Advanced 2026 PWHL Drafting: Purposeful Plays

In hockey, certain plays lead to good results. Whether it’s a pass into the slot that leads to a shot, or the decision to carry a puck over the blueline instead of dumping it in. Defensively, it’s the decision to fill a lane and block a shot. Positive passing and puck possession decisions and execution maintain control, and result in offensive opportunities at all levels. They also reduce the time opponents are in possession, and ultimately, offensive opportunities against.

Here’s a look at some purposeful plays in women's hockey including blocking shots, pre-shot passes, controlled zone entries, and drawn penalties among the top NCAA prospects for the 2026 PWHL Draft.

1. Jules Constantinople, D, Northeastern - 110
2. Vivian Jungels, D, Wisconsin - 87
3. Cristina Cavaliere, D, Providence - 87
4. Emma Conner, F, Boston College - 82
5. Tova Henderson, D, Minnesota-Duluth - 79
6. Payten Evans, D, Mercyhurst - 77
7. Zoe Uens, D, Quinnnipiac - 75
8. Gracie Gilkyson, D, Yale - 75
9. Grace Wolfe, D, St. Cloud State - 73
10. Krista Parkkonen, D, Minnesota - 72
11. Maeve Carey, D, Boston University - 70
12. Stephanie Bourque, D, Union College - 67
13. Ashley Messier, D, Minnesota-Duluth - 67
14. Sydney Morrow, D, Minnesota - 66
15. Megan McKay, D, Clarkson - 59
16. Kristina Allard, D, Northeastern - 59
17. Jade Arnone, D, Boston College - 59
18. Lily Shannon, F, Northeastern - 55
19. MaryKate O'Brien, F, Minnesota-Duluth - 55
20. Casey Borgiel, D, Colgate - 53

Finding a player in scoring position is the most difficult pass to make. Some players see their final pass result in a shot more often than others. While many metrics result in individuals shooting, this data set is a measure of passes resulting in a shot by a teammate. It shows a player's ability to not just see a shooting option, but to get the puck to them in space to shoot. Here’s a look at the top 2026 PWHL Draft eligible NCAA players in per game pre-shot passes.

1. Kirsten Simms, F, Wisconsin - 2.69
2. Caroline Harvey, D, Wisconsin - 2.48
3. Jordan Ray, F, Yale - 2.31
4. Elyssa Biederman, F, Colgate - 1.86
5. Abbey Murphy, F, Minnesota - 1.61
6. Laila Edwards, F/D, Wisconsin - 1.50
7. Alyssa Regalado, D, Cornell - 1.50
8. Nelli Laitinen, D, Minnesota - 1.48
9. Lacey Eden, F, Wisconsin - 1.44
10. Lilli Welcke, F, Boston University - 1.42
11. Tessa Janecke, F, Penn State - 1.39
12. Gracie Gilkyson, D, Yale - 1.39
13. Grace Dwyer, D, Cornell - 1.38
14. Isabel Wunder, F, Princeton - 1.38
15. Josefin Bouveng, F, Minnesota - 1.35
16. Brooklyn Schneiderhan, F, Saint Anslem - 1.34
17. Danielle Burgen, F, Minnesota - 1.32
18. Casey Borgiel, D, Colgate - 1.31
19. Emerson O'Leary, F, Princeton - 1.26
20. Emma Peschel, D, Ohio State - 1.24
20. Thea Johansson, F, Minnesota-Duluth - 1.24

Some teams play dump and chase, others keep the puck on their sticks. It’s well known that entering the offensive zone in complete control of the puck benefits possession and offensive chances. Here’s a look at the players in the NCAA eligible for the 2026 PWHL Draft who had the most controlled (via stickhandling) zone entries per game.

1. Abbey Murphy, F, Minnesota - 6.9
2. Emerson Jarvis, F, Quinnipiac - 6.3
3. Jordan Ray, F, Yale - 6.0
4. Brooklyn Schneiderhan, F, Saint Anslem - 6.0
5. Lilli Welcke, F, Boston University - 5.8
6. Tessa Janecke, F, Penn State - 5.8
7. Jade Iginla, F, Brown - 4.9
8. Issy Wunder, F, Princeton - 4.7
9. Sydney Healey, F, Boston University - 4.6
10. Caroline Harvey, D, Wisconsin - 4.5
11. Luisa Welcke, F, Boston University - 4.2
12. Lacey Eden, F, Wisconsin - 4.0
13. Jamie Nelson, F, Minnesota - 3.9
14. India McDadi, F, Brown - 3.9
15. Reichen Kirchmair, F, Providence - 3.8
16. Elyssa Biederman, F, Colgate - 3.8
17. Thea Johansson, F, Minnesota-Duluth - 3.7
18. McKenna Van Gelder, F, Cornell - 3.7
19. Katherine Khramtsov, F, Princeton - 3.6
20. Kirsten Simms, F, Wisconsin - 3.6

Let’s call this the pest factor, which makes it unsurprising that Minnesota’s Abbey Murphy draws the most penalties per game, by a landslide, of any PWHL draft eligible player in the NCAA. Drawing penalties is beneficial. It can also show not only of the “pest factor,” but can also indicate that a player is more difficult to contain. Players who can separate with their skating, who take pucks into dangerous zones, and can protect pucks more effectively, often face actions resulting in penalties to stop them. Here’s the top PWHL Draft eligible NCAA players in penalties drawn per game.

1. Abbey Murphy, F, Minnesota - 1.29
2. Brooklyn Schneiderhan, F, Saint Anslem - 1.06
3. Elyssa Biedermann, F, Colgate - 0.67
4. Lily Shannon, F, Northeastern - 0.56
5. Sena Catterall, F, Clarkson - 0.53
6. Emma Conner, F, Boston College - 0.52
7. Kirsten Simms, F, Wisconsin - 0.52
8. Emerson Jarvis, F, Quinnipiac - 0.48
9. Lilli Welcke, F, Boston University - 0.46
10. Rhea Hicks, F, Clarkson - 0.45
11. Issy Wunder, F, Princeton - 0.44
12. Mya Vaslet, F, Penn State - 0.43
13. Kyla Josifovic, F, UConn - 0.43
14. Megan Woodworth, F, UConn - 0.41
15. Georgia Schiff, F, Cornell - 0.41