2019 Women’s Hockey Top 25 Under 25 | No. 15-17: Katie Burt; Emily Clark; Jesse Compher

The middle section of the list features familiar names to our Top 25 Under 25 list. All three players have international experience and should be on the rise.

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2019 Women’s Hockey Top 25 Under 25 | The List

No. 15 | Katie Burt

Sydney Kuntz

Katie Burt had an impressive rookie season with the Boston Pride, and although her future with the NWHL is up in the air, I’m convinced she’s going to see her first appearance with the US National Team soon. She returns to our list after not being named in 2018, even though she was on the 2017 list at number 23.

Past Accomplishments

Burt was a driving force on Boston’s roster during her first year with the team, playing in all but one regular season game and gaining recognition as one of the three finalists for the league’s Goaltender of the Year award. She had a save percentage of .920 and made an excellent partner to veteran Pride goaltender Brittney Ott.

She was also a force to be reckoned with during her NCAA career, where she started all four years at Boston College. She was such a consistent and reliable starter for BC that she holds the NCAA record for most collegiate career goalie wins.

Future Impact

Although Burt had stints on the U18 US national team, she has yet to break onto the senior roster, although she’s certainly on USA Hockey’s radar, since she was one of 12 goalies invited to participate in their goaltending camp this May. Burt has every reason to be a viable goaltender for the future of Team USA, provided that she has the opportunity to continue playing at an elite level.

That being said, she’s also said that the NWHL is the best place for her to prove that she’s ready to join the national squad. That may have changed, because Burt is one of over 200 players taking part in the #ForTheGame boycott of professional women’s hockey in North America. She’s had a busy summer coaching at skill camps and showing her skills at the goalie camp, but hasn’t yet announced her plans for next season. As for many players involved in the boycott, her future growth will be contingent on having somewhere to play and show off her skill.

Is This Ranking Too High or Too Low?

Personally, I’d rank her a higher, but I’d probably also have my top five players all be goalies, so take that with a grain of salt. I think she’ll continue to climb through our rankings in coming years, since she’s only 22. Team USA, please take notes. Provided that she has the opportunity to continue playing at an elite level, she can be a huge asset to Team USA for a long time.

No. 16 | Emily Clark

Michelle Jay

Emily Clark makers her third straight appearance on our T25U25 list, after being at number 22 in 2017 and at number 12 in 2018. She just wrapped up her collegiate career at Wisconsin with a national championship, adding to her impressive trophy collection.

Past Accomplishments

The Canadian forward just wrapped up her collegiate career at Wisconsin with a national championship, adding to her impressive trophy collection of two U18 Worlds gold medals, three Women’s Worlds silver medals, and an Olympic silver medal.

As a Badger, Clark posted great numbers with 146 points in 147 games on her career. In her final season, she had 14 goals and 14 assists for 28 points, a fair bit shy of her typical production. But, as her teammate Annie Pankowski pointed out towards the end of the season, the two seniors were asked to take a different role on the team.

For the Canadian National Team, an injury in November 2018 meant Clark had to sit out the Four Nations tournament being held in her hometown. At Worlds in Espoo, she notched two goals in Canada’s opening game but was pointless for the rest of the tournament.

Future Impact

Clark has been on four Worlds rosters and one Olympic roster. Look for her to have a good stay on Team Canada.

Is This Ranking Too High or Too Low?

A change in roles on the Badgers, as well as standout performances by other players in the world, dropped Clark on our list. It might be a tad bit low and I wouldn’t be surprised to see her rise again.

No. 17 | Jesse Compher

Sydney Kuntz

Jesse Compher may not have been on your radar in previous years, but after a killer second season at Boston University and her first appearance at IIHF Worlds, you’re going to want to keep an eye on her.

Past Accomplishments

During her sophomore season at BU Compher more than doubled her total points from her freshman season and finished third for points in the NCAA. Her performance also garnered her a spot on the Top-10 Patty Kazmaier finalists list, and she was second in the league in assists with 44, falling behind only Élizabeth Giguère. To put it lightly: Compher had a major breakout this year and absolutely dominated with her individual stats.

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Best breakout performances of the 2018-19 NCAA season

We also saw Compher with the senior Team USA for the first time this year in Espoo for the 2019 IIHF Worlds Championship, where she played on a line with Hilary Knight and Dani Cameranesi and made one assist during the tournament. She also scored a goal against Russia, although that was later taken away.

Future Impact

Compher was invited by Team USA to the National Women’s Festival in Lake Placid, but was unable to attend— possibly because she’s currently doing some hardcore offseason training. That being said, her recent performance at Worlds gives her a good chance of remaining on the senior national team in the future, especially as some older stars begin to retire. She also comes in at the perfect time to learn from some seasoned veteran stars on the team as their careers are winding down.

Of course, she also still has a fair amount of time left in her collegiate career. Compher has two seasons left to grow at BU and prove that she can maintain her impressive scoring numbers from this past season. If her scoring continues to rise even at half the rate they did in the past year, she’ll be one of the most dominant players in the NCAA for the 2019-20 season.

Is This Ranking Too High or Too Low?

Compher absolutely deserves this jump onto the list. She’s a strong playmaker and had a massive jump in performance at BU this year. Breaking out into the senior team roster is impressive enough on its own to secure her spot on this list, and her impressive NCAA numbers firmly cement her as a rising star.