Sources have confirmed that Mariah Keopple is the next player headed to a PWHL expansion team after the defender agreed to a contract today with PWHL Seattle.

The 24-year-old Wisconsin product spent the past two seasons on the Montreal Victoire blueline after spending four seasons at Princeton.

Keopple worked her way onto Montreal's roster as a free agent invite in the PWHL's inaugural season spending time in Montreal's top four including alongside Erin Ambrose.

This season Keopple was the league leader in blocked shots with 54. She finished one ahead of former Victoire and new Seattle teammate Anna Wilgren. Seattle's blueline now includes five of the top 15 shot blockers in the league including Keopple, Wilgren, Cayla Barnes, Emily Brown, and Aneta Tejralova.

Keopple had three goals and four points this season in 29 games while averaging 17:06 per game with Montreal.

Montreal lost Wilgren and Cayla Barnes in the expansion process.  Dominika Laskova who finished the year on their active roster remain unsigned. Montreal re-signed Kati Tabin and is reportedly signing Jessica DiGirolamo.

The move gives Seattle six defenders. The only other team in the PWHL with six defenders on their roster is the New York Sirens. Montreal only has two defenders, while Ottawa, Minnesota, and Boston each have three.