PWHL Prospects Headline NCAA All-Star Teams

NCAA regular seasons are complete and it's only championships on the line from here on out. Each NCAA women's hockey conference announced their annual First, Second, and Third Team All-Stars over the past week. 

Those teams were dotted with graduating players. Many will be targeting a jump to the PWHL, others will be looking at the SDHL, PostFinance, EWHL, or DFEL in Europe, while still others will move to coaching or into their chosen careers.

ECAC Hockey had the largest group of potential high end picks. Colgate's Kristyna Kaltounkova, and Clarkson defenders Haley Winn and Nicole Gosling are all potential first round picks. Each was named an ECAC's First Team All-Star, as was Clarkson's Anne Cherkowski, who will be a second or third round pick in the PWHL Draft. The ECAC Second Team also had players who are anticipated to make the step to the PHWL immediately through the draft in St. Lawrence forward Abby Hustler, Quinnipiac defender Kendall Cooper, and Colgate goalie Hannah Murphy. Third Team All-Star Rory Guilday will also be a top two round pick, while Anna Segedi of St. Lawrence is a late round prospect.

If any conference can overtake ECAC at the draft, it's the WCHA. Casey O'Brien, who led the NCAA in scoring with Wisconsin was a First Team All-Star. The question marks for the WCHA are on their Second Team in Minnesota's Abbey Murphy and Wisconsin's Lacey Eden, neither of whom have made their draft declaration plans public. Each has another year of eligibility but they've both been in the NCAA for five seasons already. Second Team defender Nina Jobst-Smith looks like a safe bet to be a mid-round pick, while Third Team standouts Olivia Mobley, Clara Van Wieren, and Sanni Ahola will all draw mid to late round attention. Aloha is considered one of the top goalies in the draft and could be the first goalie selected.

Hockey East's First Team features a pair of defenders, Boston University's Tamara Giaquinto and Connecticut's Ava Rinker who could attract PWHL attention. As well Providence defender Brooke Becher and Northeastern forward Skylar Irving who were both Hockey East Second Team All-Stars. Looking at late round potential, Providence goalie Hope Walniski, Connecticut forward Jada Habisch, and New Hampshire forward Kira Juodikas all will draw interest.

Atlantic Hockey America saw only one potential prospect named a First Team All-Star in Mercyhurst's Vanessa Upson. Their Second Team however, had more potential. Named to AHA's Second Team were Bryn Saarela (Syracuse), Morgan Neitzke (Lindenwood), Lyndie Lobdell (Penn State), and Allie Kelley (Syracuse).

Finally from NEWHA, the conference will see a large group of graduates moving on who were also conference All-Stars. No NEWHA player is expected to be picked in the PWHL Draft, but there are players who could parlay a good season in Europe into PWHL interest. Graduating members of NEWHA's  All-Stars include Anna Fairman (LIU), Jeannie Wallner (LIU), Julia Wysocki (Post), Mikayla Kelley (Franklin Pierce), Tyra Turner (Saint Anselm), Bri Eid (LIU), and Abbie Thompson (LIU).