Sierra:
1. T.T. Cianfarano So. (Quinnipiac)
Cianfarano sits at the top of my list because she is the most consistent offensive threat for the Bobcats. She has led Quinnipiac through its stellar 10-1-3 start in the conference and her 19 goals and 14 assists have been a major factor in it’s No. 4 national ranking. She has incredible speed, hands and puck awareness which is why she is the best player in the ECAC right now. Cianfarano also sports an impressive +34 plus/minus rating.
Rob:
1. T.T. Cianfarano So. (Quinnipiac)
Definitely agree with Cianfarano in the top spot. She already matched her point total from last season at the midway point of this season. She is scoring close to the “Babstockian” rate (thanks, Rob Stowell, for coining that term) and could reach 100 career points around the same time Kelly Babstock did (Babstock finished her sophomore year at 99 points, Cianfarano currently has 66 with 11 regular season games remaining, and, as long as the Bobcats finish in the top eight in the ECAC, at the very least two more games in the ECAC Tournament). And the plus/minus rating mentioned above, that just shows how good of a player she is and that she makes the players around her better when she’s on the ice.
Rob:
2. Melissa Samoskevich Fr. (Quinnipiac)
With 10 goals and 13 assists as a freshman, she has certainly been a big factor for the Bobcats. After Cassandra Turner decided to move her off of the line with Cianfarano, she caught my eye as another player who makes the players around her better, and you could see some more diversity in terms of scoring on the QU roster. Samoskevich also had the lone goal in the first game of 2016 for the Cianfarano-less Bobcats, teaming up with goaltender Sydney Rossman to lead Quinnipiac to a 1-0 victory over Yale. She scored again the next day, and with a goal and an assist from Cianfarano, led Quinnipiac to a 5-1 win over Brown. And how can you leave out her efforts on defense as well as the overtime winning goal against Harvard back in December.
Sierra:
2. Cayley Mercer Jr. (Clarkson)
Samoskevich is a solid pick at No. 2, but I’m going to have to go with Cayley Mercer. Leading the ECAC in points with 35, Mercer is the workhorse of the powerhouse Clarkson offense. In Clarkson’s recent victories against Yale and Cornell, Mercer netted two goals in each game. With a big matchup against Harvard coming up, I expect to see Mercer keep her team calm and composed. If Clarkson comes out with a win, I have no doubt you will see her name on the scoreboard.
Sierra:
3. Melissa Samoskevich Fr. (Quinnipiac)
What hasn’t already been said about ‘Samo’? She came to Quinnipiac looking like a veteran already, and nothing has changed. In the Bobcat’s program-changing win over Harvard, Samoskevich scored the game-winning goal. Oh, and she also played defense that game (seamlessly, I might add) which she hadn’t in years. She is patient and smart with the puck and can really do it all.
Rob:
3. Cayley Mercer Jr. (Clarkson)
Mercer played a key role against Yale this past Friday in a game where her team wasn’t very sharp. She had two goals, including the game-winner for the Golden Knights who were down twice in the game to the Bulldogs. She had three assists the next day in a 7-0 thrashing of Brown. The five-point weekend helped her regain her leading position in the ECAC in the assists and points column (over Emma Woods and T.T. Cianfarano, respectively). She leads her team in points and needs to stay on her game if there are going to be more games that start out like the first two periods of that Yale game.
Rob
4. Karlie Lund Fr. (Princeton)
Lund was named the ECAC Rookie of the Week last week and she has been the leader of the pack for the Tigers on their recent 10-game winning streak. She’s third in the ECAC with 27 points this season, helping her team crack the USCHO.com Top 10 Poll. The Tigers are also eighth in the PairWise with a good shot at making the NCAA Tournament. She is on a five-game point streak, starting back on her team’s Dec. 12 win over Penn State. With her offensive skills teamed up with Kimberly Newell’s strong goaltending and Kelsey Koelzer’s 2-way defense, Princeton is coming in hot down the home stretch.
Sierra:
4. Miye D’Oench Sr. (Harvard)
This Harvard team thrives off the senior leadership from D’Oench. Her experience is evident on the ice. She helped her team comeback and win 4-1 against Minnesota Duluth after falling to 4-2 the day before with a two point showing. D’Oench also plays almost every minute of each power play and has three power play goals to show for it.
Sierra:
5. Olivia Howe Sr. (Clarkson)
Olivia Howe is a playmaker. More than half of her 26 points are from assists which speaks to the selflessness of her play. She works beautifully with teammate Cayley Mercer, setting each other up in front of the net. You can tell they’ve been playing together for years. Howe also performs under pressure, with four game-winning goals on the season.
Rob:
5. Miye D’Oench Sr. (Harvard)
D’Oench had a strong weekend, scoring two goals and two assists over the course of two games. She leads the No. 8 Crimson with 10 goals and 11 assists for 21 points. She plays a key role in each of her team’s games. In 15 games, she has been held off the scoresheet in just four times, and the Crimson lost only one of those games (they tied another, while winning the other two).
Rob:
6. Olivia Howe Sr. (Clarkson)
Howe, as mentioned above, has been a great player with Cayley Mercer since they started playing together. The two compliment each other and are what makes it so tough to defeat Clarkson. Those two along with Shea Tiley in goal could make for another Frozen Four run similar to 2014’s, let alone another run to its fourth straight ECAC semifinal.
Sierra:
6. Sydney Rossman Jr. (Quinnipiac)
Rossman deserves the No. 6 spot this week for her perfect showings against RPI and Union. She averages less than one goal a game at .89, a stat that leads the ECAC handily. With a .948 save percentage, there is no arguing that Rossman is the best goalie leading the best team in the conference.
Sierra:
7. Karlie Lund Fr. (Princeton)
Princeton is hot right now. The Tigers are on a 10-game winning streak and Lund has been a major contributor. She has recorded a point in every single game since Dec. 11, including a three point showing in Princeton’s 5-0 win over Union last week. Lund’s 27 points in 20 games sits her at number three in the conference.
Rob:
7. Sydney Rossman G (Quinnipiac)
Two shutouts this past weekend for the Bobcats goaltender. She made 15 saves in a 0-0 tie against RPI and 13 saves in a 5-0 win against Union. Rossman has not allowed more than one goal in a game since Nov. 14 against Princeton. She is tied for the national lead with 10 shutouts this season, and is displaying what she has learned from backing up Chelsea Laden for two seasons. Rossman is going to be called on to be at her best throughout the rest of the season, but especially against Boston University on Jan. 20, at Harvard on Jan. 29, and at Colgate on Feb. 6.
Rob:
8. Kelsey Koelzer Jr. (Princeton)
Koelzer is another reason why Princeton is such a dangerous team this season. Her five power play goals make it extra tough on teams to strategize against her when on the penalty kill. She is second on the team with 20 points, and is a defenseman. That’s a dangerous combo and puts her right alongside Cydney Roesler and Mallory Souliotis as a dangerous two-way defenseman. She’ll play a key role with Karlie Lund and Kimberly Newell in terms of how well Princeton does in the remainder of the season, as the Tigers currently sit second in the ECAC behind Quinnipiac.
Sierra:
8. Kelsey Koelzer Jr. (Princeton)
Koelzer is the definition of an offensive-minded defenseman. She has 12 goals on the season and really shines on the power play. Her speed allows her to have a presence on offence but still get back in time to make solid defensive plays. Koelzer is definitely a double threat.
Sierra:
9. Bailey Larson Fr. (Colgate)
In Colgate’s 4-3 overtime victory against Clarkson, Larson tallied two points including an assist on the game-winner. She has proved to adjust to the pace of the college game with no hesitations. Larson has 21 points in 21 games and is a threat on the penalty kill, with two shorthanded goals on the season.
Rob:
9. Emerance Maschmeyer Sr (Harvard)
Maschmeyer has come up with some huge saves for the Crimson this season, let alone the course of her career (she just broke her program’s saves record of 2,107). Harvard has been in some close games this season, including two 2-1 overtime losses to Princeton and Quinnipiac back on Dec. 4 and 5. The senior netminder has kept the Crimson in some of those close games, including a 2-0 win against Cornell last week.
Rob:
10. Mallory Souliotis Jr (Yale)
Souliotis leads the Bulldogs with 16 points this season and had three assists this weekend. With the return of Phoebe Staenz from the Nations Cup Tournament, as well as Krista Yip-Chuck and Jamie Haddad getting points for the Bulldogs in recent games, the defenseman plays a big role in the team’s final 12 games of the season as their top point-getter but also behind the blue line in defending goaltender Hanna Mandl. Her play will determine whether they can hold on or move up from 8th place in the ECAC to make the tournament.
Sierra
10. Shea Tiley So. (Clarkson)
Well Rob, I’m going to go in a different direction to round out my top 10. Shea Tiley has shutout her opponents in nearly half of Clarkson’s games (9 out of 20). With a 1.32 goals against average, she has been imperative to the team’s No. 5 national ranking and will be a major key to success in the team’s tournament run.
