2024 Top 25 Under 25: Corinne Schroeder (15), Kirsten Simms (16)

15: Corinne Schroeder

by Angelica Rodriguez

While the team in front of her left a lot to be desired, PWHL New York netminder Corinne Schroeder did not disappoint in her second pro season. Opening the year with a decisive 4-0 shutout of Toronto, she went on to post a .930 save percentage in 15 starts, good for second overall in the league and best amongst PW goalies with 15 or more games played. While she didn’t have as much ice time as Kristen Campbell or Emerance Maschmeyer, she was able to show why she is a force to be reckoned with in pro hockey. 

Not that she hasn’t been able to do that consistently. After all, this is the goalie who put up good numbers with Boston University, great numbers in her grad year with Quinnipiac, then started her pro career with three consecutive shutouts as a member of the PHF’s Boston Pride. She faced a monumental amount of rubber, with the majority of her starts being 35-plus shot games, and her athleticism and ability to make big stops – particularly on rebounds and point-blank chances – earned her Rookie of the Year and Goaltender of the Year honors in 2022-23 from the PHF.

Now, if only Team Canada would put some respect on her name. Not that Schroeder hasn’t been on Hockey Canada’s radar – she got named to a Rivalry Series roster, at the very least. However, she hasn’t gotten any starts, and with Kristen Campbell on the rise and Emerance Maschmeyer and Ann-Renee Desbiens still playing at a high level, it could be a while yet before we see her really get some ice time. Still, they would do well to give her a shot; after all, she’s only turning 25 this August, meaning there’s still plenty of time for her to reach her true peak. 

Too High/Too Low? – I honestly think with the level of talent we’ve seen on this list so far, Corinne Schroeder might be slightly lower than I expected, but right around where I thought she’d be in the teens. There are so many excellent players here who may have had the luxury of being on better (or at least better-managed) teams, and ultimately she was as good as she could have been given the circumstances. For her final season of eligibility for this list, I think it’s a good placement.

16: Kirsten Simms

by Emma Sullivan

Kirsten Simms in 2023-24 was completely, for lack of a better term, out of this world. 

The Wisconsin Badger notched an NCAA-leading 75 points, including 33 goals in 39 games. For her efforts, Simms was a top-three finalist for the Patty Kazmaeir award, won WCHA Player of the Year, and was a first team All-USCHO honoree. She helped lead Wisconsin to their second-straight national title game appearance, scored the first goal in their 6-3 victory over OSU in the WCHA championship, and assisted on Casey O’Brien’s eventual game-winner to boot. 

Based off of her production, Simms was elevated to Team USA for the Rivalry Series and for the IIHF World Championships this past April, where she put up four points in seven games en route to the silver medal. 

Not to mention the forward from Plymouth, Michigan doesn’t turn 20 years old until the end of August. Talk about room to grow.  

While this season definitely elevated Simms’ stock value, it’s not as though this production came out of nowhere. As a freshman a season ago, she finished seventh on the Badgers in scoring with 32 points. Of those, her 16 goals was the highest of any rookie on the team. Not to mention she scored the most important one of the year – the only goal in Wisconsin’s 1-0 victory in the NCAA Title game in 2023. 

Also, just look at this nasty OT winner against Canada at World’s this spring. 

For anyone who has been keeping track of Simms’ career, her rise isn’t a shock at all. The forward has long been committed to going the extra mile, taking more time at the end of practice to work on her craft and is often one of the last on the ice in Madison. She’s worked not just on the bigger parts of her game, but the minutia as well – her stick handling, the way she releases the puck off her stick, the drag before said release, etc. She’s dedicated to getting better as time goes on, and with the expectations on Wisconsin as high as they are, if there’s anyone who can live up to them on a personal level, it’s Simms. 

Too High/Too Low? – For Simms at her current age and at the length of time she’s been at this level of talent, honestly 16th makes sense. I’d expect (and like) to see her climb on this list in the next few years, based on the aging out of those in front of her, but more importantly based on her ceiling as she develops into a more senior athlete. But for now, she’s right where I think she’s supposed to be.