How many no. 1 goalies are there available for the PWHL?
The PWHL has been officially announced and with that we now know for sure that there be six teams which of course means there will be at least 12 goalie spots with up to 18 in total not counting the reserve list. Question now is for PWHL General Manager’s and their staff’s is which goalies can you trust as 1G’s or 2G’s at the very least? Is there even enough goalies for every team to find a proper 1G and not roll the dice on a typical 2G playing above their standard? The answer is essentially there’s so many goalies available you’ll have your pick of the litter & teams can get creative as they want at the goaltending position. Note: the tiers are in order but the goalies aren't in any order within the different tiers.
Tier 1 Goalies
The elite of the elite. The most set and forget goalies you can think of who will do well in almost every situation possible. Minimal defensive system tailoring needed though if you want the most success out of them tailor as much as necessary without sacrificing offence. Spoiler alert there’s only goalie in this tier until someone manages to convince Klara Peslarova to come over from Sweden or someone else starts showing up in a big way.
Ann-Renee Desbiens (Signed in Montreal): There’s currently one elite goalie available for PWHL teams to fight over. If you want the closest thing to a set & forget goalie that you can get, it’s Desbiens. Her ability to read the play, high level positioning, efficient movement, and overall hockey IQ will allow GM’s/coaches to build a team that doesn’t have to be overly tailored to Desbiens’ style of play. Since coming out of retirement in 2021 Desbiens has been on a heater matched only by Klara Peslarova. Her team accomplishments are aplenty with two WHC Gold Medals, WHC Silver Medal, Olympic Gold Medal, and a PWHPA Championship all while holding the 1G position on all of those teams. Her individual accomplishments include being named the PWHPA Top Goalie and the 2023 WHC Top Goalie. Consistency has been her greatest asset and has shone through statistically as in the last three WHC tournaments she posted a 0.733 Quality Start % & never had a tournament below 0.600 QS%. In the Olympics it was a 0.800 QS% including a 38/40 save performance for Gold and in the PWHPA it was a 0.750 QS%. Desbiens just produces high end results on a consistent basis & at only the age of 29 you can count on her being a top goalie for years to come.
Tier 2 Goalies
In general you’re looking at surefire 1G’s who don’t need to be in a tandem role and will do fine in a more traditional 1G/2G system. They can carry a whole season and noticeable majority of starts without it effecting their performance. You’re going to have to tailor your defensive play to them somewhat just not
Aerin Frankel: In Ann-Renee Desbiens career she hasn’t had many equals let along goalies who are close to her but they do exist and one of those goalies is Aerin Frankel. The Northeastern and NCAA star recently made her post-NCAA debut this past season showing all the hype she earned in the NCAA has a very good chance of coming at the very least close to being true. Frankel has shown for years she doesn’t allow her below average frame to hold her back & keeps proving it won’t. Her high end positioning ensures shooters don’t have it easy on the 5’ 5” goalie & her movement/agility ensures she’s never truly out of the play while also not even needing to scramble. Frankel has also shown herself to be an intelligent goalie who doesn’t let herself be caught in vulnerable positions or be fooled. Statistically there’s really not much more you could ask from her. Her last three seasons in the NCAA she never had a SV% below 0.950. This past season in the PWHPA she was the only threat to Desbiens’ Top Goalie award finishing with a 0.714 QS%. Frankel actually had a higher GSAA/30 than Desbiens though finished with five fewer starts & saw ~4 fewer SA/60. At the 2023 WHC Frankel started all games except for one posting a 0.833 QS% while also walking away with WHC Gold. At 24yo you can expect many years of this level of play while also showing the potential take a jump into the next tier. The coaching staff will need to cater to Frankel’s style to a small degree at least. She obviously excels in defensive focused environments as we’ve seen at Northeastern and with Team Addidas. Question will be how much defence can you sacrifice if need be to open up the offence with Frankel in net.
Emerance Maschmeyer (Signed in Ottawa): If you want the older, proven version of Aerin Frankel then Emerance Maschmeyer is who you’re looking for. She’s been the no. 2 for the Canadian National Team for the past three seasons and four tournaments continually putting up consistently good numbers. When the CWHL was a thing she was the best goalie in her rookie year followed by a top 3 season and then at the very least was a top 2 goalie in the final CWHL season. Her mobility and structure do very well in making up for any disadvantages her frame might give her as she forces shooters to pick their spots around her as she’s not giving you anything through the body. Maschmeyer forces you to be quicker than her which isn’t easy. This year in the PWHPA she saw the highest SA/60 on a team that struggled all year until they upset Team Addidas where Maschmeyer came in relief of Kristen Campbell to hold the line while her team completed the comeback. Maschmeyer is an old soul in a young 28yo body who will provide years of high positive impact play. She’s seen every situation from being pelted with shots to seeing very few and has come out on top of every situation. Just like Frankel she’ll need the coaching staff to implement a defensive that has some tailoring to their play style though you won’t need to sacrifice a lot of offence in the name of playing defence in front of Maschmeyer.
Kristen Campbell: Coming out of a highly successful University of Wisconsin program Kristen Campbell has quickly established herself as a goalie of the future for any team and should thrive in the PWHL without having to fight her National Team members for crease time. When a spot opened up on Team Canada for a new goalie Campbell snatched it right up and hasn’t looked back. While Campbell hasn’t been able to find ice time in tournaments she’s found herself still able to make a name for herself this year showing her NCAA success wasn’t just NCAA success. She was given two starts in the Canada/USA rivalry series where she put up a 0.930 SV%, highest among all goalies in the series. In the PWHPA Campbell was the no. 1 goalie for Team Scotiabank over Team Canada teammate Emerance Maschmeyer earning 11 starts putting up fine numbers on a struggling defensive team. Campbell is apart of a new wave of goalies in women’s hockey, the big goalies. She sports an impressive 5’ 10” frame that Campbell excels in getting in the right position and can rarely be caught out of position. She’s calm on her edges as she trusts her positioning for good reason. Not the most mobile or agile of goalies however it’s all good enough to get her where she needs to be. She’ll benefit a lot from a defensive structure that cuts down on passes/puck movement that will force Campbell to rotate on lateral movements or high/low plays.
Tier 3 Goalies
The further you get down the tiers the more team/system reliant the goalies become for team success and the more you start thinking about them in more of a 1G role with roughly a 60/40 start split with the 2G/3G. These are all good bets on being good 1G’s on any team that performs at least average defensively in front of them and helps to cover at least some weakness. The question with these goalies is where is their ceilings? They’ll win you games outright you just can’t count on that happening in the same way as the tiers above.
Emma Soderberg: The former University of Minnesota-Duluth goalie is your prototypical Swedish goalie. Has a high level of the technical aspects of the game as knows how approach each situation positionally that will give her the best chance for a save and be there for any potential rebound as well. While only having an average frame her mobility and positioning make her look even bigger as she knows where she needs to be with it rarely being an issue of her not being in position quick enough. Soderberg had a very good NCAA career culminating in a NCAA Championship appearance where a magical season ran out of juice. After bowing earlier than Soderberg would want she’d go on to put her name on the map with a huge WHC tournament. It started off rocky with a 6-2 loss to Germany, Sara Grahn took over, then Soderberg was given the start vs Team Canada where she almost helped Sweden to the biggest upset in women’s WHC history. She’d continue that by taking out Japan 1-0 & then putting up a 39/42 save performance in a loss to Finland. She'll fit into essentially any system and there's no glaring weaknesses to her game you need to watch for. I'd just ensure the team knows watch for rebounds, try not to let anyone walk in uncontested because she doesn't have the quickest reflexes, and try to cut down on lateral passes in the Dzone.
Corinne Schroeder: If you’ve built your defensive structure in mind for a Campbell type goalie but you’ve missed on Kristen Campbell, the PHF record breaker herself Corinne Schroeder is one heck of a back up plan. Just like how Northeastern has already given you the playbook in how to defend in front of Aerin Frankel so has Quinnipiac and the Boston Pride given you the playbook to defend in front of Schroeder. Schroeder is a massive frame of equipment that positions herself very well and knows her angles enough to the point where she’s just always covering enough of the net that you need to be an elite shooter to beat her cleanly. If your offence is going to be run-and-gun Schroeder can handle that as we saw with Boston this past season. Schroeder saw 38.8 SA/60 behind the Pride posting a record breaking 7 shutouts, 33.498 GSAA, and a very impressive 6.713 Wins Above Replacement. Now as we saw in low low’s this past regular season and playoffs there are weaknesses to her game that a team needs to defend against. Net front chaos where an opposing team can exploit Schroeder’s lack of agility or by beating her with passes to take advantage of the fact she’s not the most mobile of goalies either are going to be the biggest concerns to avoid a Whitecaps repeat playoff situation.
Nicole Hensley: Average to slightly below average framed goalies usually have one thing in common if they intend to make it as high as you can in women’s hockey, high end mobility and agility. With Hensley those aren’t the keys to her game, rather it’s her impressive hockey IQ and positioning that keep her as a top goalie despite only being 5’ 6”. You don’t have the success that Hensley has if you’re 5’ 6” and aren’t one of the best positional goalies out there. She’s a great goalie to learn just how effective smart positioning is for a goalie even if you’re lacking in being agility freak like Aerin Frankel. It’s been an up and down ride for Hensley on the Team USA depth chart. Sometimes she’ll be the no. 1, sometimes the no. 2 and sometimes the no. 3 but she just always stays consistent. Hensley’s one year in the PHF was great and her most recent year in the PWHPA she was the 3rd best goalie behind Ann-Renee Desbiens/Aerin Frankel. Like the rest of the goalies in this tier she’s going to need some help defensively but doesn’t need her hand held. Hensley will hold her own in most situations though as with most goalies with her level of mobility/agility the less chaotic & high pace the game is the better.
Amanda Leveille: If you’re looking for a goalie that beats expectations and knows how to back stop a championship level team you’ll find few goalies who meet that description better than Amanda Leveille. Just look at her resume, three NCAA National Championships (x2 no. 1 goalie) and two Isobel Cup wins (x1 no. 1 goalie). Can also add to that resume that Leveille was twice named PHF Goalie of the Year while arguably being deserving of this past seasons PHF MVP award. While only possessing a 5’ 5” frame Leveille just makes it work and the most general way to describe her style would be: battler. She has solid enough structure and positioning that she makes it tough to get beat that way but where she thrives is during high pace games. She bets her ability to read, react, and use her high level mobility to get her in front of the puck with a high rate of success. You aren’t one of the greatest to ever play in the PHF if you aren’t highly talented and consistent especially as a goalie. What you’ll need as a team that has Leveille in net is essentially two things, you need a defensive structure that has players that pressure the puck forcing movement and not allowing the opposing team time to set up a play or pick a corner. The second aspect is a goalie that is capable of being in a tandem with Leveille as Leveille unfortunately has had to deal with injuries the past two seasons. With the wealth of goalie talent that shouldn’t be an issue.
Katie Burt: This was the toughest one to figure out in terms of where to put Katie Burt. Comes into the PHF after a very good NCAA career and is the biggest threat to Shannon Szabados’ 18/19 Goalie of the Year award win. Despite a great career at Boston College & her impressive PHF debut Burt never sees time in the Team USA goalie rotation. Then she has to deal with whatever goalie is dealing with when COVID hits, lack of ice time. Despite that Burt comes back to the PHF and flat out dominates. She only has 11 starts but beats the next closest goalie in GSAA by ~9. No goalie is close to how she provides her team with the best chances to win each game. Then follows it up with a very good playoff run to earn the Boston Pride yet another Isobel Cup win. What makes everyone a bit hesitant is when Burt joined the Riveters this past season her results weren’t close to her previous Pride results. However she outplayed her goalie partners in Rachel McQuigge and Eveliina Makinen by a considerable margin statistically. Best way to describe Burt both in play style and in just in general is probably a younger, higher upside Elaine Chuli in that she’ll make the saves she’s supposed to but also a bit more that’s she’s not supposed to compared to Chuli. She’ll be a sneaky good add to a team whose built their line-up properly.
Tier 4 Goalies
This tier of goalies is essentially the last group of goalies where you can reasonably bet on them being an acceptable 1G or seeing moderate success in a tandem role. Past this group you still might find a 1G but it’s a lot bigger roll of the dice. There’s still some gambles in here but as long as you’re not counting on them to be the 1G with zero back-up plan then they’ll be fine on any team. This group is a mix of high ceiling but unknown in a lot of aspects due to low game time and high floor with ceilings that are the most reliant on the team in front of them.
Maddie Rooney: To say it’s been a roller coaster of a ride for Maddie Rooney in her hockey career might be a slight understatement. Starts off her NCAA career with a struggle of a rookie year, has an extremely strong 2017/18 season culminating in taking the 1G spot on Team USA in the Olympics, winning the first USA Olympic Gold since 1998, and since then has been apart of the Team USA goalie rotation with no 1G roles while also being left off the 2023 WHC team. 2022/23 just hasn’t been Maddie Rooney’s year. She had a below average season in the PWHPA with a -2.697 GSAA/0.444 QS% while being in the 1G role & in the Canada/USA Rivalry Series posted a 0.870 SV%. Rooney has the talent to be a no. 1 goalie though she’ll need to make adjustments to her game. She’s very agile and loves to use her inner edges but will put herself in questionable positioning leaving her vulnerable to shots over the shoulder as well as high/low plays. If she doesn’t make the needed adjustments to her game she’ll still be a fine goalie but not one you can rely on to handle a 1G role unless you also have a strong defence to cover her weaknesses.
Shea Tiley: Has there been a goalie more hurt, not physically but developmentally, by COVID than Shea Tiley? Wins two NCAA Championships, graduates into the CWHL where she proceeds to have a very good rookie season, joins the SDHL late season where in four regular season games has 3 shutouts, looks like she’s going to give HV71 the boost it needs to dethrone Lulea when COVID hits midway through the playoffs and since then has struggled to find ice time. Even this year in the PWHPA she only had two starts. So when it comes to Tiley the question is who exactly is Shea Tiley as a goalie? Pre-COVID she was an absolute force to be reckoned with and might even be in the same spot Kristen Campbell is with Team Canada. The lack of games certainly can’t have helped her so how much time does she need to work herself back to where she was pre-COVID if it’s even possible? Being in a 60/40 split as the 2G might be the best spot for Tiley with a chance to take even more starts if she shows she’s earned them. Could be a great fit with Genevieve Lacasse.
Elaine Chuli: If you think you’ve built one of the best teams in the league and all you need is a goalie to simply do their job to stop the puck with no need for heroics, just simple consistent saves then Eliane Chuli should be on your radar. Through her time with the CWHL and the PHF Chuli has proven to be consistent at stopping at what she needs to stop. She turns hockey back into the team game everyone wants it to be. If you play a strong defensive game, her numbers will show it. If you play a weak defensive game, her numbers will show it. With the Vanke Rays it was an average team & she posted above average numbers, with the Toronto Furies it was an average team & she posted average numbers, with the powerhouse Toronto Six she posts very good numbers earning an Isobel Cup along with a PHF Goalie of the Year award. She’s about as perfect as a tandem/40% start 2G goalie you can ask for especially if the team in front of her has been built really well. She’s the safe option and will match, if not exceed by a step, the team play in front of her.
Lindsey Post: Her North American homecoming was put on hold after the PHF was folded but Post should be of legitimate interest to the PWHL GM’s. In her final year in USports she was named Playoff MVP as the University of Alberta won the USports National Championship. She earned interest from the CWHL and joined the Calgary Inferno putting up solid numbers in her rookie year with a 1.301 GSAA/ 0.538 QS%. When the Olympians came back in 18/19 Post was relegated to the 3G role only seeing one start. After the 18/19 season Post made the move to Sweden to play in the SDHL where she really showed herself to be the goalie who was named USports Playoff MVP. In her first season she puts up such big numbers that she earns Goalie of the Year over goalies such as Sara Grahn and Meeri Raisanen. Next two seasons Post has average numbers on a below average team that struggles to make the playoffs when only two teams miss a year. Then this past season Post repeats her SDHL rookie year and while it doesn’t earn her SDHL Goalie of the Year she was the best goalie in the SDHL this past season. So the tricky part is what level of success could you see from Post in the PWHL? There hasn’t been a lot of cross CWHL/PHF to SDHL play from goalies but there is a sample size that indicates if you’re good at the NA pro level you’ll be very good in the SDHL. There’s a reason Post is in Tier 4 as it’ll be difficult to come close to her SDHL success however her SDHL success shows her talent can carry her to be at least be a good candidate for a tandem role.
Noora Raty: This is obviously the most intriguing name on the list right? Future Hockey Hall of Famer & a resume only arguably three other goalies in women’s hockey history can match. It takes a lot to become a household name in women’s hockey if you aren’t Canadian or American but Raty managed to do it. There’s zero doubts about who Noora Raty has been, there’s definitely doubt about where she is now. There’s a reason why Raty was planning on playing in the PHF this season and she said it herself, she wanted to see where her skill level was at before attempting to play in the PWHPA/PWHL again. Unfortunately with the Finnish National Team’s Head Coach deciding to make an example out of Raty there’s really no international play to look at for her. What we do have are small-ish sample sizes of her play where in the Naisten Liiga she had the best SV% both years (21/22 & 22/23) and in the ZiHL (Russian Women’s League) with Kunlun she posted the best SV% in 21/22. For all the hockey Raty has played she’s only 34 and arguably she should be drafted with the intention of giving her an opportunity at the 1G spot. I still think that despite being on the wrong side of 30 and getting closer to 35 that Raty still has some high level play left in her.
Erica Howe: One of the most underrated goalies or players in general to ever have played in the CWHL might just be Erica Howe. In her five year CWHL career only her rookie year had below average numbers and every year after that her lowest point would be average but she also spent a lot of time as a top 3 goalie, even in the final CWHL year which was the most loaded when it came to goalie talent. Unfortunately for Howe she was never able to quite break into the Team Canada goalie rotation but she made sure to frustrate those national team players to no end which finally resulted in the first Clarkson Cup in Markham Thunder history in 17/18 where she outdueled Noora Raty in the final. Howe would follow that up with a 18/19 season to remember when she lead the league in GSAA and in xWin% over Maschmeyer, Raty, Rigsby, and Chuli to name a few goalies at the time. Just like Noora Raty there’s no doubt of the talent that Howe had but now we’re wondering what kind of goalie Howe is now. This past PWHPA season in four starts with Team Sonnet she had a 0.250 QS%/ -3.967 GSAA. At age 31 it’s possible the aging curve has hit her but also how much has the lack of ice time due to COVID taken something from her? In an environment where she can focus on hockey she’s not a bad bet to have a bounce back season returning to her old CWHL form. With all of this considered she’d be a great tandem candidate or be in the 2G role as you know the potential is there for her to be a 1G. e
Tier 5 Goalies
This set of goalies is a mix of goalies who are easy no. 2/3 goalies or are just complete unknown’s as to what they can provide. These will be the goalies you’ll see mostly as fighting for the no. 2 spot on the depth chart with one of the goalies above or ending up on a reserve list. That’s not to say none of these goalies can or will be a no. 1 in the PWHL, just that it’s extremely unlikely with best case scenarios being ending up in a tandem role. These will still be important goalies to have as goalie depth is important.
Tricia Deguire: USports has a pretty good track record of producing pro hockey caliber goalies and Tricia Deguire is one of the most recent promising goalies to come out of the league. After years of clearly proving she was a top tier USports goalie Deguire made the jump to the PHF this past season with the expansion Montreal Force. It got off to a rocky enough start that her partner Marie-Soleil Deschenes took over the net for a portion of time. Deguire though got her feet back underneath her to finish off the season strong with a 2.682 GSAA/ 0.4689 xWin%. This late season surge showed Deguire has the talent necessary just needs to develop it to a more consistent level to find ice time in the PWHL.
Kassidy Sauvé: One of the most intriguing goalies available is Kassidy Sauve. She had a great NCAA career, went to the PWHPA, did a quick pitstop in the Naisten Liiga where she was clearly great, and then came back to North America this past season to play for the Buffalo Beauts of the PHF. Unfortunately an injury cut her season very short to the tune of three starts. Now in those three starts Sauve showed why she was so highly touted when she came over but an all-year injury puts her ceiling in doubt. If she’s back to her normal self then she’ll be pushing for a tandem role rather easily. There’s a reason the Boston Pride signed her as her upside is very promising and she’s not difficult to play in front of.
Rachel McQuigge: Speaking of goalies that had to deal with injuries let’s introduce you to Rachel McQuigge. The former Metro Riveter is one of the youngest goalies available and last season showed some of the youthful inconsistency. McQuigge is apart of the new generation of goalies who are big and now how safely position themselves. They’re relatively easy to play in front of but you have to tightly deploy the defense to make up for the lack of mobility and agility. If last season served to be a learning experience McQuigge will be a fine goalie capable of stepping in when easy saves are needed. Best example might be what we saw in men’s hockey with the Vegas Golden Knights and Adin Hill or the Los Angeles Kings and Phoenix Copley. It’s easy to structure the defence around these type of goalies, you just need the right personnel.
Marlène Boissonnault: If there was ever a bad time to graduate from the NCAA it might have been 18/19. Boissonnault went straight into the PWHPA and essentially right into COVID post-NCAA. She had a very solid NCAA career where in her last year Boissonnault and Cornell made it to the NCAA Championship semi-final where they were eventually shutdown by the University of Minnesota by a score of 2-0. Boissonnault left on a high not of success but since leaving has struggled to find ice time ever since. It’s hard to tell what to expect from her however what she does have going in her favour though is that despite the lack of ice time this past season in particular she posted great numbers, both her starts were Quality Starts and she had a 0.403 GSAA/30. At the very least Boissonnault is more than likely going to earn a no. 3 role on a team with the chance to move up.
Sandra Abstreiter: If you’re looking for a more of a traditional goalie depth chart with the 1G getting roughly a 70/30 split of starts and you need a 2G ready to step in whenever needed to play a simple game it’s easy for the team to adjust around then Sandra Abstreiter is who you’re looking for. She’s been a very solid goalie for Providence College but really exploded this year at the WHC where she finished 1st in GSAA while also featuring a 49/53 save performance vs the USA. This all earned her a contract with the Connecticut Whale but the Whale also signed Emma Soderberg who would have been the 1G with the possibility of the situation being a bit like a tandem situation with a few more starts going Soderberg’s way. When Abstreiter is in net defensively you have to prepare for her reads and mobility to be on the slower side. She relies a lot on her size and positioning which obviously can lead to success you just need the team to heavily work with her in that regard.
Alice Philbert: This is one of the most interesting names on the list and a personal interest of mine. Coming out of the Concordia program in USports Philbert is a very fun goalie to watch while also possessing a skillset makes her intriguing. She’s quite the agile and mobile goalie which is important considering her 5’ 6” frame. She also shows good structure and technical ability so as not to allow any easy goals through the body. Most importantly she can see and read the game at a decently high pace which also includes the more chaotic moments. Philbert has been a very important part of Concordia helping them to one national championship while also being a finalist this past season. She has the skills and resume to push for a spot on a depth chart in the PWHL. At the very least she should be an invite to a training camp, looking at you PWHL Montreal.
Carly Jackson: If you want to talk about fun goalies do they get more fun and entertaining than Carly Jackson? You could honestly sign her to be a 3G for your team and justify it purely based on the vibes she’ll bring to the team as well as the fan base/community. If you look up ideal hockey personality in the dictionary Jackson’s photo is right there. Of course Jackson just isn’t all vibes as she brings a solid on-ice resume with her. Like nearly every goalie here she had at the very least a good NCAA career though the University of Maine was never able to capitalize on her goaltending and make it far. From there she joined the Buffalo Beauts in the PHF where she was a joy to watch at the All-Star game and on the ice in the regular season. She’s very reminiscent of how Maddie Rooney plays in that she loves playing on her inner edges using them to make her very agile. As we saw with the Beauts if you aren’t a good defensive team her numbers aren’t going to be eye popping but still solid as she posted a 0.500 QS%. This past season Jackson proved she can thrive behind a great team as with the Toronto Six she posted a 1.859 GSAA/0.800 QS% in five starts. There’s so many goalies out there it’s hard to shake out if there’s a spot for Jackson but at the very least she deserves a chance in training camp.
Marie-Soleil Deschênes: One of the smallest goalies out there at 5’ 3” Marie-Soleil Deschenes has been able to carve out a career for herself that few would have even thought possible for a goalie her size. With the average size of goalies consistently moving up it takes a lot for a goalie Deschenes size to find a spot in pro hockey but she’s managed to work her way in. First with Les Canadiennes De Montreal in the CWHL back in 18/19 where she had two shutouts and a 3.360 GSAA in four starts. She rejoins the pro women’s ranks this past season with the Montreal Force and is forced to play above her station as a 2G on the team to being a 1G when Tricia Deguire was having a rocky time getting her feet under her ending up with fine numbers (0.375 GSAA/0.444 QS%). If there’s a goalie who knows what the role of being a 2G or 3G entails it’s Deschenes which also provides value.
Abbie Ives: Still one of the youngest goalies out there is Abbie Ives. She’s 24yo turning 25yo and already has three PHF seasons to her name. Those seasons have been filled with team success but not so much personal success. Calling her PHF career a roller coaster and an adjustment are probably the most fair terms to use. In the PHF “bubble” she was a rock star and looked like the goalie to take the Connecticut Whale to their first ever Isobel Cup win. Her two full seasons with the Whale though saw a lot of wins but her own numbers weren’t impressive. No 1G struggled more than her in 21/22 and last season she did take a step forward putting her nearly on par with Tricia Deguire to show there’s still talent there. Ives will be an assistant coach at Sacred Heart University this year keeping her in the Connecticut area and will be a good target for the PWHL’s New York team to put on their reserve list.
Sydney Scobee: Probably the owner of the best mask in the PWHPA and best name is Sydney Scobee. Unfortunately for Scobee her NCAA was cut just short of a proper finish as COVID ended the 19/20 season, her last NCAA season, earlier than they’d want. Up to that point Scobee put up a solid NCAA career though only 2/4 seasons was she in the 1G role. Scobee had the unfortunate luck of having her first post-NCAA year in the thick of COVID and has struggled to find game time ever since then. To say though that she made the most of her game time this year would be an understatement. In her two starts with Team Adidas she posted a 3.925 GSAA with both starts being Quality Starts. Being only 25yo Scobee’s career shouldn’t be over and she should be considered for the 3G role around the league. Definitely a goalie to look into if you’re thinking she could be a goalie of the future for your team.
Jenna Brenneman: I don’t know if there’s been a goalie who has turned being a depth goalie into an actual career the way Jenna Brenneman has. She only has one NCAA season where she played over 3 games and it was in 18/19 when she played 34 games posting a 0.927 SV% for Penn State. She manages to earn the 2G spot behind Amanda Leveille on the Minnesota Whitecaps and her first PHF season is fine. Unfortunately Leveille gets injured so Brenneman has to step up and puts up a -2.519 GSAA/0.4595 xWin% in five starts. For a goalie who was only a 1G once in the NCAA not bad results. This past season once again Leveille gets injured but this time Brenneman has a -1.729 GSAA/0.4972 xWin% in seven starts which is a good improvement. If PWHL Minnesota is looking for a reserve list goalie who knows what being low on the depth chart requires Brenneman is that goalie.
Lindsay Browning: As a goalie how big you are is always going to factor into how many saves you make because your job is getting your body in front of the puck. That’s why if you were to go look at the height’s of all the goalies on this list and just in general you’ll be hard pressed to find goalies below 5’ 5”. Even at the U18 WHC goalies were usually 5’ 6” and taller. So with that in mind it should say a lot about how there’s only two goalies in this piece who are below average height with one being Marie-Soleil Deschenes and the other being Lindsay Browning. One of the youngest goalies on this list Browning has had an intriguing career up to this point. Is the 2G behind Marlene Bossoinnault for two years at Cornell and then in Browning’s first season as a 1G she’s a Patty Kaz (NCAA MVP) finalist with 0.952 SV% in 33 games. Unfortunately for Browning and Cornell that season was 19/20 so any chance at a national championship was ended. Cornell didn’t play in 20/21 so Browning’s last season was 21/22 where she had a good 0.929 SV% on a team that struggled and despite the high SV% she only finished with a 13-12-2 record. This past season with Team Sonnet did not go well at least statistically. Browning in her 3 starts had a -3.206 GSAA & 0.333 QS%. Post-NCAA there’s not a lot to go on and her NCAA career which was just two seasons was quite good as a 1G. Teams should feel comfortable going with Browning either as the 3G or on the reserve list. If Browning is up for it the PWHL New York team should be very open to her being on their reserve list.
Abbey Levy: What a story Abbey Levy has been living so far in her hockey career. Is the 1G her first year at Minnesota State University and puts up good numbers but the team is bad so they don’t win a whole lot. Next year the team is worse and takes her stats down with them. Levy transfers to Boston College and excels in the shortened season. From there it just gets better for Levy who ends her NCAA career by being named as the 3G to Team USA for the WHC. If you’ve watched her play or looked up her elite prospects page you’ll notice she’s rather tall. At 6’ 1” she’s one of the tallest goalies available if not the tallest. With her NCAA numbers and height you might expect her higher up than Tier 5. She’s in this tier because she has a fair amount of developing to do. She does well in combining her size, tracking and reaction speed but she’s lacking a fair bit of polish on the structural/positional/technical side of her game. At the PWHL level the shooters will find those holes easier than they do in the NCAA. If you believe in her potential she’d be a very good 3G who can develop with the team and get a few starts in there.