The 2023-2024 NCAA season is underway, and the new crop of rookies are beginning to make an impact. Here's a conference by conference look at the top rookies so far.
The 2023-2024 NCAA season is underway, and the new crop of rookies are beginning to make an impact. Here's a conference by conference look at the top rookies so far.
The NCAA season is underway, and while not every team has started their schedule yet, most are 2-3 weeks into their year. On those rosters are a large number of rookies already having an impact. Here's a conference by conference look at some of the top first year players so far.
WCHA
The powerhouse conference has handed out three Rookie of the Week honors to date going to St. Cloud State's Sofia Sundelin, Wisconsin's Cassie Hall, and St. Thomas' Ella Boerger. Of this trio, Boerger is perhaps also the MVP of her team notching a team leading nine points in four games. Second on her roster is fellow rookie Rylee Bartz who has recorded seven points in four games playing on a line with Boerger. Not only is Boerger dominating the scoresheet, but the former Ms. Hockey Minnesota also currently sits second in the WCHA in face-off percentage winning just over 62% of her draws while trailing only Casey O'Brien in that stat category.
Hockey East
New Hampshire brought in a program defining netminder in Sedona Blair and she did not dissappoint in her opening games earning Hockey East Rookie of the Week honors. Blair started all four games for New Hampshire winning two over Saint Anslem before taking nationally ranked Quinnipiac to overtime. At Northeastern, former USA U-18 national team member and Shattuck standout Allie Lalonde was doing her share to make up for the Huskies' lost offense by scoring two goals and four points in her first five games in the NCAA.
ECAC
Keira Hurry has made her presence known on Clarkson's blueline as a rookie through six games. Through six games, Hurry scored twice and recorded three points, learning from a standout blueline featuring Haley Winn, Nicole Gosling, and Sara Swiderski. Forward Maddie Leaney scored four points in her first six games for Union College, while goaltender Reese Keating recorded her first career shutout, a 17-save performance for Rensselaer over Stonehill.
CHA
Through four games this season, Robert Morris rookie Janelle Evans has seven points, and is a +8. With Mercyhurst, Finnish forward Sofia Nuutinen helped the Lakers get off to a start that has her school in national ranking conversations. She recorded two points in her first four games. While she's yet to record a point, Austrian defender Karolina Hengelmüller has drawn multiple honorable mentions from CHA for monthly and weekly awards for her defensive play with Penn State, including as a shot blocker.
NEWHA
In the NCAA's fledgling conference, Jenna Chaplain was awarded rookie of the week honors to open the season scoring twice against RIT for the brand new Assumption Greyhounds. Chaplain joins Assumption after four years at St. Mary's High in Massachusetts.