QU Sports Page

Tag: ECAC Tournament

  • 15 players to watch in men’s ECAC Hockey Tournament

    15 players to watch in men’s ECAC Hockey Tournament

    By Cameron Levasseur and Jake Baskin

    The ECAC Hockey men’s tournament kicked off Friday, with the bottom eight seeds gearing up for the single-elimination opening round. No. 1 Quinnipiac — Cleary Cup champions for the fifth-straight season — earned a bye into the quarterfinals, as did No. 2 Clarkson, No. 3 Colgate and No. 4 Union. 

    With their seasons on the line, No. 8 Brown hosts No. 9 Princeton and No. 7 Harvard faces No. 10 RPI, while No. 5 Dartmouth battles No. 12 St. Lawrence and No. 6 Cornell meets No. 11 Yale.

    As the fray begins, here are 15 players to watch in this year’s tournament: 

    Ayrton Martino | Sr. | F | Clarkson

    After not reaching double-digit goals in his first three seasons with Clarkson, Martino has become one the nation’s most dangerous scorers seemingly overnight. His 23 goals leads the ECAC and is tied for second in the NCAA. Factor in his 45 points and Martino is a shoe-in to be the first Golden Knight to win ECAC Player of the Year since Todd White in 1997.  

    Ian Shane | Sr. | G | Cornell

    Shane makes this list not for his regular season performance, but for what he’s left on the table this season. The reigning ECAC Goaltender of the Year, Shane — along with the conference preseason favorite Big Red — has fallen off a cliff. His .923 save percentage in 2023-24 has dropped to .891, second-worst in the nation among netminders with over 20 starts. If Shane finds his form in the postseason, it’s the first step for No. 6 Cornell to shake off a rough regular season and look to repeat as ECAC champions in two weeks. 

    Ryan St. Louis | Jr. | F | Brown

    Brown enters the ECAC Tournament on a tear, winning eight of its last 10 games and steamrolling into the eight seed and home ice advantage in the opening round. The Bears’ most dynamic player through this stretch? St. Louis, who has 15 points since Jan. 17. His 1.25 points per game sits second in the conference, despite missing nine games with two separate injuries. 

    Cooper Moore | Sr. | D | Quinnipiac

    In his second year with the Bobcats after transferring from North Dakota, Moore has joined a lineage of shutdown No. 1 defenseman at Quinnipiac. Like Jayden Lee before him and Zach Metsa before that, Moore is the focal point of a Bobcats’ defense that is again among the best in the nation. He’s not a dynamic offensive threat (12 points in 33 games), but Moore’s elite defensive instincts break up plays before they become dangerous and allow Quinnipiac to quickly turn plays back up ice. With graduate student Aaron Bohlinger out for the remainder of the season with a knee injury, more responsibility now falls on the veteran Moore to lock down the top lines of opposing teams. 

    Trey Taylor and Tristan Sarsland | Jrs. | D | Clarkson

    Much like the Clarkson women’s top defensive pairing of Nicole Gosling and Haley Winn, the Golden Knights’ men’s duo of Taylor and Sarsland should be spoken of in the same breath. They have 25 and 21 points on the season, respectively, and are a nightmare for offenses to beat in the defensive zone. Taylor, the reigning ECAC Defensive Defenseman of the Year, is making a strong case to repeat in 2025, and Sarsland’s +11 plus/minus is sixth among defensemen in the conference. 

    CJ Foley | So. | D | Dartmouth

    An All-ECAC Second Teamer as a freshman, Foley has taken the next step in his second season with Dartmouth. His 11 goals and 29 points lead the Big Green and sit top five among defensemen in the country, driving an offense that spent half the season without its top forward, Luke Haymes. 

    Brendan Gorman | Jr. | F | Princeton

    In his third season with the Tigers, Gorman pushes the pace as Princeton’s top-line center. He leads the Tigers in goals (12) and points (26) this season. His relentless motor helps regulate the play of a hot and cold program who’s conference tournament run could be anywhere from one day to three weeks long. 

    Jeremy Wilmer | Jr. | F | Quinnipiac

    A high-scoring winger in his two years at Boston University, Wilmer has kept his scoring pace up in his first year at Quinnipiac. The Bobcats have five players in the top 10 in scoring, and Wilmer’s 38 points are second only to Martino for the conference lead. Quinnipiac is the highest-scoring team in the conference this season, and the 5-foot-8 spark plug has proven to be the leader of the committee.

    Luke Haymes | Jr. | F | Dartmouth

    Two years ago, Dartmouth was at the bottom of the conference standings. Now, the Big Green are an ECAC contender and Haymes is a major reason why. The team’s leading scorer in 2023-24, he missed the first part of this season with a broken hand but has played very well since returning, molding his game into that of a physical two-way center. He is expected to be pursued by many NHL teams at the conclusion of Dartmouth’s season.

    Brett Chorske | Sr. | F | Colgate

    Chorske has had his breakout season as a senior, and is currently top five in the conference in both goals (15) and points (33). The center from Minnesota is an excellent puck handler and passer, and has been driving the offense for the Raiders in 2024-25. Listed at 6-foot-7, 215 pounds, he provides a size component that few in the country can rival. If Colgate is to win the ECAC, Chorske is going to have to be the best player in the conference tournament.

    John Prokop | Jr. | D | Union

    Union finished fourth in the regular season standings under third-year coach Josh Hauge, and the team’s leader on the back end is Prokop, a second-team All-American from a year ago. Prokop is second among ECAC defenseman in scoring to Dartmouth’s Foley and his offensive output over his three years in Schenectady means opposing coaches have to gameplan for him. He has also taken major steps on his own end, in particular taking an expanded role on the penalty kill, that has allowed the talented Union forwards to take chances offensively.

    Jack Ricketts | Sr. | F | Quinnipiac

    Just two ECAC forwards have hit the 20-goal threshold in the regular season. One is Clarkson’s Martino. The other is Ricketts, a graduate transfer and former captain at Holy Cross. The left-winger from Oakville, Ontario, really picked up his scoring in the past month, with nine of his 20 goals coming on or after Jan. 31. While the Bobcats get most of their recognition for their strong defense in recent years, their balanced scoring output has also been key to their fifth-consecutive Cleary Cup title. No one has been hotter down the stretch for them than Ricketts.

    Mick Thompson | Fr. | F | Harvard

    Thompson is Harvard’s scoring leader., A freshman, he was recently named the Hockey Commissioners Association’s National Rookie of the Month. The 21-year-old had four of his 10 goals and 12 of his 26 total points in February. The Crimson struggled in 2023-24 after most of their stars of the 2022-23 team turned pro and have remained middle of the pack this year. While the team is still in a rebuilding period, Thompson is a piece that Harvard can build around for the future.

    Jakob Lee | Grad. | F | RPI

    2024-25 was another rocky regular season for No. 10 RPI, which faces a steep climb to reach postseason success. If they hope to replicate the first round upset they pulled off last March, the Engineers will need the offensive production of Lee, who’s 12 goals leads the team. RPI has won six games since the start of the new year and Lee scored in five of them, including both o

    f the team’s goals in a 2-1 win over Dartmouth on Feb. 21. 

    Lawton Zacher | So. | G | Brown 

    Zacher, a second-year starter from Buffalo, New York, is second among qualified conference goaltenders with a .920 save percentage, second to just Quinnipiac’s Matej Marinov’s .922. Handling the bulk of starts for the Bears this season, he was the conference’s only representative among the 10 semifinalists for the Mike Richter Award for Division I’s top goaltender. Postseason hockey, particularly in defensive-oriented conferences such as the ECAC, magnifies the importance of good goaltending. If Zacher gets hot, Brown could put a scare into the top teams in the conference.

  • Stock up, stock down: A look at six men’s hockey players before ECAC postseason begins

    Stock up, stock down: A look at six men’s hockey players before ECAC postseason begins

    By: Toni Wetmore, Brandon Murdock

    With the men’s ECAC postseason tournament beginning Friday, top-seeded Quinnipiac has a first-round bye as it looks for its first Whitelaw Cup since 2016. 

    It’s been an up and down season for the Bobcats, and likewise for their players. So as the postseason begins, we’re taking a look at which players’ stocks have gone up and which have gone down since the start of the new year before they hit the ice for the quarterfinals March 14.

    Stock up:

    Jeremy Wilmer – Junior Forward

    13 goals – 25 assists – 38 points 

    Wilmer has recorded at least one point in each his last six games, with three goals and nine assists for 12 points total.

    “He’s a high-end player for sure,” said head coach Rand Pecknold earlier this season. “He’s got great offensive instincts.”

    His recent surge has pushed him to the top of the team leaderboard in points, surpassing Travis Treloar and Mason Marcellus, who had led all season. Wilmer also jumped to second in the ECAC in total points this season with 38.

    Jack Ricketts – Senior Forward

    20 goals – 6 assists – 26 points 

    Next is Ricketts, a senior transfer from Holy Cross. Ricketts was a bit snakebitten in the scoring department at the beginning of his Bobcat career, only scoring two goals in the first month of the season. However, he is tied for the most goals in the country since December with 15 in his last 18 games played.

    “Just buying into the system, playing hard and fast, something we preach is always keeping your feet moving,” said Ricketts after the Oct. 25 game against New Hampshire.

    He was shutout in the last game of the regular season, but entering the finale, had a streak of five-straight games with a goal. The surge brought him to second in the ECAC in goals, goals per game and plus/minus. 

    Travis Treloar – Graduate student Forward 

    16 goals – 18 assists – 34 points 

    Treloar, a graduate student, has made an impact for the Bobcats from the jump and never wavered. Treloar is first in power play goals in the ECAC and fourth in the conference in goals. He’s been on a six-game point streak since  Feb. 8 against Clarkson. Quinnipiac will need to lean on Treloar’s leadership as it moves into the playoffs. 

    Stock down: 

    Dylan Silverstein – Freshman Goaltender

    12-8-2 record – 2.22 GAA

    Silverstein was more than solid to begin his collegiate career. With big games against UMaine, holding a high-powered Black Bear offense to just two goals with 27 saves, then the following week against New Hampshire, in which he totaled 58 saves on the weekend. He won the starting job over sophomore Matej Marinov, but over the last month, has struggled keeping the puck out of the net, allowing three goals or more three times in the last 11 games. 

    Silverstein has also scuffled in the big games this year, specifically against Cornell and the two games against No. 2 Clarkson. The freshman gave up five goals over the course of the last two games played against Cornell and in the last game against Clarkson on the road, gave up four goals on just 12 shots. He played well Feb. 22 against Brown, recording a shutout, but leading up to that game, had not given up less than two goals in a game since Jan. 17, coming in relief in a 6-3 win over Colgate. 

    Chris Pelosi – Freshman Forward

    11 goals – 11 assists – 22 points

    The forward found a groove in early February, scoring a goal in four-straight games. Now, Pelosi has been in a scoring drought since Feb. 15.  While he has been a playmaker in that span, recording three assists, he has been unable to score. He’ll have to find a way to get the puck in the net if the Bobcats approach do-or-die territory in the playoffs. Pelosi faces high expectations, as he was a third-round draft pick by the Boston Bruins this summer.

    Elliot Groenewold – Freshman Defenseman

    4 goals – 5 assists – 9 points

    The first-year defenseman was a ‘24 fourth-round pick of the Boston Bruins and came in with big expectations as the blue line had been depleted from the previous season. Quinnipiac lost players such as Jayden Lee, Iivari Räsänen and Charles-Alexis Legault either to graduation or the NHL ahead of the season . 

    Groenewold has been very disciplined over the course of the year, especially for a young player, only taking seven penalties on the season. However, since his defensive partner Aaron Bohlinger went down on Feb. 21 with a season-ending knee injury, Groenewold has struggled. Giving the puck away and being out of position at times has either cost the Bobcats goals or nearly have. In the last weekend of the season against  Clarkson, and with a chance to clinch the Cleary Cup, he was a -2 in the game. Also, he has not had as much of an impact on the offensive side of the ice over the past month, only recording three points since Jan. 10.

  • Why each team will or won’t win the women’s ECAC Hockey Tournament

    Why each team will or won’t win the women’s ECAC Hockey Tournament

    By Tyler Platz and Jake Baskin

    The ECAC women’s hockey quarterfinals kick off on Feb. 28, with eight teams playing in a best-of-three series for a spot in the championship round next weekend. The matchups are as follows:

    No. 1 Cornell vs. No. 9 Union

    No. 2 Colgate vs. No. 7 Princeton

    No. 3 St. Lawrence vs. No. 6 Yale

    No. 4 Clarkson vs. No. 5 Quinnipiac

    Every team in the tournament has advantages as well as challenges. Here’s why each quarterfinalist can win and what might prevent them:

    No. 1 Cornell

    Why Cornell will win: Special teams can be a difference-maker, but most of the game is played at even strength—and no team dictates play better in those situations than Cornell. The Big Red recorded a 72.6% goals-for percentage at five-on-five, a key factor in securing the ECAC’s top seed. Facing ninth-seeded Union in the quarterfinals could be a favorable matchup for Cornell, as Union allowed 67 even-strength goals this season, the second-most in the conference.

    Why Cornell will lose: Only one team can win. Colgate has won four consecutive ECAC Tournament championships, while the Big Red haven’t won it since 2014, having lost in the semifinals to Colgate last year. In a postseason that comes down to single-elimination games, anything can happen, but Cornell does not have the recent playoff track record that the Raiders do, and none of the current players have played in an ECAC championship game.

    No. 2 Colgate

    Why Colgate will win: The ability to put pucks in the net and shut down opponents is a sign of a well-rounded team, and Colgate may be one of the more complete teams in the tournament. The combination of its high-powered offense — which led the conference with 126 goals —  and the steady goaltending of senior Hannah Murphy — who ranked second in the ECAC with a .941 save percentage —  makes the Raiders a handful for any opponent in the playoffs.

    Why Colgate will lose: Playoff hockey is typically more defensive-minded than that of the regular season, and Colgate’s goals against per-game average of 1.82 ranks behind Cornell’s 1.48. The final will also likely be held in Ithaca, and home-ice advantage could be a factor when it comes to one single game. The result of this will likely decide which of Cornell or Colgate will host a regional in the NCAA Tournament.

    No. 3 St. Lawrence

    Why St. Lawrence will win: Junior goaltender Emma-Sofie Nordström gives the Saints a chance in any game. She finished the regular season tied for third in the ECAC with a .939 save percentage and ranked fourth with a 1.62 goals against average. Consistency between the pipes is crucial in the playoffs, and Nordström has proven she can keep St. Lawrence in tight scoring games.

    Why St. Lawrence will lose: St. Lawrence has allowed 795 shots this season, only behind Union and the already-eliminated RPI for the most in the ECAC. As you get into the later rounds and face teams such as Clarkson, who peppers other teams with offensive chances, and Colgate, who converts a high percentage of their shots, the Saints’ defense is going to have to take those teams off of their games in order to take home their first conference title since 2012.

    No. 4 Clarkson 

    Why Clarkson will win: Clarkson boasts the ECAC’s top power-play unit, converting at a 34% rate. Senior Haley Winn and graduate Nicole Gosling, the conference’s top two-scoring defensemen, have been a large part of that formula. Winn is tied for second among ECAC defensemen with four power-play goals, while Gosling has added three. In a best-of-three series, emotions can run high and penalties often follow. Carrying special teams success into the postseason can bode well for the fourth-seeded Golden Knights.

    Why Clarkson will lose: After 2024 National Goalie of the Year Michelle Pasiechnyk graduated, Clarkson has platooned senior Holly Gruber and junior Julia Minotti in the net. Gruber has seemed to secure the starting job with a strong performance in February, but will be playing the first postseason games of her collegiate career this weekend. In a conference with so many talented netminders, including conference save percentage leader Kaley Doyle on the other end in this round, the Golden Knights’ resolve will certainly be tested.

    No. 5 Quinnipiac

    Why Quinnipiac will win: In 76 penalty-kill situations, the Quinnipiac Bobcats allowed just eight goals, good for an 89.5% success rate throughout the regular season. Ideally, the Bobcats avoid taking any trips to the box, but in a tense best-of-three series before the championship round, having a reliable penalty kill could erase the threat of giving up a goal while down a skater. 

    Why Quinnipiac will lose: Despite the second-highest shots per game total in the conference, the Bobcats have shot just 7.2% percent this year, the lowest of the eight teams remaining. Clarkson, as well as Colgate and Cornell, averages over three goals per game, so if Quinnipiac is to win the conference, it will either have to consistently match that offensive output or play near-perfect defense.

    No. 6 Yale

    Why Yale will win: During the regular season, senior goaltender Pia Dukaric had stretches of great play for the Yale Bulldogs. In back-to-back games against Brown on Nov. 16-17, and again against UConn and Quinnipiac on Nov. 29-30, she posted a shutout and allowed just one goal in the other three games, earning ECAC Goaltender of the Week honors both times. Facing St. Lawrence in the quarterfinals — another team with a standout goaltender in Nordström — Dukaric needs to find that groove in what could be a low-scoring series to advance.

    Why Yale will lose: If the Bulldogs were to win, their offense does not give them very much room for error. Only four Yale players have cracked the 20-point threshold this season, with leading scorer Carina DiAntonio tied for twelfth in the conference with 33 points. St. Lawrence in particular has shut Yale down this season, holding them to one combined goal in the two games they have played against each other. The Bulldogs need to find the net against a tough goaltender in Nordström if they are to advance.

    No. 7 Princeton

    Why Princeton will win: The Princeton Tigers’ top forwards — junior Issy Wunder, freshman Mackenzie Alexander and junior Sarah Paul — can generate offense every shift. Wunder leads the ECAC in points with 49, while Alexander isn’t far behind, tied for third with 45. Paul, the Tigers’ top goal-scorer, has found the back of the net 28 times this season. As a team, Princeton’s 3.77 goals per game lead the conference. With proven chemistry and firepower on offense, Princeton is a hard out in a playoff scenario.

    Why Princeton will lose: Princeton has had trouble defending this season, allowing 2.4 goals per game, more than half a goal per game more than anyone left in this tournament, Union excepted. They have also struggled with taking and killing penalties, averaging the second-most penalties per game in the conference and only killing off 79.1% of them, which ranks last among the remaining teams. Against the top four seeds, the Tigers are just 1-6-1 on the year, and they will need to take two of three from Colgate just to make it to championship weekend.

    No. 9 Union

    Why Union will win: After securing the program’s first postseason win with a 2-0 upset over eighth-seeded Brown, the Garnet Chargers head into a quarterfinal matchup against top-seeded Cornell playing with house money. It’s a short tournament; the quarterfinal series wraps up on March 2, with championship weekend set for March 7-8. It may be cliche, but anything can happen. Union has already made history, but it can continue by capitalizing on any opportunities—even the ones that come from being counted out.
    Why Union will lose: At -18, Union is the only team remaining in the ECAC Tournament with a negative goal differential on the season. They also have the toughest theoretical road to a conference title; they have to win two of three from Cornell in Ithaca, then will need to win two more games against higher-ranked opponents to advance to the national tournament. The lowest-seeded team to win the ECAC this century was fourth-seeded Dartmouth in 2009.

  • What will it take for Quinnipiac to win the ECAC Tournament? Ask its conference champions.

    What will it take for Quinnipiac to win the ECAC Tournament? Ask its conference champions.

    By Khalise Harris and Cameron Levasseur

    There’s a wall of white banners tucked high into the far left corner of the hockey side of M&T Bank Arena, each signifying a substantial moment in the two-decade plus rise of Quinnipiac women’s hockey. 

    One shows a collection of 100-point scorers, another a smattering of NCAA Tournament appearances, a third listing more Nutmeg Classic titles than you can count. It’s a constant reminder of the standard expected at a preeminent hockey school. 

    And then there’s a banner on the left side reading, “ECAC Hockey Women’s Ice Hockey Tournament Champions.” Below it, a single year stands alone – 2015-16. It’s a another kind of reminder: one of coming up just short.

    That was the first season with head coach Cass Turner at the helm. Quinnipiac won four ECAC Tournament games in 10 days to bring home the conference title. It’s won five in the nine years since. 

    To contend for the ECAC crown in 2025, the Bobcats (20-10-4, 13-9-0 ECAC) will have to fight an uphill battle. Entering the tournament as the No. 5 seed, every team above them (Cornell, Colgate, St. Lawrence and Clarkson) is ranked in the top-10 nationally. 

    So what is going to take for Quinnipiac to get back over the hump? Just ask the Bobcats who have already done it. Except when they did it, they were not wearing Quinnipiac’s blue and gold.  

    Junior forward Tessa Holk joined Quinnipiac last fall for her junior season. She already has two ECAC titles to her name as a freshman and sophomore with Colgate. The Raiders followed up the latter win with a Frozen Four appearance.

    “I’ve shared (that) everything we do matters,” Holk said. “Having that championship mentality through each game, knowing that in the back of your mind, that you’ve been there before.”

    Junior forward Tessa Holk has 10 points in 34 games in her first season with Quinnipiac. (Quinnipiac Athletics)

    Graduate forward Kathryn Stockdale made history with UConn in 2024. She helped lead the Huskies to their first Hockey East Championship, scoring the overtime winner in a semifinal bout against Boston College.

    “In the back of your head, you know it’s do or die,” Stockdale said. “It’s good nerves, translating nerves to more energy … Everything is just 110% and dedication is really high.”

    Quinnipiac starts its playoff journey by hosting Harvard in the ECAC Opening Round on Saturday. The Bobcats swept the Crimson (2-24-2, 1-20-1 ECAC) in the regular season, earning 1-0 and 2-1 victories and extending their dominance in the matchup to 9-1 over the last 10 meetings. That includes a 9-0 trouncing in the opening round of last year’s conference tournament.

    However, past success does not guarantee future results. It’s tough to beat a team twice, even tougher to do it three times. That’s why Quinnipiac is focused on a fresh mindset as the playoffs begin.

    “The term ‘new season’ has been thrown around a lot,” Stockdale said. “Just emphasizing this is a new season — it’s playoff season, and that’s an advanced season. It’s not like you can take it lightly or else you’re done.”

    “It’s also acknowledging that exact same thing is happening on the other end, with other teams,” Holk said. “No matter what your record is coming into playoffs, it’s completely wiped … it’s a whole new game.”

    Holk and Stockdale’s championship pedigrees bring a unique advantage to a Quinnipiac team eager to make its mark in the ECAC playoffs. Their experience on title-winning teams have given them a deep understanding of what it takes to succeed when the stakes are at their highest. Now, as leaders in the Bobcats’ locker room, they have the opportunity to instill that championship mindset in their teammates.

    “This is the best time of the year,” Holk said. “Playoffs are the best … (It’s about) embracing that and being present in the moment and enjoying every step because this is why we’re athletes at this level, because we love this pressure, we love this feeling of we can get something that’s huge. We can get a championship.”

    For Quinnipiac, that means embracing the details, staying disciplined in its systems, bringing energy to every shift, and trusting that the preparation put in throughout the season will pay off. 

    It also means ignoring all of that and embracing the moment. 

    “Just taking it step by step, game by game, not getting too far ahead,” Holk said. “It’s right there for us but it’s just about taking every game as it is.”

    Stockdale’s UConn team entered the Hockey East Tournament as the No. 1 seed last winter, Quinnipiac will not have that luxury. But in her eyes, these Bobcats are just as good, if not better. 

    “One thing I noticed with my team last year is we didn’t have one all-star that just went and could score and win a game,” Stockdale said. “We had a bunch of people that were dedicated and committed to the process … So looking at my team this year, it’s kind of like a step above that. It’s like everyone does that to a higher degree. Everyone is connected more, everyone is putting in more work. So when I see winning a championship last year and we already did that, it gives me faith and hope and I believe that we can do it this year.”

    As the Bobcats enter the ECAC Tournament, they believe they have the talent, depth, and leadership needed to make a run. And with Holk and Stockdale, they also have something just as valuable — championship experience. Now, it’s up to Quinnipiac to put that to use and chase a title of its own.

  • 15 players to watch in women’s ECAC Hockey Tournament 

    15 players to watch in women’s ECAC Hockey Tournament 

    By Jake Baskin and Carlos Calo Rodríguez

    The stage is set for another thrilling ECAC Hockey women’s tournament, set to begin on Friday.  It’s the second iteration of the tournament since the expansion to a 12-team bracket. Cornell enters the fray as the No. 1 seed, clinching its ninth ECAC regular season championship with a 16-2-4 conference record. The Big Red were No. 3 in the preseason poll in September behind No. 1 Clarkson at the and No. 2 Colgate.

    The first four teams: Cornell (54 points), Colgate (52 points), St. Lawrence (45.5 points) and Clarkson (40.5 points) clinched first round byes and will host quarterfinal series. No. 5 Quinnipiac, which finished just two points behind Clarkson, is among four teams that will host single-elimination opening round games for a spot in the quarterfinals. The Bobcats will face No. 12 Harvard. 

    The ECAC Tournament should be one of the best in the past years, with five teams ranked in the top-10 nationally by USCHO. 

    QU Sports Page’s Jake Baskin and Carlos Calo offer 15 players to watch as the tournament gets underway:

    Mackenzie Alexander | Fr. | F | Princeton

    Alexander, the leading freshman scorer in the country with 42 points, appears to be a lock for the Julie Chu Women’s National Rookie of the Year Award, and if won, she would be the first ECAC player to take home the honor since Sarah Fillier in 2019. The Toronto native will be a player to watch for years to come.

    Annelies Bergmann | So. | G | Cornell

    There are many quality goaltenders in the ECAC, but the 6-foot-1-inch Bergmann stands out as one of the best. Bergmann won the Ivy League Rookie of the Year in 2024 and was named to the ECAC All-Rookie Team. Now, as a sophomore, she reached the 20-win mark for a second time and is tied for the national lead with eight shutouts. 

    Elyssa Biederman | Jr. | F | Colgate

    Biederman, a small but speedy winger, has been a tremendous playmaker during her three years at Colgate. She is a player that gets better every season, she has 45 points in 34 games, five games less than the 2023-2024 season. She has been setting up teammates such as Kristyna Kaltounkova and Emma Pais, along with scoring14 goals of her own this year. Her 31 assists are No. 5 in the country behind four Wisconsin Badgers.

    Anne Cherkowski | Gr. | F | Clarkson

    A graduate student, Cherkowski is a do-everything winger who has scored over 140 points in her NCAA career. She was named to the ECAC Women’s Preseason All-League Team Roster. After helping lead the Golden Knights to the Frozen Four last year, Cherkowski and the experienced Clarkson seniors will try to replicate that performance in 2025. 

    Kendall Cooper | Gr. | D | Quinnipiac

    Quinnipiac is a team that prides itself on defense and goaltending (only Cornell has allowed fewer goals this season among ECAC teams), and Cooper has been the Bobcats’ leader from the blueline all year. Already one of the conference’s best defensemen, she is approaching the 20-assist mark for the third time in her collegiate career.

    Kaley Doyle | Gr. | G | Quinnipiac

    A graduate transfer from Brown, Doyle leads ECAC starters with a .944 save percentage and has seven shutouts. The Bobcats have a recent history of excellent goaltending, including Corinne Schroeder and Logan Angers and Doyle’s one year in Hamden has been no exception.

    Nicole Gosling and Haley Winn | Gr. & Sr. | D | Clarkson

    These two defensive partners are listed together because it’s hard to think of one without the other. Winn is second in scoring among defensemen in the country with 42 points, and Gosling is third with 34. The two are strong on both ends of the ice, and have driven the Golden Knights’ offense this year. A First Team All American and the ECAC Defender of the Year in 2024, Gosling has assisted 10 of Winn’s 12 goals this season. Winn is also the only unanimous selection to make the ECAC Women’s Preseason All-League Team this season. Both are expected to be very high picks in this year’s PWHL Draft.

    Rory Guilday | Sr. | D | Cornell

    Though she’s not the flashiest offensive player, Guilday’s defensive play was essential to the Big Red finishing with the top seed in the ECAC. The senior from Minnesota is a favorite to make next year’s U.S. Olympic team after representing her country in the last three world championships. 

    Abby Hustler | Sr. | F | St. Lawrence

    Hustler finished top-10 in the country in scoring last year and was a Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award Top-10 finalist. This season, she is the driver of the offense for the Saints with 14 goals and 34 points in 34 games. Hustler’s emergence as one of the top forwards in the country coincided with St. Lawrence making the NCAA Tournament last year. If they are to do so again in 2025 she will be the reason why.

    Kristýna Kaltounková | Gr. | F | Colgate

    The Czech international is second in the conference in both goals and points, Kaltounková has been one of the most exciting players in collegiate women’s hockey for her entire five-year run in Hamilton. During this season she became the first player in program history to score 100 goals and reach the 200-point mark. The big center is almost impossible to keep away from the puck or the net and will be in contention for the No. 1 pick in this year’s PWHL Draft.

    Hannah Murphy | Sr. | G | Colgate

    Murphy split time with Kayle Osborne last year, but now has the starting position at Colgate to herself. She ranks among the top 10 in the country in games played (31), wins (23), and save percentage (.941), and her play in net has given her teammates the confidence to take chances offensively. She has been selected to the national Goalie of the Year Watchlist for three straight seasons. 

    Emma-Sofie Nordstrom | Jr. | G | St. Lawrence

    Nordstrom has posted a save percentage above .930 for the second year in a row, backstopping the Saints to the No. 3 seed in the ECAC Tournament. She was an ECAC Goaltender of the Year Finalist last season. Beyond her exploits in college, Nordstrom is also the starter for the Danish national team.

    Vita Poniatovskaia | So. | D | Yale

    The Bulldogs under coach Mark Bolding have been a strong defensive team. Yale has allowed the third-fewest goals in the conference, and Poniatovskaia has been a key component of their defensive strength. If Yale is to win the ECAC Tournament, it is going to need a standout performance from its back end, especially from Poniatovskaia.

    Issy Wunder | Jr. | F | Princeton

    Wunder had a breakout year this season as a junior, elevating her goal total from eight to 24 following Fillier’s graduation. She is the ECAC’s leading scorer with 47 points, and has made the Tigers’ top line one of the scariest in college hockey, one that the higher-ranked teams in the conference will need to contain in order to avoid an upset.