ECAC is widely considered the second best conference in NCAA hockey narrowly trailing the WCHA. When you look at the 2025 PWHL Draft however, ECAC dominated at the top this year.
Their top picks included first overall selection Kristyna Kaltounkova from Colgate, second overall pick Haley Winn from Clarkson, fourth overall pick Nicole Gosling from Clarkson, fifth overall pick Rory Guilday from Cornell, and sixth overall pick Kendall Cooper from Quinnipiac. Five picks out of the eight first round selections shows the elite players the conference is producing. It was followed by three second round selections in Anne Cherkowski (Clarkson), Abby Hustler (St. Lawrence), and Hannah Murphy (Colgate). In total ECAC accounted for just over 29% of the 48 player PWHL Draft.
The conference will be replenished by a stellar incoming class as well in the likes of Manon Le Scodan and Sara Manness with Clarkson; Sydney Sawyer, Taylor Senecal, Ava Wood, and Dorothy Copetti with Colgate; Emilia Biotti with Harvard; Riley Sorokan, Megan Healey, and Caroline Averill with Princeton; Jade Barbirati with Quinnipiac; Rylan Halsam with St. Lawrence; and Molly Boyle with Yale and many others.
While the ECAC is a constant shuffle of incoming and outgoing standouts, next season a strong cohort of returning players will continue to build on the reputation of the conference.
1. Issy Wunder, Princeton
An elite forward, Wunder has the potential to be a top two round pick in the 2025 PWHL Draft, despite how loaded the class is with national team players. The 5-foot-11 forward has a unique combination of size and skill that few possess. She'll be on Canada's national team radar this year. She was fourth in the nation in points per game last season totalling 26 goals and 50 points in only 32 games.
2. Elyssa Biederman, Colgate
Undersized but electric. Biederman will enter the PWHL Draft next season and is the type of forward who can slot into a top six and be a special teams star. She has 101 points in her last two seasons across 79 games. The real test for Biederman will be this season without Kaltounkova and Danielle Serdachny like she's had the last two seasons.
3. Mackenzie Alexander, Princeton
The top scoring rookie in the nation, Alexander continues to be an elite producer. In her final season of Junior hockey Alexander notched 103 points in 39 games and followed it with 46 points in 32 games as an NCAA rookie. The two-time Canadian U-18 national team member could put up huge numbers this season.
4. Emma Pais, Colgate
Within striking distance of a Canadian senior national team position, Pais is one of the top all around forwards in the game. She is a good leader, plays a two-way game, and was a point per game player last season.
5. Casey Borgiel, Colgate
Her transfer from Holy Cross to Colgate was a game changer. Borgiel's offensive game as a distributor blossomed at Colgate. She sees the ice well and finds her teammates in dangerous areas penetrating opposing systems with her vision.
6. Annelies Bergmann, Cornell
ECAC's top goaltender and a candidate to challenge for Team USA's crease in the future. Bergmann combines size, athleticism, and a compete level. She continues to get better and will be a goalie teams look to grab early in the 2027 PWHL Draft.
7. Lindzi Avar, Cornell
The ECAC Rookie of the Year last season, Avar is a budding power forward using her 5-foot-10 frame to her advantage. Coming from the strong Minnetonka program, Avar is a pure scorer who should take another significant step forward this year.
8. Rosie Klein, Princeton
A spectacular rookie season for so many reasons. Klein showed good offensive instincts with Princeton flourishing with their high octane players up front. But defensively, Klein was stellar. She was among conference leaders in blocked shots.
9. Rhea Hicks, Clarkson
Hicks had a rocky start to her NCAA career with Syracuse and then missing most of her first season with Clarkson factoring into only eight games. Last season, Hicks had a breakout campaign recording 38 points in 40 games. Watch for an even bigger year from her this season.
10. Jordan Ray, Yale
Entering her PWHL Draft year, Jordan Ray has put up consistently strong numbers in three seasons with Yale and is at USA's national festival this summer. She continues to produce with less and less talent around her as Yale's big names advance to the PWHL. Could she be the PWHL's first player from Florida?
Honorable Mention: Sena Catterall (Clarkson), Emerson O'Leary (Princeton), Alexis Petford (Colgate), Carina DiAntonio (Yale), Kahlen Lamarche (Quinnipiac), Avi Adam (Cornell), Madeline Palumbo (Colgate), Sara Stewart (Colgate), Alexia Aubin (Colgate), Karianne Engelbert (Union), Emma Sofie Nordström (St. Lawrence), Monique Lyons (Brown), Makayla Watson (Quinnipiac), Michaela Hesova (Dartmouth), Avery Pickering (Colgate), Alyssa Regalado (Cornell), Grace Dwyer (Cornell).