Yale won the regular season championship while Colgate took the conference tournament title last season. Both Colgate and Yale return much of the same roster and the Raiders got the best of the Bulldogs last season. It feels like Colgate and Yale are just a step apart from Cornell, Clarkson and Quinnipiac, at least to start the season. All those teams have the potential to be equal – or better – than those two programs, but until we see if they can live up to that potential, I’d say this is a two-team race for the top spot. That being said, I would not risk a bet on predicting the order these top five teams finish in come the end of the season.
Brown
Last Season
9-19-1, 7-15-1 (ninth). Did not qualify for the ECAC Tournament.
Names to know
Sophomore Jade Iginla choosing Brown not only has the immediate effect of having her talent on the ice, but also has the ripple effect of showing other recruits that this is a program to take seriously and consider. She was the ECAC Co-Rookie of the Year last season. She was absolutely electric, particularly short-handed, opening up the ice for Brown and showing off her speed on the breakaway. She’s so poised and calm and regularly shows off her vision on the ice and ability to see plays before they happen.
Junior Cameron Sikich helps ground the defense. She’s unafraid to block shots, has an instinct for when to step into the play on offense and I think is poised to have an even bigger year this season.
What to Watch For
The last time Brown won nine or more games in a season was 2007. What stands out looking at last season’s results is how competitive the Bears were. There were just two five-goal losses – otherwise every other game was decided by a margin of three goals or fewer. That would have been unheard from this squad just a few years ago. They need to find more scoring – 1.76 goals per game simply won’t get it done and was good for 35th in the country, but their team defense continues to improve and shine, moving up to 24th in the nation and allowing 2.76 goals per game. It probably feels like the progress is slow day in and day out for the players and fans, but Brown continues to be a team I’m excited about. They have a staff and administration that have bought in and are supporting them and that’s made an incredible difference (shocking, right?). They pulled off an upset of Princeton last season and I expect we’ll see a few more wins over teams above them in the standings that really shouldn’t be labeled as surprises at this point. If anyone in the ECAC is not expecting to get a tough game from Brown at this point, they aren’t doing their job very well.
Crystal Ball
I have Brown eighth, but think they’re poised to break out even more this season.
Clarkson
Last Season
29-11-2, 15-6-1 (fourth). Lost to Minnesota Duluth in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
Names to know
Sophomore Rhea Hicks had a good rookie season with Syracuse, but I think will be even better this year with the pieces she’ll have around her at Clarkson. She was impressive at the U18 level a little more than a year ago and I’m excited to see what the experience of the last year has done for her game.
Senior Dominique Petrie never got to break out at Harvard the way I think she’s capable of and then she redshirted last season due to injury. She’s really good with the puck through traffic and is one of those players that I think could send a pass to a teammate blindfolded. She reads the game well and anticipates movement. A standout at U18, she hasn’t really been in a place to really grow from there. This could be a very exciting season for her.
What to Watch For
The Golden Knights usually have a very good defense, but I think it could be extra special this year. The roster is very strong on both ends of the ice and I think that makes them one of the scarier teams in this conference. They’ve not been able to fully climb back up to the highs they reached a few years back, but this roster looks poised to push Clarkson back into the conversation for top of the table. They’ve been good, but not great the past few seasons and settled for finishing fourth and fifth the past two seasons. That has still gotten them an NCAA bid, but they haven’t been a threat for the conference or national title. They’ve been unlucky with injuries and will need to stay healthy, but this roster is in a really good spot with a stellar goalie, game-changing forwards and stalwart defense. They really need to make the most of it.
Crystal Ball
I’m putting them fourth for now.
Colgate
Last Season
32-6-2, 18-3-1 (second). Lost to Wisconsin in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
Names to know
I picked Elyssa Biederman as a standout last season and I see no reason to change that impression now. She broke the program record for points from a rookie and only grew in the confidence, speed and skating ability that made her standout at the 2022 U18 World Championships. She’s a really good compliment to Danielle Serdachny (whose name you should already know).
Rookies Emma Pais and Avery Pickering should be very good additions to this roster. Pickering will need to get a little more active and creative to really fit in with the Raiders, but I think that will happen easily and she’ll use her size and stick to really dominate along the boards. Pais plays older and more mature and experienced than she is. She’s unafraid to let the puck fly and should be a really interesting complement to Serdachny, who can be a little more methodical. Pais is quick and moves well on and off the puck. The Raiders keep bringing in really dynamic young forwards and I love the creative things that means they can do on the ice.
What to Watch For
The Raiders have a very favorable schedule in the second half, with just two games against two half teams in the final month. That will give them the opportunity to rest and recover before the postseason, but means they have to try and stay sharp and not let any points slip through their fingers. A game with Yale on the final weekend could have big conference and national ranking implications.
Serdachny was outstanding last season, seeming to score at will. I’m not sure we’ll see such a high point total from her this season, but only because the Raiders have so many offensive threats that I think the scoring will be spread out even more along this deeper lineup.
They are playing Ohio State to start the season and head to Minnesota Duluth at Thanksgiving. I love to see these top ranked cross-conference matchups and it really helps gauge where teams stand in the national picture. The Raiders have been an NCAA Tournament team for several seasons now, including an appearance in the 2018 title game, but haven’t been able to find that last little bit to push past the top of the WCHA. These games are so crucial to helping Colgate find out the small things that will make a difference and help them take that final step.
Crystal Ball
I got this really wrong last season. The Raiders are legit and seem like the title is theirs to lose. I have them first.
Cornell
Last Season
16-14-2, 12-9-1 (fifth). Lost to Clarkson in the ECAC quarterfinals.
Names to know
Freshman Annelies Bergmann accelerated her admission to join Cornell this season. The 6’1” goalie has been the starter for the US U18s for the past two seasons and made history last Spring when became the first woman to appear in a junior hockey game at the Tier I or II level in the United States, playing a full game for the Janesville Jets. If goals against was a concern last season, Bergmann is one hell of a response to the problem. She’s a very athletic, mobile goalie, particularly for her size. If I were anywhere near Cornell, I’d buy season tickets just for the chance to watch her play regularly.
What to Watch For
This program has felt like it has been full of potential that hasn’t quite been fully realized the past few seasons. Line by line, the roster is very talented and they haven’t been able to come together as a whole unit that’s even better. They were a top end offensive team, scoring 3.19 goals a game. Unfortunately, their usually very strong defense struggled, allowing 3.06 goals per game. It never seemed like you knew what to expect from this team from week to week. They went from scoring 15 goals against St. Lawrence and Clarkson to being shut out by Harvard the following weekend. Consistency and the ability to replicate results has to be a focus for them this year if they’re going to stay competitive in the ECAC.
This roster is basically a who’s who of the past two Canadian U18 teams, particularly on defense. If the Big Red are going to push for a conference title, they have to have all these players reach or exceed the potential they showed over the past few years.
Cornell will play in the DI in DC Tournament at Thanksgiving, matching up with Minnesota on Black Friday. This should be appointment viewing.
Crystal Ball
My expectations for Cornell were too high last season, leaving me wary this time around. The roster is so, so impressive to me, but until we see these players meet the expectations, I feel like I can’t pick them higher, so at the moment, I have them fifth.
Dartmouth
Last Season
8-21, 4-18 (twelfth). Did not qualify for the ECAC tournament.
Names to know
Jenna Donohue and Laura Fuoco tied for second on the team with 14 points last season. The team would benefit from Donohue refining her game just a bit. She’s prone to riding the line between physical and too physical and that can put the team at a disadvantage. If she can harness that a little better, I think it will boost the Big Green quite a bit.
What to Watch For
After a big jump between the last two seasons, things evened out a bit for Dartmouth last season. They lost far too many winnable games against the bottom half of the standings. They had just four players in double digits for total points and that’s simply not going to get it done in the ECAC. Two goalies are currently listed on the roster and one is a rookie while the other did not see any time last season. The Big Green are in a tough moment and may just have to weather the storm while their young players get more experience.
The only two wins they strung together last season were a pair against NEWHA teams. They’ve got to work on the small things that will help them play more consistently and string together some victories – it will do wonders for their confidence and I think they can really build on some momentum if they can get it going.
Crystal Ball
I think they are 11th.
Harvard
Last Season
7-21-3, 6-13-3 (eighth). Lost to Yale in the ECAC quarterfinals.
Names to know
Former Harvard goalie Laura Bellamy takes over the helm and has her work cut out for her. Bellamy herself played under Katey Stone and coached alongside her before spending the past eight years alongside another former Harvard assistant Maura Crowell in UMD.
Shannon Hollands is the highest returning scorer to this team. There was a lot of turnover on this roster and the returners have a big opportunity to take ownership and help create the new normal at Harvard.
What to Watch For
The last time Harvard had a first-year coach, its current coach was in preschool. This program needs to be in transition to learn from and move past the alleged abuse and mistreatment under Katey Stone.
The Crimson won just seven games last season – 15 fewer than the year before. They were 32nd of 41 teams on offense, scoring just 1.7 goals per game and had the 2nd worst power play in the country, scoring just six extra attacker goals for a 6.9% power play.
Crystal Ball
I have the Crimson ninth.
Princeton
Last Season
15-15-1, 10-12 (seventh). Lost to Colgate in the ECAC quarterfinals.
Names to know
Freshman goalie Uma Corniea racked up 103 wins in her high school hockey career in Edina, MN, a state record. She won three state championships and never had a goals against average higher than 0.92. She is an absolute beast in net who’s also an accomplished lacrosse goalie. She’s a full on game changer for the Tigers, who let in 2.65 goals per game last season.
Sarah Fillier is an all-world talent who’s electric to watch on the ice. She’s the kind of player that can take over a game single-handedly and who has just an absolutely unmatched vision to pick her spot and score a goal.
What to Watch For
Fillier has been paired with Maggie Connors her entire Princeton career. The two made each other better and moved as a unit. Now Connors has graduated, so it will be interesting to see how the coaching staff line up around Fillier and if her teammates can keep up with her, much less elevate her.
The Tigers played 13 one-goal games last season. They were 8-5, but that’s such a razor’s edge to be riding all season long and leaves virtually no room for errors. I’d love to see them put some games away early and get to play a more comfortable, free game.
Crystal Ball
I have the Tigers finishing sixth.
Quinnipiac
Last Season
30-10, 17-5 (third). Lost to Ohio State in the NCAA regional final.
Names to know
Emerson Jarvis plays much bigger than her 5’4” frame and I think will thrive in a bigger role at Quinnipiac.
Maya Labad and Madison Chantler had solid rookie seasons and are poised to take another step and become an even bigger part of the offense this season. Players like Jess Schryver, Sadie Peart and Nina Steingauf are the experienced leaders of this team and the younger players need to learn from them and be prepared to take over in the future.
What to Watch For
This is a roster that gets contributions up and down the line sheet. Nearly half the team tallied double digits in points last season. It serves them well to know that the points don’t have to come from any one person or line, but there’s also room for some of those players to step into bigger roles and up their game. I love the depth, but also think there need to be one or two players that are the players that can put the game on their back and will out a win when it matters most.
The Bobcats are another squad that have perpetually been at the top of their conference and in the NCAA Tournament, but haven’t been able to get over that final hurdle to be a Frozen Four, championship level team. The current roster is a very good mix of experience and talent across all the classes and this might be there best shot yet at putting all the pieces together. When it comes to playing some of the best teams in the country, they seem to be able to push those teams to the limit – and overtime – but not reliably come out with the win. What adjustments can they make to close those games out and push themselves to that final step of national prominence?
Crystal Ball
I’m waffling between Quinnipiac and Yale in second, but gave the reigning champs the nod, so the Bobcats are third for now.
RPI
Last Season
9-24-1, 4-17-1 (tenth). Did not qualify for the ECAC tournament.
Names to know
Andrea Trnková has been a member of the last two Czechia Women’s World Championship Teams – both of which won bronze. She’s a bit more of a stay at home defender, but brings so much experience and calm to a defense that needs both.
Senior Ellie Kaiser had a breakout season for RPI, more than quadrupling her output from the previous year. She had 10 more goals than anyone else on the squad.
What to Watch For
RPI began the season with a six game losing streak and then closed it out in the exact same manner. That has to be so demoralizing and difficult to recover from. This is a team that went winless a few seasons back, so anything is better than that feeling, but it’s difficult to find anything to build off of or gain any momentum from streaks like that. The Engineers made big strides two seasons ago, but weren’t really able to do much more than that last season. The goal has to be to find a way to take that next step and move out of the bottom quarter of the standings.
One very bright spot last season was the penalty kill, which ended up at 88% and 12th in the country. RPI needs to find a way to harness what’s working there and bring the same energy to even strength play.
Crystal Ball
I have RPI finishing twelfth.
St. Lawrence
Last Season
17-19-3, 10-9-3 (sixth). Lost to Yale in the ECAC Tournament quarterfinals.
Names to know
Lucy Morgan was consistently one of the most impressive and solid goalkeepers in the country while with St. Lawrence and she played an important part in keeping them in a number of those big games last season. They brought in transfer Sirena Alvarez from DIII SUNY Canton, where she set program records and was her conference’s Goalie of the Year. She’ll join Emma-Sofie Nordström, who saw time in a handful of games last season, but did not get a start and rookie Kassidy Lawrence. The Saints have to be solid at the goaline if they’re going to be able to focus on finding stability elsewhere.
Julia Gosling continues to be a standout. She led the team in scoring with 46 points. Her 21 goals were 12th best in the country.
What to Watch For
The Saints can be a wildly entertaining and wildly frustrating team to watch. They might eke out a 1-0 win over Union and follow that up by putting six goals up against Cornell. They’ll beat Quinnipiac twice, but lose to RIT and RPI. It’s pretty fun to consider what they might do next, but must be incredibly frustrating for anyone who cares about the program. They closed out the season on a four-game win streak over the likes of Princeton, Quinnipiac and Cornell that left me wondering what kind of position they’d have been in had they been able to string more than a couple of wins together at any point in the season. It would be really great to see the team that finished out the year be the one they start with this season.
Crystal Ball
There’s some room for movement in the middle of the table, but for now I have them seventh.
Union
Last Season
11-22-1, 4-17-1 (eleventh). Did not qualify for the ECAC tournament.
Names to know
Garnet Chargers. If you’re like me, you’ll be struggling to remember Union’s new mascot name. I for one am happy to put “Dutchwomen” in the rearview mirror, but for some reason cannot get the word garnet to stick in my head.
Sophomore Riley Walsh set a program record for goals scored by a freshman last season with 15 while leading the team in goals and points. It should be fun to watch what she does for an encore now that she has more experience.
What to Watch For
Union won six more games last season than the one before, but only two of those were conference wins. However, there were some great signs of growth from this squad, including wins over Princeton, BU and UNH and that half of all their losses came by two or fewer goals. They scored 17 more goals and allowed 15 fewer.
They led the country in penalty minutes last season, spending nearly 10 minutes a game in the penalty box. For a team looking to move up in the standings, this is such a glaring thing that needs to be fixed. When you’re struggling to score and win games, you can’t spend so much time a player down.
Crystal Ball
Union finishes tenth.
Yale
Last Season
28-4-1, 19-2-1 (first). Lost to Northeastern in the NCAA regional final.
Names to know
Pia Dukarich was ECAC Goalie of the Year, an HCA Goalie of the Year top three finalist and a Patty Kazmaier top ten finalist. She was third in the country in goals against average (1.42) and fourth in save percentage (.935).
Elle Hartje broke her own previous record for assists in a season (35), now 39 and was Ivy League Player of the Year. She led the team in scoring and has been named captain for the upcoming season. She also led the team with 44 blocks. She’s a true 200-foot player who’s especially adept in transition and picks out her teammates with precision. I’d love to see her be the one to take the shot a little more often.
Jordan Ray was the program’s first-ever Ivy League Rookie of the Year last season
What to Watch For
The Bulldogs set a record for program wins for a second straight season on their way to their first-ever ECAC regular season championship, but they weren’t able to carry that success into the postseason, losing to Clarkson in the conference tournament semifinal and Northeastern in the NCAA Tournament regional final. It was a disappointing end to such a good season. The coaching staff will have spent the offseason looking for ways to avoid that kind of letdown this time around. With so many returning players, the hope will be that they now have the experience of getting to the final weekend and the experience of the season ending before they thought it should. They’ve now “been there before” and have learned the lessons needed to be in the best possible fitness and peaking at the right time to make their season last to the very last game.
They’ll have a rematch with Northeastern on January 2nd.
Yale starts their season immediately by playing Princeton and Quinnipiac and also close the season with a tough weekend against Colgate and Cornell. We should know what to expect from this team early on and that final series is likely to have both conference standings and national ranking implications. Colgate was their bugaboo last season, with the Raiders taking to 5-3 wins. Will the Elis be able to find a solution for them this year?
Crystal Ball
Last year’s regular season champs seem the right pick at #2.
