I am a 200-foot player that is relied on as a strong defender and a go-to on the penalty kill, as well as for creating space and opportunities in the offensive zone. As a two-way centre, I am recognized for both my technical skills (puck control, playmaking), as well as my relentless work ethic and ability to win tough battles in the corners.
My strengths as a player are my understanding of the game, puck skills and shot and I’m always working on my skating and foot speed. I’m always the first one to the rink and rarely miss practice or games. I’m also very committed to improving my skills outside of our regular team activities and I attend a hockey specific gym for my workouts. I am also a brown belt in Jiujitsu, play for my school hockey and flag football teams and I love anything to do with being outdoors. I’ve been spending a lot of time golfing with my Dad and brother and I look forward to golf season every year to improve my game!
As a strong two-way defenseman, I generate scoring chances through puck rushes and shots from the point. My speed and hockey vision enables me to make the first pass, while my strength and stick work protect the puck at the blue line and when defending my own net. Off ice, I’m a dedicated athlete focused on improving my physical strength and conditioning. I value direct coach feedback and have a strong work ethic. Academics is a priority as I understand the importance of education for my future.
I have played net full time since the age of seven. I appreciate the challenge of playing against the best shooters every time I hit the ice and excel against top talent, posting a GAA of .948 in the last two seasons, while taking over 1,000 shots per season. I’ve been recognized at the Provincial level in Ontario as a top 2008 goaltender. I’m a competitor who can rise in the big moments. I look forward to the opportunities that lie ahead.
An analysis breaking down commits from the U.S., Canada and Europe. It also provides insight into relatively how good a player needs to be within their country at their position.
What percent of players of DI women’s college commits come from Canada vs. the U.S. and why does it matter? Well, if you are a female player who aspires to play at the highest level of college hockey, it is important to recognize that you aren’t only competing with the top players who play for a USA Hockey National Championship. You are also being compared to the top Canadian and European players.
In analyzing our new and improved database of women’s college hockey commits, we have been tracking where every publicly announced commit is from and where they play. As you can see below, almost 40% of all Division I players are from Canada.
Source: Elite Prospects, College Commits, Champs App analysis (as of May 21, 2024)
So, how good do you need to be to play Division I women’s college hockey?
There are 45 Division I college women’s hockey teams. Assuming 25 players on each team, with 25% graduating every year (once the Covid extra year expires after this year), then there should be about 280 openings each year (assuming no DIII transfers to DI).
USA
With 54% of players coming from the U.S., that means an American player needs to be one of the best 150 players in the U.S. for their graduation year. And if your goal is to play for a Top 25 team it means you basically need to be one of the best 80 players in the U.S.
Thus to be a DI player, you would need to be one of the: • Top 18 goalies in the US. • Top 42 D in the U.S. • Top 90 forwards in the U.S.
Canada
With ~40% percent of players coming from Canada, that means a Canadian player needs to be one of the best 112 players in the Canada for their graduation year.
Drilling down a little more, at the position level, it means: • Top 14 goalies in the Canada • Top 31 D in the Canada • Top 67 forwards in the Canada
It is also important to note that a large majority of Canadian players primarily go to the top 25 DI U.S. schools, otherwise they could easily stay in Canada and be closer to home. For example they could play for Julie Chu or Caroline Ouellette at Concordia University. So the competition for these top schools is probably a little higher from Canadian players, thus lower the number spots for U.S. players at these high-ranking schools.
Last weekend my 16 year-old son and I attended the Matterhorn Fit All Ivy League Men’s Hockey Showcase in Estero, Florida. The event was impeccably organized, drawing nearly two dozen coaches actively involved in coaching or scouting. One standout feature was the series of two 1-hour sessions where each coach personally introduced themselves and shared insights into their respective school’s unique hockey program. These sessions, akin to the conversations on the Champs App podcasts but more concise, provided a glimpse into the personalities behind the coaching staff and shed light on the attributes they value most in players.
Dedicated DI Coaches to Each Team
A notable aspect of the event was the assignment of a single DI coach to each team throughout all five games. This setup allowed players to develop a deeper understanding of their assigned coach over the weekend, fostering a more personalized interaction. Furthermore, the majority of coaches in attendance took the time to scout multiple games for each team, showcasing their dedication and thoroughness in talent evaluation.
One-on-One Conversations with DI Coaches
Unlike many women’s spring and summer showcases that are often bound by blackout periods limiting direct conversations with coaches, the Matterhorn Ivy League Men’s Hockey Showcase encouraged open dialogue with coaches. This facilitated valuable recruiting conversations for players, a particularly beneficial opportunity given the age range of players involved, typically spanning from 16 to 20 years old for men’s hockey recruiting, as opposed to the earlier recruitment timeline often seen in women’s DI hockey.
Thoughtful, Structured Feedback
Following the event, players received written feedback from their assigned coach, evaluating them on eight key attributes essential for potential DI players. This personalized feedback, accompanied by detailed comments, provided invaluable insights and guidance for players looking to enhance their skills and showcase their potential at the collegiate level. Having been to many women’s college hockey showcases, I wish some of them would provide the same level of valuable feedback to players.
If your choice is between going to a NEWHA team and a top-rated DIII team, you should seriously weigh a number of factors into your decision rather than just being able to say “I play DI hockey”.
Before discussing the inputs to your decision between a NEWHA and a top DIII hockey school, let’s first set some context comparing the NEWHA conference and the top programs in DIII women’s hockey.
A while ago, I interviewed Kerstin Matthews back when she was the Head Coach at St Anselm College and she discussed how her team was really a DII team but played a DI schedule. She also explained how there are some DII and DI schools in the NEWHA. She gives a great explanation on how the NEWHA conference is now able to compete for the NCAA Women’s Hockey National Championship:
NEWHA Hockey
The NEWHA conference is very competitive and pretty well-balanced. Assumption and Stonehill were added over the past two seasons and they both had some success right away. There hasn’t been a single dominant team in recent years, with different conference champions the past few seasons. So within the NEWHA, players will experience a good level of competition throughout the season. In addition, as the programs mature at the DI level, one would hope that the level of play continues to elevate year-after-year.
However, the reality is that the NEWHA conference as a whole doesn’t fare very well against the rest of the DI women’s teams right now. This past season, the NEWHA Conference went 1-44 in their non-conference games. The one win was a 1-goal mid-week game in early January at the end of Christmas Break by Franklin Pierce against Dartmouth.
It’s great that the winner of the NEWHA Conference gets an automatic spot in the NCAA Women’s College Hockey playoffs. Every conference winner should get a berth. But the numbers show they aren’t even close to having one of the top 11 teams in the country to compete in the NCAA Playoffs. According to MyHockeyRankings, all 8 NEWHA teams were rated at the bottom of the DI Women’s Hockey rankings this past season. Thus, it is no surprise that the team representing NEWHA in the NCAA Playoffs has been outscored a combined 16-2 in the two games of the opening round the past two seasons.
Note: The NCAA just announced they will move from 11 to 12 teams in their NCAA Women’s DIII Hockey Playoff tournament.
Beyond the level of play, potential recruits should also be factoring in roster size and athletic scholarship money. Half the NEWHA teams had 27 or more rostered players, with Sacred Heart carrying 33 players. Given a maximum of 18 athletic scholarships per program, many student-athletes are paying there own way. And with a team only able to dress 20 or 21 players per game, several are being healthy scratched each game.
Do your research on academics
This post doesn’t cover the quality of academics at the schools being discussed because I don’t really know all the details of each school. However I have heard many times that the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) schools are top-notch. The NESCAC includes top rated teams like Amherst, Middlebury, Colby College and Hamilton College. At the same time, every NEWHA and DIII school has disciplines that they are strong in that may line up with a potential recruits intended major. Doing your research and seeing if there is a good match is critical when looking at your options.
All of this should weigh into the decision of playing NEWHA vs high-level DIII.
NEWHA vs. Top DIII Hockey
Let’s now compare the level of hockey between the 8 NEWHA teams and the Top 8 DIII women’s hockey teams this past season.
NEWHA Conference 2023-24 MyHockeyRankings
DIII Women’s Hockey 2023-24 Top 8 MyHockeyRankings
As you can see, the top 8 DIII ratings are very similar to the NEWHA ratings – implying they are comparable in levels of play and would have competitive games between them. This is also likely why you hear some DIII coaches say that they could beat a DI team.
How to decide
Rather than just focusing on just DI vs DIII, the following factors should really be prioritized before making a decision:
Academics / Education
Cost
Potential for individual and team hockey success (winning, playoffs etc.)
Cultural fit with team and school
Playing Time
Being able say “I play(ed) DI hockey”
Depending on your expected role on the team, it seems that all else being equal, the school/academics should be the most important factor in your decision.
At Champs App, we have discussed at length all the attributes to consider when deciding on a women’s college hockey program, but this specific choice of alternatives seems to really highlight the need to figure out your personal priorities and the importance of selecting the right academic opportunity for you.
Tryout season has begun in both the United States and Canada. Having now gone through the process from 10U all the way up to 19U now, I have seen many of the different situations that occur at this time of year. The entire process was non-linear with lots of bumps along the way. Things didn’t always work out perfectly in the short term, but it all worked out in the long term. Based on our family’s experience, here are some tips for this year’s tryout season:
1. Player development is more important than winning games
Regardless of what age or level of youth hockey you play, it is 100% more important for your player to improve as much as possible rather than winning games. Now, losing sucks and winning championships can certainly help with exposure. But unless you are old enough to be recruited to the next level, given a choice between playing on a winning team, but not getting better or losing but taking major steps in your development – it should be a no-brainer which one to take.
2. The best coach should be the highest priority in deciding where to play
There are many many factors in deciding where to try out and play, including distance from home, cost, practice and game schedule etc. But the most important should be to find the best coach that will develop your player the most.
3. Try not to be the best or worst player on the team
All things being equal, you want to be in the middle of the pack player on a team – not the top or the bottom. Although or one season it is okay to be at the top or the bottom. Being the best means you may not be challenged as much as you are capable of. And being the worst can cause lots of frustrations. If you are in the middle, that is a great opportunity to work your way up the lineup if you can. Of course all players want to be on the power play and penalty kill. A good coach will cycle through all the lines on a team.
4. Politics is a fact of life
Like it or not, there is politics in tryouts. Just accept it for what it is and recognize that it may or may not work in your favor. Wasting energy on why a player was put ahead of yours is not going to be productive. The reality is that there is politics at every level of hockey especially at the district/provincial and national level. Just try to be the best player you can be and let the chips fall where they may. If you are that close to making or not making a team, then that is something that is within your control for next time by just getting better.
5. The most important training has already taken place
The last week of training before tryouts won’t likely be the difference between making a team and not. While there are small things that can help a player succeed at tryouts – the things that will most impact their level of play and success at tryouts will have taken place during the months leading up to tryouts. There shouldn’t be a need to spend 3 hours each night at the rink the week before tryouts.
6. Coaches are also evaluating the parents
Many coaches are judging parents as much as the kids. Nothing wrong with getting to know the coaching staff and how they plan to run the team. Also, it is important to make sure that you share the same philosophies on how the coach plans to run the team. But be aware that the coach is also evaluating if you will be a “high maintenance” parent.
7. Tryouts may not actually be tryouts
As kids get older (i.e. U14 and above), it’s okay that the coach already decided on many if not all of the players who will make the team. Tryouts are just a point in time. Depending on the club, many coaches run “development camps” leading up to tryouts. This way they can review players over an extended period of time. In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with them using that evaluation period to already decide if they want a player on their team or not.
8. Many clubs make money on tryouts – don’t waste yours
Be wary of some clubs who use tryouts as a way to make money. There are many clubs who charge several hundred dollars for players to tryouts and will accepts 3-4 times as many players to try out as they have spots. While occasionally trying out for the “experience” or “getting more ice time” might make sense, you should know if your player has a real chance of making the team before you show up. Don’t waste your money on attending a tryout when that money would be better spent on a lesson or two with a skills coach.
9. Coaches aren’t perfect
Don’t expect perfection from coaches. Your player isn’t perfect and neither are coaches. Each club has a different way of evaluating players – some as a group with “objective” observers and some with just the coaching staff for a team. No method is perfect, however some are more sophisticated than others. Know before you show up what to expect and realize just like players and referees, coaches don’t always get everything exactly right. If you don’t what to expect before you show up to a tryout and know the pros and cons of how a club conducts tryouts, then you share some of the blame too.
10. Feedback is a gift
Ask for feedback in a professional manner after tryouts if you didn’t make the team. If an organization really cares about youth hockey development they would be happy to provide additional insights as to why a specific player didn’t make the cut. Take the feedback as a gift even if you disagree with the feedback. Do not argue or make your case as to why you saw things differently. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that you at least know why and could potentially take action on the feedback. Get better for your next tryout and try out for a team where your player would not be so close to making or not making the team.
Bonus: Hockey makes players better people
Not making a team can be very emotional and challenging. But I guarantee, if you have a resilient player, it will all work out fine. Both my kids did not make teams in youth hockey, but they still ended up playing at the highest level of hockey for their age group when they got older. Take is as an good life lesson.
ICYMI: Watch this Episode on Girls Tryouts with Alyssa Gagliardi
You can easily select a coach & email template and the message automatically populates the coach’s info, school and your personal information from your Champs App profile. Pick the Upcoming Events template and the Messaging tool with magically insert your upcoming games or events into the message.
Since the NCAA DI women’s hockey season ended for each team, individual players have been adding their name to the transfer portal seeking a new school to play for next season. 139 players entered the portal since it reopened last summer. 40 out 44 schools have at least one player in the portal.
Why Players Enter the Transfer Portal
There are many reasons a student-athlete would choose to go into the transfer portal. Here are the most common:
They have a 5th year of eligibility due to Covid
Grad student (graduated) with remaining years of eligibility
Player wants more playing time (most common with goalies)
Player wants to play for a better team; upgrade team ranking
Issue with the coach /coaching change – one or both sides feel that there is no longer a fit for team / player
Off-ice concerns – school (academic or culture) is not a fit for the student-athlete
Analyzing the actual the list of 139 players, here is how they breakout by remaining years of eligibility. It is no surprise that most only have one year left:
NCAA Women’s Ice Hockey Transfer Portal
Impact on Prospective Recruits
Depending on how many years of eligibility a transfer player has, it will either impact the number of recruits for 2026 or it may impact the slot where incoming 2024/2025 recruits fit in the lineup.
For example over the last few days, Ohio State added a F from Clarkson, a D from Boston University and a G from Minnesota Duluth, all with two years of eligibility left. Thus current and future OSU commits may be impacted by these signings for the 2024/25 and the 2025/26 seasons.
On the flip side, this creates an opening in 2024 or 2025 at Clarkson, BU and UMD, depending on how many existing recruits there are for these schools.
For 2026 recruits, if a player with 3 or 4 years of eligibility transfers to a school your were interested in and plays your position, there may be one less spot available on that team on June 15th.
While at USA Hockey Nationals last week, I spoke with a couple of coaches who mentioned they are hosting transfer portal students this month for visits. So I would suspect that we will see many more announcement of players changing schools over the coming weeks.
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Champs App Messaging cuts the time to send emails to coaches by over 50%, ensures key information is included and reduces common errors.
You can easily select a coach & email template and the message automatically populates the coach’s info, school and your personal information from your Champs App profile. Pick the Upcoming Events template and the Messaging tool with magically insert your upcoming games or events into the message.
Champs App Messaging is the fast, easy way to send error-free messages to coaches. Champs App Messaging cuts the time to send emails to coaches by over 50%, ensures key information is included and reduces common errors because it has templates that automatically populate the coach’s name & email and inserts information from your Champs App profile. Try it now!
