Northeastern were the coaches preseason pick to win their fifth straight Hockey East regular season title, but the path there isn’t as assured as it has been for the Huskies the past few seasons. The gap between them and other teams is smaller than normal and there’s a chance for someone to really step up, though that’s not been a strong suit of any of the teams right behind them in the rankings.
Boston College
Last Season
19-14-1, 16-9-1 (fourth). Lost to Maine in the Hockey East quarterfinals.
Names to know
Thanks to two Olympic centralizations, the first of which came after she’d already started her freshman year, Cayla Barnes is just now officially in her senior season. The diminutive defender is now a national team mainstay, as well as the anchor of the Eagles’ defense.
Senior Hannah Bilka was third overall in scoring at the most recent women’s world championships. She and sophomore Abby Newhook led the team with 16 goals each. Last season I had this was a team in want of a standout forward and these two delivered. Both players are smooth and skilled skaters that move well with and without the puck. Watching them weave in and out of the defense is a delight and they both have an eye for the net and the touch to put the puck where they want it.
What to Watch For
The Eagles had a stranglehold on the conference for much of the 2010’s, winning five straight titles. Since then, they’ve had two second place and two fourth place finishes, including last season. They have all their pieces on the ice this season, but it’s difficult to trust that they’ll be able to put it all together and make a run at Northeastern. They have a solid goaltender in Abbey Levy, an experienced defense and explosive offense and an early game against Quinnipiac should be a good test of where they stand.
Special teams should be an area of focus – and concern – for BC. They were 7th in Hockey East on the power play, converting just 12.75% of the time. Their 86% penalty kill was 6th in the conference.
Crystal Ball
I’m picking BC third.
Boston University
Last Season
12-15-6, 11-9-5 (sixth). Lost to Connecticut in the Hockey East tournament quarterfinals.
Names to know
Grad transfer Andrea Brändli was the winningest goaltender in Ohio State program history. She’s also the starting goalie for Team Switzerland and made more saves than any other netminder at the Beijing Olympics.
Senior Julia Nearis is the Terriers’ highest returning scorer. She was second on the team with 20 points from 4 goals and 16 assists.
What to Watch For
The Terriers are without two of their top three scorers from last season and that team scored just 2.19 goals per game. Only seven players on that squad passed the double-digit threshold in points, with only two scoring 20 or more. No one on this year’s squad scored more than 9 goals last season. Simply put, this team has to produce more. They allowed 12 more goals than they scored and managed to pot just eight power plays goals on 90 attempts. Brändli will be a big help on defense. She’s shown herself more than capable of handling a high quantity of shots. But even if she puts up a ton of clean sheets, BU still needs to score. Having her back there may give the blue liners more confidence to be able to jump into play on the offensive end.
Crystal Ball
I’ve got the Terriers fifth to start the season
Connecticut
Last Season
24-9-4, 16-7-4 (third). Lost to Northeastern in the Hockey East championship game.
Names to know
Tia Chan spent last season playing for Team China in the Olympics. Rookie Megan Warrener split time in net and player herself into a bunch of minutes. The Huskies have used a goalie tandem effectively in recent years, so I’m guessing unless one of these players really excels, we’ll see them share the net again. Chan was on the league All-Rookie team two years ago and then faced a ton of high level competition. I’d bet the college game seems a lot slower to her now.
Grad transfer Carlie Magier comes over from Holy Cross, so she’s familiar with the competition and level of play and should be a good boost for UConn.
What to Watch For
All six of the Huskies’ top scorers from last season have moved on, taking 65% of the team’s scoring with them. There is nothing but opportunity for young players to excel here and UConn’s fortunes will hinge on how quickly the team finds their groove. Last year’s freshman class played behind a bunch of veterans. Now they’ll need to take what they learned and become step everything up.
Connecticut can focus on reestablishing their offense with the new roster because they have been one of the best defensive teams and there’s no reason to expect that to change this season. They allowed just 1.73 goals per game last season and that gives their offense the ability to be relatively low scoring while still winning games.
Crystal Ball
I have them sixth.
Holy Cross
Last Season
3-30-0, 1-26-0 (tenth). Lost to New Hampshire in the opening round of the Hockey East tournament.
Names to know
Junior Madison Beck played in eight games last season and is joined by two rookies on the roster to fight for the starting job.
Senior Darci Johal led the Crusaders with 11 goals and 15 points. She anchors the offense while senior Hailey Langefels and her 60 block last season hold down the defense.
What to Watch For
It was easy to see this team improve as the season went on. Their record is deceiving – the Crusaders lost four of their final six games by a single goal and three of those were in overtime. They bring on nine rookies this season but have a solid upperclassmen core that can help this team build on what they were accomplishing in February and March last season.
They have a relatively friendly schedule in the second half, which should give them the opportunity to build up as the season progresses and get some wins to show for their hard work.
Crystal Ball
I have Holy Cross tenth.
Maine
Last Season
8-9-1 (fifth). Lost to Providence in the opening round of the Hockey East Tournament.
Names to know
Senior Ida Kuoppala led the team with 10 goals and 14 assists for 24 points last season.
Senior Amalie Andersen had two assists for Denmark, sophomore Mira Seregély had a goal and an assist for Hungary, Luisa Welcke had a goal and Lilli Welcke had an assist for Germany at the Women’s World Championships in Denmark in August.
What to Watch For
Molly Engstrom was named the new head coach in mid-August, which didn’t give her a lot of time to get up to speed on this team before they hit the ice. There was clearly some dishevelment happening behind the scenes, which makes me wonder about what kind of summer regimen the players had. Engstrom’s assistant coaches were announced less than a week ago. There’s a whole lot of upheaval and change happening while the Black Bears are without goalie Loryn Porter, who’d moored them for the last few seasons.
There are players from eight different countries on this roster – US, Canada, Hungary, Denmark, Switzerland, Finland, Germany and Italy. The non-North American players bring a wealth of international – and life – experience. Most are older than traditional American college students. While having so many different levels in one locker room could make Engstrom’s job harder, their maturity and knowledge of how to quickly adapt to different teams and coaches may actually put this team ahead of others in terms of getting up to speed. That being said, it has been an arduous international season and these players did not centralize or take the college season off. They played World Championships and Olympic qualifying and the Olympics. I’m very worried for all of them, across the NCAA, not having enough of a mental or physical break.
Crystal Ball
I’m putting Maine eighth.
Merrimack
Last Season
8-25-1, 6-20-1 (ninth). Lost to Northeastern in the Hockey East quarterfinals.
Names to know
Senior Teghan Inglis joined the Warriors last year from Ohio State and proceeded to lead the team in goals with 13 and points with 18 as a defender. The 13 goals were tied for the league lead from a blueliner. She was third in Hockey East in blocked shots with 69 and finished tied for ninth overall in league scoring.
Grad transfer Celine Tedenby stood out in her time in Maine and helped play herself onto the Sweden roster at the last World Championships. She brings a scoring touch, a wealth of experience and some great stickwork to the Warriors offense.
What to Watch For
Merrimack improved significantly on both goals scored and goals allowed last season and look to bring those two numbers closer in line with each other. They’ll rely on goalie Emma Gorski, who dropped her goals against average by more than half a goal and won seven more games than she did in either of her first two years. The Warriors are able to build out from the net and have brought in players last season and this one that are a bit more dynamic on offense.
They won their first ever Hockey East tournament game last season after not qualifying for the tournament the two years prior. It’s another small but important step for them in their growth as a still relatively young program.
Crystal Ball
I think they’ll finish ninth.
New Hampshire
Last Season
11-21-2, 9-16-1 (eighth). Lost to Merrimack in the opening round of the Hockey East tournament.
Names to know
Sophomore Kira Juodikis is a 5’11” forward that somewhat quietly led the team in goals (12) and tied for the lead points (20). Senior Tamara Thiérus is the physical opposite at 5’3″ but tied her with 20 points. It’s fun to watch the two of them be successful at very different styles of play.
Grad student Ava Boutilier has had one of the best goaltending careers in UNH history. She holds the career record for saves, is currently fourth in minutes played and third in save percentage.
What to Watch For
After winning 18 games two seasons ago, last year was a bit of a drop off for the Wildcats and then they lost their opening round playoff game to Merrimack. It was obviously not the way they wanted to build off that great season and they’ll be looking to use their experienced squad to try and move up the standings in Hockey East.
Boutilier helps keep games close and gives New Hampshire a chance to win every game. Their goal differential is just slightly upside down, so if they can find a way to get a little more done offensively, they have a very good chance of putting pressure on the teams above them in the rankings.
Crystal Ball
I have UNH seventh.
Northeastern
Last Season
31-5-2, 21-3-2 (first). Lost to Minnesota Duluth in OT in the national semifinal.
Names to know
Grad transfer Maude Poulin-Labelle was a Second Team All-American, Hockey East Co-Best Defenseman and Hockey East First Team All-Star in 2021-22 at Vermont last season. She set a program record for most points by a blueliner with 35.
Senior Gwyn Phillips has the immense task of following Aerin Frankel in net. She’s not coming in completely green – over her first three years, she played about the equivalent of one season in games and minutes. While Frankel was known for a lightening quick glove hand, Phillips catches with her right, so her teammates need to adjust not just to her style of goaltending, but to her playing the puck out differently, as well.
What to Watch For
The Huskies hit the ice without 12 veterans that took the team to their second straight Frozen Four. The defense has been shored up and the offense is still led by Maureen Murphy, Alina Mueller and Chloé Aurard. They also add U18 Women’s World Championship gold medal winner Holly Abela. The roster is still plenty loaded, but their biggest question mark will be in net, as five-year starter Aerin Frankel graduated.
Northeastern’s blueliners have been heavily involved in the offense over the past few seasons precisely because they had Frankel behind them. It will be interested to see how the team plays with Phillips behind them. They were quick in transition and pushed ahead quickly, leaving a lot of empty ice behind them that they didn’t worry about getting exploited both because of the speed of players like Skylar Fontaine and the prowess of Frankel. It gave them a more dynamic offense, as well. There may be some adjustments there that will take some time.
Crystal Ball
This is Northeastern’s conference to lose.
Providence
Last Season
16-14-6, 12-12-3 (seventh). Lost to Vermont in the Hockey East quarterfinals.
Names to know
Grad student Sandra Abstreiter has been one of the most consistently good goalies in women’s hockey over the course of her career. Her .945 save percentage was fourth best in the nation and her 1.73 goals against was good for 11th in the country.
Grad transfers Ida Press and Noemi Neubauerova are good gets for Providence. Press is a solid defender that’s great in the corners and Neubauerova is a strong, grounded forward with a solid shot.
What to Watch For
The Friars were short on offense last season. Abstreiter and the defense were 11th best in the country, allowing just 1.9 goals per game. Unfortunately, the offense also only mustered 1.9 goals per game, good for 30th in the country. Their grad transfers alongside talented rookies like Reichen Kirchmair should help them be more aggressive toward the net. I have them fourth for now since I’d like to see them score some more before I believe they can push Vermont and Northeastern.
Providence has a very friendly second-half schedule. They can’t squander the opportunity and must get maximum points from those games. If gives them time to solidify as a team and find their footing, but they have to keep getting better as the season evolves. Every one of those games is winnable for this roster.
Crystal Ball
I’m putting them fourth.
Vermont
Last Season
22-11-3, 18-7-2 (second). Lost to Connecticut in the Hockey East semifinals.
Names to know
Grad student Theresa Schafzahl was the first player in program history to receive the Cammi Granato Award as Hockey East Player of the Year. Her 46 points were equal to her first two seasons’ output combined and set a single season Catamounts record. Her 25 goals were good for fifth best in the country, as were her seven power play goals.
Junior Natálie Mlýnková led Czechia with six goals and was second with eight points at the 2022 Women’s World Championships where they won their first ever medal. She was fifth on Vermont in scoring last season, but has taken huge steps in her game in the past 12 months and should be a much bigger part of the Catamounts’ offense this season.
What to Watch For
It was a record-breaking season for Vermont, whose 21 regular season wins and 18 conference wins were both program records. They were ranked in both polls for the first time ever and now their Hockey East preseason ranking is their highest in program history. It’s also the first time they’ve been ranked nationally in both preseason polls. They were among the best in the country on the power play and penalty kill
They will be without Hockey East Best Defenseman Maude Poulin-Labelle, but otherwise return most of the roster that took the team to new heights last season. Junior goalie Jessie McPherson continues to be impressive and thanks to Schafzah and others, the offense is scoring more than a goal more per game than they did just a few seasons ago.
Crystal Ball
A strong finish to the season leaves me to believe they can finish second.
