers will help give us a sense of the national picture.
Crystal Ball
Starting them off first, but it’s not going to be easy!
Cornell
Last Season
Ivy League schools did not participate in the 20-21 season due to the pandemic.
19-20 results: 28-2-3, 19-0-3 (first). Lost to Princeton in overtime in the ECAC Championship game. Was scheduled to play Mercyhurst in the NCAA quarterfinal.
Names to know
Sophomore Ashley Messier is a strong skater with great hockey IQ. She reads the play well, has a great first pass and is someone I’m excited to finally get to see play.
Cornell is lucky to bring back Lindsay Browning for a fifth year. A 2020 Patty Kaz top-10 finalist, she’s the first Cornell goalie to be named an All-American and she broke all the goalie single season records in 2019-20.
What to Watch For
The last time Cornell left the ice, they were the number one team in the country. They’ve had some roster turnover since then and the women’s hockey landscape has changed as a whole, so it’s a little unclear where the Big Red will fit into it. They return a lot of pieces, but will need their younger players to step into big roles early on both ends of the ice. However, missing out on that opportunity has left the program disappointed, but motivated.
They do have a fairly easy early schedule, not facing a top-half ECAC team until late in November. All the teams that didn’t play last year have the task of getting half their roster up to speed after so long off the ice, but having those extra weeks before facing a tougher challenge is definitely an advantage. Of course, they can’t overlook any of those early teams, but there’s a lot bigger margin of error.
Coach Doug Derraugh is well-respected and long-tenured, but he spoke of learning and evolving in his time coaching with Hockey Canada this past year. It’s nice to hear someone in his position talk of learning even more.
Crystal Ball
I have them fourth for now, but I think they have a lot to prove after graduating so many big pieces in the past few seasons.
Dartmouth
Last Season
Ivy League schools did not participate in the 20-21 season due to the pandemic.
19-20 results: 7-19-3, 4-15-3 (tenth). Did not qualify for the ECAC tournament.
Names to know
Assistant coach Nina Rodgers is believed to be the first female Black coach in women’s college hockey history.
Juniors Catherine Trevors and CC Bowlby led the team in points two years ago as freshmen. The Big Green
What to Watch For
Dartmouth is another program with a whole new coaching staff that’s looking for a complete turnaround and culture change. Liz Keady Norton said it was a deliberate choice to have an all-female coaching staff. She admitted it will likely be a long road, but that there’s excitement around the rink and the program and she wants to see what that excitement can develop into. The goal right now is to give teams a tough fight. She wants the team to overachieve and be relentless.
Overall, they need to be more aggressive and prolific on offense. They have to get better on the power play and capitalize on those advantages when they have them. They also took a lot of penalties in the past and they really don’t need to be giving their opponents all that extra time with the puck. I imagine better discipline is high on Norton’s list as the team prepares for the season.
Crystal Ball
I have Dartmouth finishing ninth.
Harvard
Last Season
Ivy League schools did not participate in the 20-21 season due to the pandemic.
19-20 results: 18-14-1, 15-6-1 (fourth). Lost to Cornell in the ECAC semifinals.
Names to know
I’m a big fan of junior goalie Lindsay Reed. She’s tall but moves well and gives the Crimson a solid base to build out from.
Seniors Becca Gilmore and Dominique Petrie are the anchors of the offense. Petrie was a preseason all-ECAC pick. They both move with and without the puck well.
What to Watch For
Coach Katey Stone is likely to join Mark Johnson and Mike Sisti in the 500-win club this season.
The Crimson have looked very good on paper over the past few seasons, but haven’t seemed to quite live up to their potential. I’m very high on their newcomers and what it seems like this team should be able to do, but I felt that way three seasons ago and that didn’t play out, so I’m pretty skeptical. They were good but not great two seasons ago and showed improvement from the previous season, but didn’t advance past the semifinals of the conference tournament.
We should know pretty early on how Harvard matches up as their first four conference games are against Cornell, Colgate, St. Lawrence and Clarkson.
Crystal Ball
I’ve got Harvard sixth right now, but think there’s a lot of potential for them to do better. I’m higher on a few of the other teams at this point.
Princeton
Last Season
Ivy League schools did not participate in the 20-21 season due to the pandemic.
19-20 results: 26-6-1, 17-4-1 (second). Won their first ever ECAC Tournament Championship. Was scheduled to play Northeastern in the NCAA quarterfinal.
Names to know
Senior Sharon Frankel is small, but feisty and aggressive and uses her stature to her advantage, especially when it comes to finding space in front of the net. ‘
Freshman Dominique Cormier uses her size well as a defender, but is still smooth on her skates and active in the offensive zone. Don’t be surprised to see her invited to Hockey Canada senior camps in the future.
What to Watch For
Having the Tigers tied for fourth in the preseason poll seems overly cautious and low. Princeton is returning many of the pieces that helped them win their first ECAC tournament two seasons ago. Yes, Sarah Fillier is centralized with Canada, but Maggie Connors is still on this squad and there are a lot of intriguing newcomers. Annie Kuehl was overshadowed by some more prolific players, but is a solid contributor and adds depth to the offense.
Their non-conference matchup against Northeastern over Thanksgiving weekend is probably the non-league series I’m most excited about. It should give both teams a good barometer of how they’re progressing and give all of us some good context for how to compare teams in the polls.
Crystal Ball
I’m higher on Princeton’s potential than the league poll voters seem to be. I’m putting them third. They feel more dynamic to me.
Quinnipiac
Last Season
10-6, 4-5 (fourth). Lost to Colgate in the opening round of the ECAC tournament.
19-20 results: 20-14-3, 11-9-2 (seventh).Lost to Princeton in the opening round of the ECAC playoffs.
Names to know
You should probably get used to seeing the names of freshmen Ann-Frédérik Naud and Maya Labad. The two grew up together and have played paired together for years. Their easy familiarity gives them an advantage in transitioning to the college game. Adding these two is a huge boon for the Bobcat offense.
Senior defender Zoe Boyd missed last season due to injury, but she’s come back strong and is game-ready before the coaching staff thought she’d be. She’s an assistant captain and it’s a big deal for the Quinnipiac defense and leadership to have her back.
What to Watch For
This team feels significantly undervalued in the preseason poll. Of course it’s all a guess right now and none of us have any idea, but their incoming class has a huge ceiling. They’ll have to prove themselves, but they see it as an opportunity.
Long a team that prided itself on being solid defensively, look for the Bobcats to be more offensive-minded this season. That’s partly because of the players joining the team and partly because winning the ECAC is difficult as a passive, defense-first team. Quinnipiac is shored up and strong at the blue line, so coach Cass Turner said the focus has been on the offense – keeping the puck and winning it back quickly if they lose it. There’s an attacking mentality that hasn’t been at the forefront for them before.
The fight for the net will be interesting. They were already fairly solid in net and they brought in Corinne Schroeder from BU as a grad transfer.
Crystal Ball
It’s all a guess, but I think they’re better than everyone is preparing for. I’m putting them fifth.
RPI
Last Season
RPI did not participate in the 20-21 season due to the pandemic.
19-20 results: 0-33-1, 0-22 (twelfth). Did not qualify for the ECAC tournament.
Names to know
Junior transfer Marah Wagner joins the team from Robert Morris. Coach Bryan Vine called her a gritty two-way player, but emphasized how quickly she’s taken on a leadership role with the team. He has high hopes for her.
Junior Amanda Rampado is the only returning goalie on the team this year. She had a respectable .912 save percentage. She also averaged about a shot saved every 90 seconds of playing time.
What to Watch For
Well there’s nowhere to go but up for RPI after they suffered a winless season in 2019-20. Vine said his team has something to prove and that the returning players are determined to not feel like the did during that last season. They’re a young squad who was not allowed to be on the ice together last year, so they’ve got a lot of catching up to do. It won’t be an easy road for them, but the team is trying to get better every day and take small steps that add up.
Crystal Ball
I have RPI finishing 12th.
St. Lawrence
Last Season
6-7, 5-5 (second). Lost to Princeton in the opening round of the ECAC tournament.
19-20 results: 13-16-7, 8-10-4 (eighth). Lost to Cornell in the first round of the ECAC tournament.
Names to know
Junior goalie Lucy Morgan won the starting role as a rookie and really settled in last season as she was tested over and over by three of the best teams in the country. She faced it down and has come out stronger for it.
Transfer Nara Elia was a captain at Boston University. She brings a lot of experience and leadership as well as some creativity to St. Lawrence.
What to Watch For
The Saints aren’t going to overwhelm anyone, but they’re sort of the embodiment of slow and steady wins the race. They stick to their plan and they execute it well. They take advantage of their chances and do a great job stifling opposing offenses.
They have three players that are centralizing for Canada and China for the Olympics, so they’ve had to do some position shuffling to cover those roles. It could take some time for everyone to settle in and get comfortable.
They’re a team that’s going to upset some of the squads above them in the standings and make it a really tough trip to the farthest reaches of New York when teams have to play them and Clarkson on back to back nights.
Crystal Ball
I have them seventh, but that has more to do with the teams I’m high on than thinking they are a bottom-half team.
Union
Last Season
Union did not participate in the 20-21 season due to the pandemic.
19-20 results: 5-24-5, 5-14-3 (ninth). Did not qualify for the ECAC tournament.
Names to know
Senior Grace Heiting is a two-sport athlete at Union, also competing for the lacrosse team. You can see how that influences her physicality and how she takes up space on the ice. She led the team in points two years ago.
Junior defender Emily King isn’t afraid to challenge for the puck or get in front of shots. She needs to take fewer penalties, but she’s a fearless blueliner that the new players can look to.
What to Watch For
Union went from a winless season in 15-16 to their highest-ever ECAC finish in 19-20. It’s been a slow and steady development for the program. Coach Josh Sciba knows they have talent and depth, but said the program and players need to develop a winning mindset. An important step is learning how to manufacture wins. The team lost four games by one goal and an additional five games by two goals last season. They also had five ties. They had plenty of larger losses, but the next step of improvement for Union is to be able to pull wins out of close games. Getting wins out of even half of those games would have put them close to .500.
The roster is now made up fully of recruits Sciba brought in. They are looking at three rookie goalies, but they have had a full year of practice and one-on-one time to develop them and their skills. They won’t start the season playing like rookies.
Crystal Ball
Union finishes eleventh
Yale
Last Season
Ivy League schools did not participate in the 20-21 season due to the pandemic.
19-20 results: 17-15, 13-9 (fifth). Lost to Harvard in the ECAC tournament.
Names to know
Junior forward Charlotte Welch is a high-impact player that can be successful everywhere on the ice. She was second on the team in scoring while taking half the shots of the other top scorers. Her vision and shot selection has only improved and she’s a leader for the Bulldogs.
Freshmen Anna Bargman and Kate Shaughnessy look to have an immediate impact on the offense. Bargman might be the goal-scorer, but Shaughnessy has great vision on the ice and will be the one dishing her the puck.
What to Watch For
Some other ECAC programs are starting a rebuild, but Yale is already a few steps into theirs. After winning just eight games in 2018-18, they finished with a 17-15 record their last season on the ice, including six more conference victories. The players want more, but it won’t be easy. There’s a definite divide in the ECAC and climbing into the next echelon means displacing a very good team.
The Bulldogs are ready to take the next step into the top half of conference teams. Coach Mark Bolding described the season as a big long rope and said his players each have a handle. One of the bonuses of the bigger roster is the team has been able to recreate more game scenarios and have scrimmages. They’re working on finer details.
In terms of timing the schedule, it doesn’t get much harder than Yale has it. They run the gauntlet of top teams to start and end their season. Every point they can earn will matter.
Crystal Ball
Like St. Lawrence, where I have Yale has more of a reflection on the teams above them than on them. I have them eighth mostly because I can’t see moving any of the teams above them down.
