When you look at the top of the NCAA scoring charts through the first month of the season, there are plenty of familiar names, but there's also a notable cohort of NCAA women's hockey rookies. Currently sitting third in the nation among those players is Boston College rookie Ava Thomas. Thomas, who came through the Philadelphia Jr. Flyers program was consistently one of the top scorers in the nation at the 19U 'AAA' level consistently scoring close to a goal per game. Thomas also had nine points in six games for USA's U-18 national team winning gold at the 2024 IIHF U-18 World Championships. This year with Boston College she has 11 points, including five goals, through her first five games in the NCAA. Her totals only place her behind USA national team members Abbey Murphy and Kirsten Simms. Currently tied with Caroline Harvey as the top scoring defender in the nation is another NCAA rookie in Penn State blueliner Danica Maynard. Maynard helped Canada win U-18 World Championship gold in 2025 [https://thehockeynews.com/womens/international/canada-golden-shutout-usa-in-u-18-final], won U-18 National bronze in back-to-back seasons with Team British Columbia, and was the Canadian Sport School Hockey League Defender of the Year in 2025 prior to entering the NCAA. This year she jumped out of the gate putting up incredible numbers recording two goals and nine points in her first six NCAA games, totals that not only tie her for top spot among blueliners in the nation, but put her in the top 10 overall nationally. Danica Maynard highlights The other rookie currently in the top 10 in national scoring is University of Minnesota forward Bella Fanale who has regularly found herself centering Minnesota's top line between Abbey Murphy and Ava Lindsay as a rookie. Fanale sits tied for 9th nationally in scoring with eight points, including four goals, in six games. There's a long list of NCAA rookies scoring at or above a point per game pace out of the gate. Among those early impact players are Hilda Svensson (Ohio State), Adela Sapovalivova (Wisconsin), Zoe Lopez (Minnesota State), Matilde Fantin (Penn State), Emma Gnade (Syracuse), Sara Manness (Clarkson), Jade Barbirati (Quinnipiac), Manon le Scodan (Clarkson), and Maddie Murphy (Boston College). Several rookie goalies including Ava Drabyk, Layla Hemp, Tara Bach, and Rhyah Stewart have seen action already and looked good.
