If the Minnesota Whitecaps hope to again challenge for an Isobel Cup title, they'll need returning players to step forward to play a bigger offensive role.
If the Minnesota Whitecaps hope to again challenge for an Isobel Cup title, they'll need returning players to step forward to play a bigger offensive role.
The Minnesota Whitecaps brought in a solid group of NCAA recruits this offseason, but it's not the newcomers who can provide the biggest boost to the Isobel Cup finalists...it's growth from within.
Last season, veteran Jonna Albers and rookie Natalie Snodgrass finished tied atop the team lead with 20 points. The Whitecaps were the only playoff team without a point-per-game player as Toronto, Boston, and Connecticut each had multiple scorers in the top ten in league scoring, as did the Montreal Force.
In fact, Albers and Snodgrass' 20 point totals were the lowest of any team leading scorers in the league, one behind Buffalo's Mikyla Grant-Mentis who scored 21.
Without adding an elite scorer this offseason, how will the Minnesota Whitecaps challenge for an Isobel Cup title? The most obvious answer is from the internal growth of several players.
In particular, Minnesota will expect to see a major step forward from Liz Schepers, who was handed a six figure contract for the next two seasons. Schepers was coming off multiple campaigns scoring more than a point per game, including 48 points in 38 games in her final season with Ohio State, helping them win an NCAA national title. As a rookie in the PHF, Schepers chipped in with six goals and 14 points in 22 games. They're hardly six figure numbers, but general manager Chi-Yin Tse bet a significant portion of his salary cap that Schepers is in line for a breakout season.
Another player who big things were expected of last season, but who struggled struggled to find her touch at the professional level was Anna Klein. Klein captained the University of Minnesota-Duluth scoring 50 points in 40 NCAA games in her final season, but as a PHF rookie, managed only three points in 23 games. Klein has all the tools necessary to succeed at this level, and if the bounces, and a few opportunities start to find her, it's hard not to imagine a bump in her totals.
Brittyn Fleming also saw a drastic drop in her production from the NCAA to the PHF, falling from 45 points in 35 games with Minnesota State to nine in 24 with the Whitecaps. She scored a pair of big goals in the playoffs, which could lead to more confidence heading into 2023-2024.
Finally, another player who could parlay a strong finish to the season into a full campaign is Denisa Krizova. The veteran pro and Czechia national team member led Czechia in scoring at the World Championships helping her nation win a second consecutive bronze medal. She looked like a different player with Czechia, and after scoring only nine points in 24 games, the Whitecaps will be looking for more from the 28-year-old veteran. Minnesota put faith in their veteran re-signing her to a two-year contract extension.
If those players can take the expected step forward, and if even a few members of the rookie crop of Abigail Boreen, Paetyn Levis, Clair Butorac, Brooke Bryant, Maggie Fleming, or Madison Bizal come in and provide upgrades over last season's depth, the Minnesota Whitecaps could surprise many, and again find themselves in the playoffs competing for an Isobel Cup.