USA's Collegiate Select team won the annual Summer Series against Canada's National Development team yet again. USA opened with a decisive 4-1 win over Canada, followed by a more tightly contested game two that saw USA escape with a win following a 16-round shootout.
Game three again needed a shootout, with Canada finally earning a win. After leading 4-1 early, Canada squandered their lead to USA, but eventually took the 7-6 win.
The summer series certainly put another round of North American talent on the map. Here's a look at some of the key takeaways from the series.
USA's Talent Pool Is Incredibly Deep
USA won the 2025 Series against Canada despite the fact their nine best NCAA players did not compete. Caroline Harvey, Laila Edwards, Abbey Murphy, Tessa Janecke, Lacey Eden, Joy Dunne, Ava McNaughton, and Emma Peschel all practices with the senior national team in preparation for the 2026 Olympics during USA's national camp rather than playing for the Collegiate Select team as they did last season. It shows how deep USA's collegiate talent pool runs. Behind this group, Sydney Morrow, Sloane Matthews, Elyssa Biederman, Laney Potter, Annelies Bergmann, Grace Dwyer, Maggie Scannell, Kelly Gorbatenko and others all looked like they could push for senior national looks in the near future.
Sarah Paul Is A Rising Star, Will Benefit From Time In Minnesota
Few, if any, flashed the offensive flare of Canada's Sarah Paul in this series. Paul is an offensively gifted prospect who despite the fact she's already attended Princeton for four years, still has two seasons of NCAA eligibility remaining, one of which she'll spend at the University of Minnesota this season. Paul has excellent puck skills and a hard and deceptive shot that she unleashes often. She's a shoot first player who has top six potential. Where Paul is going to benefit from by utilizing those two years of eligibility, even though she could declare following this season, is to work on getting that shot off with less time and space that will come in the PWHL, and to fine tune the defensive side to her game. Sometimes Paul did too much with the puck, particularly in positions near her own blueline where there was considerable defensive risk. Facing regular strong competition in the WCHA, Paul should find a portion of that defensive awareness and maturity to go along with the overtly evident skill set she possesses on the attack.
Canada's Next Best Make Their Debut
While USA's talent pool is filled with more stars ready for the next stage, Canada's incoming cohort is their next hope for a major impact on the national team. Caitlin Kraemer and Chloe Primerano already made that step into the national team pool after a single season in the NCAA. Canada's best players at the event were often players who have yet to step on the ice in an NCAA game, or those who just finished their rookie season. That includes Canada's second leading scorer, Claire Murdoch, at the event, who just finished her first season at UConn. But it was the group of Stryker Zablocki, Maxine Cimeroni, Eloise Caron, Sara Manness, Rhyah Stewart, and Sienna D'Allessandro who personify Canada's next best hopes. Others like Emma Pais and Jocelyn Amos are likely to get a look before long, but it's Canada's youth that are exciting.
Sizeable Skaters Set To Take Over Women's Hockey
In the era of women's hockey where body checking was not permitted, size on the ice was not as important. But similar to what has happened over the years in men's hockey, the size of skaters on the ice in women's hockey continues to increase. With the physicality the game is revitalizing, bigger players are set to become a major asset, and in the Collegiate Series, they already were. For Team USA, six-foot Kelly Gorbatenko and Annelies Bergmann made their presenses felt. The same could be said for 5-foot-10 players Laney Potter, Maggie Scannell and Lindzi Avar. At the other end of the spectrum, 5-foot-1 forward Elyssa Biederman was the smallest player on the ice, and the exception to the rule. She was a buzzsaw on the ice pinballing in every direction and never shying from the physical game. USA's focus on size is clear, and there were numerous moments when the extra inches on the ice made a difference.