Next year's NCAA graduating class is loaded with talent...but will they have a place to play?
With options for graduating NCAA players down from 11 teams to only six, graduating NCAA players will be fighting for less positions. The talent coming out of the NCAA the next three years is high. It's a period of time, however, where positions in the new PWHL will be restricted due to 36 guaranteed three-year contracts out of 138 total roster spots.
From here on out, being an elite NCAA player won't be enough to become a pro. Much like in the WNBA, where less than 20 new players ever play a team in the league from each draft.
Here's a look at the top players graduating from the NCAA next year, most of whom will need to find positions overseas or leave the game.
- Sarah Fillier, F, Princeton / Team Canada - The World Championship MVP and one of the best players in the world, Fillier won't have to worry, she'll take a roster spot in the new league.
- Danielle Serdachny, F, Colgate / Team Canada - Serdachny made her senior national team debut this year after leading the NCAA in scoring. She's another who will have a spot waiting for her. A First Team All-American in 2021 and 2023, she has one more year of NCAA eligibility to make an even bigger impact.
- Hannah Bilka, F, Ohio State / Team USA - A top line player for Team USA, Bilka is joining Ohio State looking for a national title before she graduates. She's one of the small handful of players nearly guaranteed a spot in the PWHL.
- Cayla Barnes, D, Ohio State / Team USA - Barnes was a key defender for the American gold medal winning World Championship team, and alongside Bilka will join Ohio State this season for one final push for an NCAA title.
- Natálie Mlýnková, F, Vermont / Team Czechia - One of the key players for Czechia's bronze medal winning team, Mlýnková is a two-way force who might not be the biggest scorer coming out of the NCAA, but she'll be a sought after player at the pro level.
While these five are prime examples of players coming out of next year's graduating class, they aren't alone. The list also includes Yale's Elle Hartje and Ohio State's Jennifer Gardiner, both Second Team All-Americans this year, Gwyneth Philips of Northeastern, the reigning NCAA goalie of the year and First Team All-American, Czechia national team member Klara Hymlarova from St. Cloud State, and Wisconsin's Britta Curl, a member of Team USA.
Along with these players are dozens of former U-18 national team members and conference all-stars including Anne Cherkowski (Clarkson), Casey O'Brien (Wisconsin), Kiara Zanon (Ohio State), Megan Carter (Northeastern), Stephanie Markowski (Ohio State), Kristýna Kaltounková (Colgate), Julia Gosling (St. Lawrence), Allyson Simpson (Colgate), Sydney Bard (Colgate), Katelyn Knoll (Northeastern), Maggie Connors (Princeton), Shailynn Snow (Robert Morris), Ena Nystrøm (Mercyhurst), Izzy Daniel (Cornell), Kelsey King (Ohio State), Kaitlyn O'Donohoe (Colgate), Jenna Buglioni (Ohio State), Dara Greig (Colgate), Sara Boucher (Mercyhurst), Darcie Lappan (Clarkson), Olivia Wallin (Minnesota-Duluth), Michelle Pasiechnyk (Clarkson), and Gillis Frechette (Cornell).