Early Outlook on St. Cloud and the Vail Tournament

In the middle of November, the Huskies will be heading to Vail, Colorado, for a tournament, in which they will be facing Wisconsin and St. Cloud. BU is the fourth team that will be participating in this tournament.

Courtesy of WCHA.com

St. Cloud has announced that seven girls will be joining the team in September. Among them are one goaltender, three forwards, and three defensemen. Jeff Geisen has brought in a class that will be looked upon to contribute right away. With the loss of two of their top three scorers, it will be crucial for the incoming forwards to step up and give their defensive teammates the cushion they need in order to come out with wins. Last season, St. Cloud went 9-24-3, an admirable record since they are in the WCHA, a conference that includes defending champs Minnesota, and powerhouses such as Minnesota-Duluth, and Wisconsin.

The matchup between St. Cloud and the Huskies comes the day after the St. Cloud/BU and Northeastern/Wisconsin games. The games against St. Cloud should be much easier for the Huskies. Dave Flint has done a great job coming up with a schedule that allows his girls to play against teams that they wouldn’t otherwise have a chance to play against. Wisconsin and St. Cloud will show the Huskies how the game is played in the WCHA. In the USCHO polls this past year, Northeastern hovered around 10th place, while Wisconsin kept moving between 7th and 9th. Playing an opponent that is so close to Northeastern in terms of skill will be very beneficial.

To read the releases on St.Cloud’s incoming players, click here and here.

Early Outlook on Syracuse

Over the past few years, Syracuse has been one of the first opponents of the Huskies regular season; this year is no different. The Huskies will face off against the Orange in Matthews on October 4th, and it should prove to be good test for the team.

Courtesy of Syracuse University Magazine

Since becoming a Division I program five years ago, Syracuse has been very consistent in the standings. They are historically a solid team who wins and loses the games they should. This past season they went 20-15-1, with 16 of those games being either won or lost by only one goal. The strength of Syracuse starts in the net; Kallie Billadeau and Jenesica Drinkwater are both solid goaltenders, and as incoming seniors, they have three years of experience to help the Orange secure a good spot in the CHA playoffs. The Huskies haven’t had much trouble scoring against Syracuse in the past, but in order to set a positive tone for the rest of the season, the Huskies need to strike first. For the past two years, rookies have scored the first goal of the season, so it will be interesting to see if one of the incoming freshmen will continue this tradition.

Anchored by Akane Hosoyamada and Brittey Krebs, the Orange defense will be relied on to support their goaltenders and make the plays necessary to aid in the offense. The coaching staff have brought in two additional defensemen to help keep the defensive core strong. Their schedule next year includes some big out of conference games against BC, Cornell and Clarkson, and it will be crucial for Syracuse to perform well in those games to help set them up for their CHA opponents. As the first test for the Huskies, it will be important for them to really establish the offensive system early in this game; as long as the girls can keep get into the offensive zone and control the puck, they will be able to find the back of the net.

Courtesy of SB Nation

Six forwards will be joining the Orange squad in the fall, adding to the scoring depth of the team. Syracuse has a lot of gritty players who aren’t afraid to get in front of the net and use their bodies in order to score. The Husky defense will need to be strong in order to help out Desjardins in this first game. It is crucial for the girls on defense to fall into their system as quickly as possible. The more comfortable the girls feel on defense, the more they will be able to help out their offensive counterparts in the other end of the ice.

With all things as they should, the Huskies should come out on top. It will be important for them not to underestimate the Orange; this game will be tough and gritty, but it will be a good way for the Huskies to familiarize themselves with the systems and with each other in a game situation.

To read Syracuse’s incoming class release, click here.

The US National Team has been selected

Less than 24 hours ago, USA Hockey announced the preliminary roster for the Olympic Women’s Hockey Team. 24 out of the 41 original members were chosen, and 12 of them have Olympic experience. Seven of these players would be playing college hockey next year if it weren’t for the Olympics, and they are:

• Kendall Coyne F - Northeastern

• 

  Courtesy of USAHockey.com

  Alex Carpenter F - BC
• Michelle Picard D - Harvard
• Lindsey Fry F - Harvard
• Josephine Pucci D - Harvard
• Amanda Kessel F - Minnesota
• Lee Stecklein D - Minnesota

Although Josephine Pucci is listed, she did not play last season for the Crimson because of an injury, but no doubt would she have come back to finish her senior year as the core of the blue line.

These women are all some of the highest scoring players in their conferences. Carpenter and Coyne were both leader in the Hockey East, and Kessel was not only the leading goal scorer in her conference, but also in the entire division. All of these players will be sorely missed by their teammates next season.

But let’s take a look at some of the players who attended the camp, but weren’t chosen for the national team:

• 

  Courtesy of the Boston Herald

  Courtney Burke D - Wisconsin
• Hannah Brandt F - Minnesota
• Brooke Ammerman F - Wisconsin
• Amanda Pelkey F - UVM
• Paige Savage F - Northeastern
• Jordan Smelker F - RPI
• Alex Rigsby G - Wisconsin
• Alicia Gagliardi D - Cornell
• Milicia McMillen D - Minnesota
• Emily Field F - BC
• Haley Skarupa F - BC

As one of the quickest players in the Hockey East, Pelkey could have her best year with UVM to date. Alex Rigsby is one of the strongest rising goaltenders and is sure to be the backbone of success for the Badgers. Field and Skarupa are going to be major threats for BC; both of them have the scoring touch and will be instrumental for the Eagles if they want to return to the Frozen Four.

Now what does all of this mean for Northeastern? It means that they lose their most powerful forward. However, it does give all of the other forwards a chance to shine. Brittany Esposito and Kelly Wallace could both have great final seasons with the Huskies if they continue their style of play. Paige Savage will be continuing her output from last season and be one of the anchors of the Husky offense. Katie MacSorley could make a difference in a lot of close games next season with her style of play, and will be relied upon by the coaches to set the tone for her teammates. The incoming freshman will be expected to contribute right off the bat. Scammura is a smart power forward would could make a difference early on, Masters’ gritty style of play will really help the Huskies in those early games, and Haganey will support her teammates as a passer and playmaker. The defensive core for the Huskies remains untouched, which will be vital for when they are facing strong teams, like BC.

Courtesy of HockeyPhotography.com

One of the greatest offensive powers that the Huskies will face next season will probably be BC. They are well coached and have well established systems that will work well with or without Carpenter. The team that could take the Huskies by surprise might be UVM. With the return of Pelkey the Catamounts will be looking to build on last season, and become a real threat to teams such as BC and BU.

To see the USA Olympic roster, click here. To see the original training camp roster, click here.

To see GoNU’s release on Kendall Coyne being named to the team, click here.

What the Olympics mean for the Huskies

Courtesy of Logo Design Love

Most teams will be feeling the effect of the Olympics during their upcoming season. BU has lost two of its biggest offensive powers in Marie-Philip Poulin and Jenelle Kohanchuck to Team Canada. Erica Uden-Johansson, one of the top five leading goal scorers for Quinnipiac, has already redshirted the season to play for Team Sweden. Northeastern is no exception to this; Kendall Coyne and Paige Savage are both currently attending the training camp in Lake Placid, with final team selection to happen after their last scrimmage on Sunday, June 23rd. Even though the Czech Republic will not participate in Women’s Hockey at the Olympics, Lucie Povova will most likely be missing some time for other IIHF tournaments. The schools that could potentially take the biggest hits from the Olympics are the ones in the WCHA.

Minnesota has six of it’s players at the selection camp, including Amanda Kessel who recorded 100 points this season for the undefeated team. Wisconsin has four, including their starting goalie Alex Rigsby, and both of the Lamoureux sisters are at the camp, but since they were 2013 grads from the school, their absence was already expected. BC has three of its current players at the camp, all of whom would be returning in the fall. These three players are Carpenter, Skarupa and Fields, all players who would be sorely missed by their college teammates. Harvard has four players at the camp, one of them being Josephine Pucci who missed this past season due to a concussion.

Courtesy of TeamUSA.org

Bottom line is that all of the schools are going to be taking hits next season, forcing other players to step up and fill the shoes left behind by the key players. Now there are three different scenarios for Northeastern: 1) they will lose both Savage and Coyne 2) they will only lose one of the two players, most likely Coyne 3) the Huskies don’t lose either of these two girls. Granted, option three is the least likely of the three, especially since Kendall could/should have been on the 2010 Olympic team had it not been for an injury.

Option 1 would put a lot of pressure on the NU offense. It will also make it more important for the defensive core to be locked down by the team November comes around. The Husky defense is consistently strong, and as long as they can help Desjardins and support the offense, the forwards will have no trouble finding the back of the net. Option 2 would mean that the Huskies lose their top scorer in Coyne, but keep the developing power of Savage. She is a big power forward who works well with all of her teammates, and will be a great asset to the Husky offense moving forward. Option 3 would mean that the Huskies stay untouched, which will be a huge advantage against the Eagles, Terriers, and the Wisconsin Badgers.

Once the national teams have finalized their rosters, coaches will start assessing their teams and form a game plan moving forward.

For USA selection camp roster, click here. For Team Canada’s centralized roster, click here. To read the GoNU release on Coyne and Savage being invited to the selection camp, click here.

Early Outlook on RIT

Courtesy of RIT

The Huskies will be playing two games against CHA opponents this upcoming season; one of them will be against the RIT Tigers, which enters its second season at the DI level. The Tigers recently released their incoming class, and it looks as if all of the players will be making an impact for the team right away.

Coach Scott McDonald has recruited 10 girls to his team; four forwards, two defensmen, two swing players, and two goaltenders. All around, this incoming class looks strong; RIT plays a gritty style of hockey and these players will complement what is already in place. Coach McDonald is one of the best recruiters that RIT has had; before becoming the women’s head coach, he was an assistant on the men’s team, and was able to bring in some of the talent that helped bring the team to the 2010 Frozen Four. Once moving to the women’s side, McDonald was able to fish in a lot of strong and quick-footed players, who were able to easily outskate all of their DIII opponents. Under his coaching, the Tigers won the 2012 DIII NCAA Champions.

Binnington Courtesy of the Democrat and Chronicle

The strength of the Tigers lays in their defensive zone. With the steady goaltending of Ali Binnington, the RIT defense can play aggressively, knowing she will be there for support. A lot of the games that the Tigers played this season were decided by one goal; with a strong defensive system set in place, they are likely to continue this trend next season. The Tigers will be losing three of their top six leading goal scorers from last season, so they will be looking for the incoming freshman to make an impact right away in the offensive zone.

Entering only their second season at the DI level, the Tigers are still building. They are in the College Hockey America (CHA) conference, which is the conference of Frozen Four participant Mercyhurst, as well as Penn State, who also just wrapped up their first DI season. Overall, the Tigers are looking to build on their previous season and this incoming class is just what the team needs to do that.

To read the full release, click here.

NU Releases 2013-2014 Schedule

Courtesy of NCAA

The Northeastern Women’s Hockey team released their 2013-2014 schedule earlier today, and it looks like it’s going to be a challenging year for the Huskies. With 11 games against NCAA tournament teams, the upcoming season is going to be a true test of the Huskies strength during an Olympic year.

The Huskies start the season with an exhibition game against McGill; this should be a good game for the girls to stretch out their legs and get ready for their first six games, all against out of conference teams. Their first two games on the docket are against two CHA teams: Syracuse and RIT. NU and Syracuse have met each other in the past two years, each with the Huskies coming out with the win. RIT enters its second season at the Division I level after a solid first season. RIT’s greatest strength is their goaltending; Ali Binnington is going to be the first real test against the Huskies offense in the upcoming season. They continue their out of conference slate with two games in the Albany area, against Union and RPI. Neither teams should pose too much of an issue for the Huskies; again, it will give them a chance to work through their systems and really lock down their defensive zone, which they will need as they travel to Ithaca to face Cornell for two games. This will be the first real challenge for the Huskies. Cornell comes off of a great season, winning the ECAC championship against Harvard, but losing to Mercyhurst in the NCAA quarterfinals. The two games against Northeastern will be the first for the Big Red, so the Huskies, who will already have a few games under their belt, could surprise Cornell.

Courtesy of Hockey East Online

After Cornell, the Huskies will begin their conference play with a home and home against Providence. Both of these games should be a battle of defensive and goaltending, and it will be exciting to see who comes out on top. Next, they will play BU, the powerhouse that dominated in the Hockey East and made it to the NCAA finals in Minnesota. With the loss of Marie-Philip Poulin and Jenelle Kohanchuk, two of the strongest Canadian players in women’s hockey, BU will be looking for returning sophomore Sarah Lefort to continue leading the Terrier offense and building on her successful rookie season. After this grueling game, the Huskies will face Maine, UNH and BC before heading to Vail, Colorado to play Wisconsin and St. Cloud State. The games against Maine and UNH are rightly placed for the Huskies to continue perfecting their systems for when they face BC and Wisconsin. NU will close out November with two games at UVM, and a trip to New Hampshire to face the Dartmouth Big Green. The Huskies only two games in December are against BU and UConn, both a chance for the team to end 2013 on a high note and gain momentum going into 2014.

Courtesy of Boston Globe

The Huskies will start the new year with four games against their Boston neighbors, traveling to Harvard for one game, followed by a home and home against BC, and finally traveling to Comm Ave to face BU. This is a tough start to the year, but as long as the Huskies can battle and help Desjardins in front of the net, they will be able to keep up with all of these teams. After three games at home, the Huskies will travel to Cambridge to play Harvard in an attempt to repeat their Beanpot success. Depending on the outcome, the Huskies will either play BC of BU the following week. To keep the girls on their toes between Beanpot games, Coach Flint has scheduled a game at Providence, which will be a good way for the girls to keep sharp, no matter the outcome of the Harvard game. The Huskies will end their season with a home and home against both UConn and UNH before the playoffs starts.

Courtesy of Hockey East Online

This schedule is designed for the Huskies to be constantly challenged while allowing for them to perfect all of their systems and zone work. In order for the girls to have a successful season, they need to come out of the gate flying and start the season strong. The keys to success for this season are to support Chloe Desjardins and lock down their defense before the Cornell game. Last season, the girls sometimes took shifts off, and although that may work for some of the weaker teams they play, the stronger ones like BU, BC, or Cornell, are going to take advantage of any opportunity they get. As long as the girls can play a full 60 minutes of hockey, they will be able to have yet another great season.

To read the release from GoNU.com, click here. If you want to look at the 2013-2014 schedule, click the NUWH Schedule tab at the top of the page.

Early Outlook on Harvard

Harvard looks poised to repeat their output from their past years. The Olympics won’t faze big powerhouse teams like Harvard, who could return as many as 17 skaters pending team selections for the Canadian and US national teams. Seven new skaters will look to keep Harvard one of the top five women’s college hockey programs in the nation.

Courtesy of goCrimson.com

Although Harvard has lost their points leader, they will be returning six of its top seven scorers next season. After coming so close to an ECAC championship, and losing to BC in the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament, next years Crimson team will be looking to build on their successes and become a greater threat to the western powerhouses. The two incoming forwards will be looked upon to make an immediate impact and help their teammates as soon as the season starts.

Courtesy of The Ivy League

Four defenseman will be coming in next season, ensuring that the Crimson defensive core stays strong. Thanks to their outstanding defense, and Emerence Machmeyer’s goaltending, the Crimson were able to earn a 24-7-3 record on the season. Harvard has no problem playing a solid defensive game and each player they have brought in will only complement what is already in place in Cambridge. There is also the addition of a goaltender to next year’s squad. She will most likely be fighting for the second spot against Molly Tissenbaum, while Maschmeyer will get most of the starts in net. She had a fantastic rookie season, earning a save percentage of .949, and is already on track to becoming one of the most powerful goalies of women’s hockey.

Katey Stone, Crimson head coach, will not be present during the upcoming season because she will be coaching the Olympic team. Maura Crowell will take her place, and has announced that recently graduated goaltender, Laura Bellamy, will be joining her on the bench. It will be interesting to see how this new Crimson team will fare for a season; but even with the Olympic losses, they are still a force to be reckoned with.

To read the release about the Crimson incoming class, click here. To read about Laura Bellamy’s appointment, click here.