2024-25 NCAA Preview: NEWHA

It’s a new year in College Hockey, and with it comes new expectations, new aspirations, and if you’re the New England Women’s Hockey Alliance, a plethora of new coaches. 

There’s a lot happening in NEWHA, with the first-time conference champions trying to defend their title, but in their way are tough programs looking to take the next steps to climb the ranks. 

It’s going to be an exciting year for the various clubs across the region, and before it all starts, let’s break down a little of what to expect from each of the eight programs. 

*Please note, the list below does not reflect predicted season standings*

Last Year’s No. 1 

Stonehill 2023-24: No. 3 Reg. Season, 21-16-2 overall, 17-9-2 in conference 

If there’s something to be said about Stonehill’s rise to the top of the standings, it’s that they’re a story to root for. 

The Skyhawks became a Division I program two seasons ago, and since then have seen themselves climb the mountain so to speak within NEWHA. Last season, it took back-to-back overtime wins against Saint Anselm and Franklin Pierce in the semifinal and final games to claim their first title. 

Now, the team returns to the ice as the defending conference champions, and also have NCAA tournament experience under their belt after they squared off against Cornell in the opening round last spring. Retaining their championship banner is not going to be easy, however. 

The biggest loss is Alexis Petford. The forward scored 20 goals and 35 points as a sophomore, leading the roster by far. The offense for the last two seasons has been driven through her – and that skill she’s shown is one of the reasons she transferred to Colgate after entering the portal in the spring. Replacing her offensive prowess is going to be tough, especially when you add in the departure of Paige Whaley, another key contributor over the last two seasons. 

The good news is that Eve Stone, the Skyhawks main starter from season ago is returning, alongside the majority of their defensive core. That core includes rising sophomore, and NEWHA All-Rookie honoree, Pusle Dyring-Andersen, who led the team in blocked shots with 49. 

Personally, I do love the additions the team made overall as well. This includes former Penn State forward Maeve Connolly, who played 129 games over four seasons with the Nittany Lions and won back-to-back titles in the CHA (now Atlantic Hockey America). While she didn’t have the highest point totals, her experience and ability to play shut down minutes will be crucial for this team moving forward.  

A second season under head coach Lee-J Mirasolo should pay off well for the Skyhawks. Plus, the addition of USA and Boston Fleet starting goaltender Aerin Frankel as their goaltending coach should pay off in spades, especially for Stone in net.

Outside of coaching, the majority of the roster is returning, and with that experience is the memory of what it feels like to win. I have no doubt they’ll be guarding that tournament trophy throughout the regular season and beyond. 

Don’t Forget the Former Champions 

LIU 2023-24: No. 1 Reg. Season, 28-9-0 overall, 26-2-0 in conference

Ah LIU, the team everyone expected to win the conference – with good reason. 

The Sharks have been one of if not the best team in NEWHA since head coach Kelly Nash took over in 2022. They won the postseason tournament in the spring of 2023, and last year finished with a 28-9-0 record, with just three losses coming within conference play. One of those losses however was in the playoff semifinals, where Franklin Pierce scored on LIU’s home ice in overtime to knock the Sharks out of the tournament. 

And then came the offseason, which was absolutely brutal on the roster. Second-leading scorer Mikayla Lantto signed a professional deal in the SDHL and will not be returning. Then assistant captain Ceilidh Campbell entered the transfer portal alongside defender Saige McKay and forward Journey Miller, although it is unclear if the three have found new homes for 2024-25. 

Plus one more, bigger name to depart Long Island this summer – the top goaltender in the conference, and one of the best in the NCAA, Tindra Holm. 

The Swedish netminder was outstanding in net for the Sharks. She posted a .935 save percentage including 17 shutouts in 91 games played (53-31-5 overall record) through three seasons. Following the end of the year, she opted to enter the portal and transferred to Minnesota-Duluth, joining a tandem alongside Ève Gascon. 

In response, the Sharks picked up Abbie Thompson from Bemidji State, who posted a .867 SV% in 2o starts last year. Also returning are rising sophomore Clara Kammholz (four starts, .972 SV%, two shutouts) and rising junior Annie Abramson (one start, 21 of 22 saves made). 

The netminder's crease is wide open for LIU, but replacing Holm’s reliability and capability is going to be difficult. Combine that with the other teams in the conference only getting better, the Sharks may find themselves in a bit of a hole to start the season. 

One Team’s Loss is Another’s Gain 

Saint Anselm 2023-24: No. 2 Reg. Season, 20-16-1 overall, 18-9-1 in conference

Reigning NEWHA Player of the Year Natalie Tulchinsky will not be returning to Saint Anselm, or even the conference, in 2024-25. 

The fifth-year forward, who spent her first two NCAA seasons at Boston College, departed the Hawks following back-to-back 42 point campaigns. Her immense impact on the ice was integral to Saint Anselm’s top-two finish in the regular season, and brought them within one goal of the conference championship game before they fell to Stonehill in the semifinal. 

Outside of Tulchinsky, who will play next season with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the Hawks also lost defender Savannah Popick to Sacred Heart. The addition of Maine defender Cora Webber will provide some depth on the blueline to fill in the gap, although the 17 points Popick provided last year may be harder to replicate. 

Then there’s the goaltending conundrum. Starting goaltender Courtney Stagman, who was named to the All-Rookie team following the season thanks to her outstanding numbers in 28 starts (.919 SV% 2.29 GAA with three shutouts), entered the transfer portal at the beginning of March. Though she hasn’t yet found a new team (and the roster hasn’t yet been updated for 2024-25), the team opted to add former UNH backup Ava Hills who has two years of eligibility remaining. Plus Annabella Lalande, who started eight games and had .908 SV% in those appearances, is expected to return. 

It’ll be interesting to see how things shake out, but if they can’t fill in the gap Tulchinsky’s departure left, it’s going to be a bit more difficult to get to the top spots in the conference. 

There are some names offensively I’d keep an eye on. Rising junior Brooklyn Schneiderhan was second in goals scored last year with 17, and finished second in scoring overall behind Tulchinsky with 28 points. Gracee Donovan, now a senior, added 13 goals herself and 19 total points. 

This is also the team that had the best power-play percentage of any squad in NEWHA, and their  19.6% conversion rate was 15th best in the nation – although their top three scorers on the player advantage have all departed the program. If they can replace the departing scoring with other offensive weapons on the roster, the Hawks could repeat the performances that we saw last year. There are just a few question marks that won’t be filled until the team takes the ice and we see them in action. 

Don’t Worry, I Didn’t Forget Sacred Heart and Franklin Pierce

Sacred Heart 2023-24: No. 4 Reg. Season, 15-21-2 overall, 14-12-2 in conference

Sacred Heart was middle of the pack last year, and it’s a pretty safe bet to expect that they’re going to be similarly ranked at the end of 2024-25. 

The team has definitely improved on paper, especially out of the transfer portal with the additions of Alyssa Antonakis (Northeastern), Savannah Popick (Saint Anselm), Bria Holm (Maine), and Sami Bowlby (Quinnipiac). Not to mention the players remaining on the roster from last season to the next, including starting goaltender Jillian Petruno, who was second to just Jill Hertl (Franklin Pierce) in SV% in the conference overall with a .943 in 27 starts. 

What I’m most interested in is the growth of now-sophomore Isabella Chaput, who had 19 points including 12 goals last season. Combine that with another season of consistent offensive output from Sydney Antonakis, and a second year of Kate Helgeson in the program, the offensive upside the team has is solid. 

The defensive group should also see some improvement, solely from the continued growth of senior Anastasia Sloan, and juniors Olivia LaRoche and Julianna Koman, who had a combined 162 blocks throughout last season. 

After hosting the Ice Breaker Tournament a year ago, the Pioneers are this year's host of the Nutmeg Classic in November. This includes a first-round matchup against Quinnipiac, the toughest non-conference team SHU will see this season. If they can put up a fight against QU, and I believe they could, it bodes well for the team’s overall success in conference play. 

Franklin Pierce 2023-24: No. 5 Reg. Season, 18-16-1 overall, 14-13-1 in conference

The other half of the championship matchup, the Ravens are expected to return some key pieces of last year’s lineup, including the aforementioned Jill Hertl in net. 

Top scorer Mikayla Kelley, who had 23 points in just 27 games, and Anna Caumo, who had 10 goals to Kelley’s 12, are both presumed to be returning, and will be integral to the Ravens offense moving forward. 

FPI’s special teams were both rock solid a year ago, especially their penalty kill which finished the year 10th nationally with a 87.8% success rate. The team's relatively young defensive core should remain intact, outside of Delaney Bonifacio and Kylie Huseth, the latter of which transferred to DIII Hamlin College for her junior season. Though maybe the team should focus on staying out of the box as often as they were last year. 148 times short-handed was second most in NEWHA and gave them the fifth-highest penalty minutes nationally (329).

Both Maggie Korneta, now a junior, and rising senior Julia Stevens are expected to lead the blueline in 2024-25. The pair contributed 14 points a piece a season ago, and both should continue to add to that based on their career trajectories thus far. 

The name I’ve got my eye on out of Rindge, New Hampshire is fifth-year transfer Madi Morton, who spent the last four seasons with Elmira College in DIII, and served as the team’s captain last year. Across 103 games Morton has 14 goals and 69 points as a defender, a number I believe will transfer well into NEWHA play. Not to mention her defensive prowess will fit right in when stepping into a system such as the ones the Ravens have. 

While I’m not sure the team will find themselves back in the NEWHA title game, stranger things have happened. With a largely returning roster, including a goaltender who has proven to be rock solid, I’d expect at least a slightly better regular season from the Ravens in the standings. We’ll see how that translates on the tournament side of things in the spring. 

Coaching Turnover… There’s a Lot 

There are eight teams in NEWHA as of 2024-25. Of those eight, four of them are heading into the season with brand new head coaches. 

Let’s start with Saint Anselm who we mentioned above. The Hawks are bringing in Sam Ftorek, an alum of the school's men’s program who went on to play professional hockey. Most recently Ftorek coached the girl’s team at the Kent School in Connecticut, and has professional coaching experience in the ECHL and SPHL. He is set to be the fourth coach in program history, following the departure of Jen Kindret at the end of last season. 

Assumption 2023-24: No. 6 in Reg. Season, 10-22-4 overall, 10-14-4 in conference

A bit of a ways south is Assumption, who hired former Stonehill assistant Joe Grossman to head up their staff in 2024-25. Grossman is taking over one of the younger programs both on paper and in actuality– 20 members of last year's team were freshmen during the first ever Division I season in program history. 

Returning names this year include top scorer Jenna Chaplain (20 points), Alexa Hanrahan, and Sheridan Terrazzano, who netted 10 goals a piece. Both Chaplain and Hanrahan were named to the All-Rookie team for their efforts. 

While the Greyhounds didn’t have the highest offensive production overall (just 69 total goals in 36 games), the team did have one of the better penalty kill percentages throughout the year with an 84.4% success rate. If they can build upon that they might have a shot at the top half of the conference. 

Saint Michael’s 2023-24: No. 8 in conference, 0-35-1 overall, 0-27-1 in conference 

Then we have Saint Michael’s, who finished at the bottom of the standings last season after they failed to record a single win, going 0-35-1 overall. 

Meghan Sweezey, who was a captain for the Purple Knights in her fourth season with the team back in 2009-10, has moved up the ranks from assistant coach to full time head coach of the program. 

Sweezey will have her work cut out for her – considering the team has just 10 combined wins since 2019 – as she takes over. Goaltender Annika Lavender is expected to return to the team, after posting a .904 SV% in 31 appearances last season and leading the nation in saves with 1171. Building around the solid foundation she has will be crucial, although the team’s really just gotta find some scoring, considering the Purple Knights only had 36 goals-for.

Returning from their top five in scoring are Alizée LeBlanc (9 points, third overall), Grace Canterbury (9 points, third overall), and Angelina Ruiz (8 points, fourth overall). If these three can up the productive even the slightest bit, it would be massive for Saint Michael’s. 

Post 2023-24: No. 7 Reg. Season, 8-28-1 overall, 7-20-1 in conference

And finally, another team that desperately needs to improve their scoring, is Post. The Eagles were seventh in last season's standings, and scored just 41 goals throughout 37 games. In June the school announced the hiring of Pat Bingham as their new head coach, who brings nearly 25 years of coaching and program management experience to the table. 

This is another relatively young team, however they are expected to retain leading scorer Tristan Currie (8 goals, 14 points) and netminder Hannah Saunders, who posted a .929 SV% with two shutouts in 13 starts last season. 

Addressing the power play is critical for the Eagles, as it ranked dead last in the conference with just a 10.1% conversion rate a year ago. If they can raise that by even a handful of points, they might be back on track. 

Non-conference matchups begin the last weekend of September for some teams, while in-conference play begins in October.