Yale has enough veteran talent to keep the program moving forward, allowing the program to fill in the blanks with a handful of talented recruits.
Yale has enough veteran talent to keep the program moving forward, allowing the program to fill in the blanks with a handful of talented recruits.
Yale has developed into a national powerhouse. Five years ago, that sentence would not have been a reality, but not, the Yale Bulldog's women's hockey team are one of the best in NCAA hockey.
This year, the school graduated a number of top players. Captain Claire Dalton sign a pro contract with the PHF's Toronto Six, as did All-American blueliner Emma Seitz who signed with the PHF's Metropolitan Riveters.
The team, however, is returning several stars including Ella Hartje, Pia Dukaric, Jordan Ray, and Vita Ponyatovskaya.
They'll also welcome a group of recruits who can help fill in the blanks left by graduating players. Here's a look at the Yale women's hockey 2023-2024 NCAA recruiting class.
Avery Muhn, D, 2005 - A backbone of the OWHL U22 Elite's Burlington Barracudas blueline, Muhn will now join her sister Olivia Muhn on Yale blueline. Muhn captained Burlington last season scoring six goals and 32 points in 41 games for the Barracudas. Much like her sister, Muhn can contribute offensively both jumping into the rush and by distributing pucks effectively from the back end.
Suzy Higuchi, F, 2004 - It's tough to watch offensive stars graduate, but that impact feels less daunting when you see a player of Suzy Higuchi's calibre come to the program. One of the top scorers in Minnesota high school hockey last season, Higuchi comes to Yale after scoring 32 goals and 68 points in only 27 games with Blake School last season.
Deanna Buenzow, D, 2003 - Buenzow is a blueliner who enjoys jumping into the rush, an attribute she regularly showed playing prep hockey for Phillips Andover Academy last year. The five-foot-ten defender uses her size to smother attackers in her own zone and to fill shooting and passing lanes. The Illinois product grew up playing for the Chicago Young Americans before moving to New England this season.
Other recruits for the 2023-2024 season including Isabella Paolucci, a defender who comes to the program from Belle Tire in Michigan, and Mariya Rauf, a top scorer from the powerhouse Oakville Hornets last season. Emma McGowan will join the program the following season in 2024-2025.
THN's 2023-2024 NCAA Recruiting Class Features
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