2014-2015 was an exciting season for the women, as they reached as high as 8th in some polls and looked to challenge for a potential at large bid for the NCAA tournament. Their pairwise ranking eventually slipped and they were ousted in the first round by Cornell in a two game sweep.
This year, a new look Saints will take the ice on wednesday for an exhibition game against McGill. The Saints lost quite a few impact players to graduation, most notably Carmen MacDonald in net. They also lose two of their four centers in Kayla Raniwsky and Jess Hon, as well as speedy and skilled forward Jackie Wand and the skilled and gritty forward Ellie Williams.
Those are large holes to fill in the lineup, but the Saints have brought in some excellent recruits to fill the void, and can expect to see elevated play from returners.
Examining just the returning players leaves one with optimism with regards to goal scoring. Brooke Webster still dons the Scarlet and Brown as does her linemate, and excellent scorer in her own right, Kennedy Marchment. The skill and chemistry those two possess make it easy to slot anyone on the wing with them, and one player that comes to mind is Alex Moore. Those three showed signs of brilliance while Moore filled in for Abbey McRae. That as a top line should have fans excited for the season.
The depth may have taken a bit of a hit, but a full season of Hannah Miller may make that a slightly easier pill to swallow. Miller is immensely skilled and has a great compete level. Pairing her with a duo like Jenna Marks and Kailee Heidersbach, who play a similarly uptempo and competitive style with great skill will give the Saints one of the better top two lines in the ECAC.
Being able to boast players like McRae and Nadine Edney, who has the potential to crack the top six as a first year, on the third line should be reassuring to fans worried about the Saints depth. Justine Reyes is also an immensely talented addition, having been invited to USA Hockey National Camp three times.
Those similarly concerned with the loss of Carmen MacDonald should first notice that no player has left the Saints defensive corps. Kirsten Padalis will remain the anchor in her third season. Couple that with the return of Amanda Boulier and the emergence of Dom Korakianitis last year, SLU looks to make it quite difficult for opponents to set up and maintain too much zone pressure.
This brings us to the position of goaltending. For four years, SLU was more than comfortable between the pipes with MacDonald, but now face the prospect of stepping on the ice without her. Brooke Wolejko would appear the incumbent, ready for a starting role as a sophomore after strong showings in both relief of MacDonald and in her own starts. Her stats from last year may not jump off the page, but remove the two games against Minnesota and there is no reason not be confident in her abilities.
With a completely intact defensive corps, a still talented forward group and a relatively unproven but talented goalie, the Saints should stay within the top tier of the ECAC, evidenced by their position in the preseason polls, which pegged them in the fifth spot. They also garnered a view votes in the USCHO national ranking preseason poll.
This year, a new look Saints will take the ice on wednesday for an exhibition game against McGill. The Saints lost quite a few impact players to graduation, most notably Carmen MacDonald in net. They also lose two of their four centers in Kayla Raniwsky and Jess Hon, as well as speedy and skilled forward Jackie Wand and the skilled and gritty forward Ellie Williams.
Those are large holes to fill in the lineup, but the Saints have brought in some excellent recruits to fill the void, and can expect to see elevated play from returners.
Examining just the returning players leaves one with optimism with regards to goal scoring. Brooke Webster still dons the Scarlet and Brown as does her linemate, and excellent scorer in her own right, Kennedy Marchment. The skill and chemistry those two possess make it easy to slot anyone on the wing with them, and one player that comes to mind is Alex Moore. Those three showed signs of brilliance while Moore filled in for Abbey McRae. That as a top line should have fans excited for the season.
The depth may have taken a bit of a hit, but a full season of Hannah Miller may make that a slightly easier pill to swallow. Miller is immensely skilled and has a great compete level. Pairing her with a duo like Jenna Marks and Kailee Heidersbach, who play a similarly uptempo and competitive style with great skill will give the Saints one of the better top two lines in the ECAC.
Being able to boast players like McRae and Nadine Edney, who has the potential to crack the top six as a first year, on the third line should be reassuring to fans worried about the Saints depth. Justine Reyes is also an immensely talented addition, having been invited to USA Hockey National Camp three times.
Those similarly concerned with the loss of Carmen MacDonald should first notice that no player has left the Saints defensive corps. Kirsten Padalis will remain the anchor in her third season. Couple that with the return of Amanda Boulier and the emergence of Dom Korakianitis last year, SLU looks to make it quite difficult for opponents to set up and maintain too much zone pressure.
This brings us to the position of goaltending. For four years, SLU was more than comfortable between the pipes with MacDonald, but now face the prospect of stepping on the ice without her. Brooke Wolejko would appear the incumbent, ready for a starting role as a sophomore after strong showings in both relief of MacDonald and in her own starts. Her stats from last year may not jump off the page, but remove the two games against Minnesota and there is no reason not be confident in her abilities.
With a completely intact defensive corps, a still talented forward group and a relatively unproven but talented goalie, the Saints should stay within the top tier of the ECAC, evidenced by their position in the preseason polls, which pegged them in the fifth spot. They also garnered a view votes in the USCHO national ranking preseason poll.
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