Golden Knights Set Sights on Another Postseason Run

Golden Knights Set Sights on Another Postseason Run

Last year, the Clarkson Golden Knights’ hopes of an ECAC Hockey Championship would come to an end in Triple Overtime, as Cornell’s Lily Delianedis would score the game-winning power-play goal to eliminate the Knights from the ECAC Hockey Tournament. Clarkson would get an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships, but ultimately lose to Wisconsin in the second round following a decisive win over Boston University. After two heartbreaking losses in the playoffs, Clarkson’s season ended without a trophy. Over the summer, Clarkson would graduate twelve players, including star blueliners Nicole Gosling and Haley Winn, and would lose seven players to the transfer portal, including some regulars in the lineup like Jessica MacKinnon and Rebecca Morissette. This year, Clarkson will return eleven players: Sena Catterall, Rhea Hicks, Kiera Hurry, and Holly Gruber. These players will add experience to the lineup but must adjust to playing with new faces.

The Returnees

The core of the Golden Knights squad will be the returning players. They will be the leaders of the team and will hold all the new players accountable to meeting team standards. Players like Rhea Hicks and Sena Catterall will be the heart of the Clarkson Forwards. These players have proven themselves year after year in their ability to score, with Sena Catterall coming up with hat tricks from time to time, and Rhea Hicks nearly being at a point per game last year. Kiera Hurry will be one of two returning players on the blueline for the Golden Knights. Her ability to play both ends of the ice will be critical, as she will need to replace the gap left by Winn and Gosling on the back end. Holly Gruber is Clarkson’s lone returning goaltender. She brings experience to the Golden Knights between the pipes and is expected to win the starting job this year after her performance last season.

The Transfers

Clarkson’s six incoming transfers will bring more experience and consistency to the Golden Knight lineup. Clarkson will add Lara Beacher, Janelle Evans, and Reece Logan on the front end. Beacher is a high-scoring winger who had an amazing season at Vermont last year. Her ability to pass the puck well and get quality shots off may benefit the Golden Knights greatly this year. Janelle Evans adds depth to Clarkson’s Forwards. She was the top faceoff taker for Robert Morris last season and will create opportunities for Clarkson’s forwards as the season progresses. Reece Logan is expected to start at the bottom of the lineup; however, with such a young team, opportunities for veteran players will present themselves. Logan played in fifteen games at Minnesota Duluth, but played bottom-line minutes for a strong team that only ran three lines during most games. If Reece Logan can show her potential, she could work up the line sheet during the season and add experience to Clarkson’s Forwards. 

On the back end, Clarkson added Megan McKay and Andrea Trnkova. Megan McKay was the top defender last season with Mercyhurst. She ended with a very high goal differential on a weaker team than Clarkson, which has historically been a good indicator of how transfers will perform at more powerful schools. McKay is projected to start on the first pairing for Clarkson, as her experience is unmatched for her position on Clarkson’s Roster. Andrea Trnkova comes to Clarkson from RPI, where she was their best defender. Trnkova scored eight goals last season, showing she can play a two-way game. Clarkson will also add Arianne Leblanc from Concordia University. She was incredible for Concordia and will certainly put up a fight for who will start in net for the Clarkson Golden Knights this year.

The Newcomers

Clarkson will welcome eleven first years into the ranks this year. Although some players will rotate in and out of the lineup, many will play in nearly every game this year. The Maness sisters, Kate and Sara, come to Clarkson as former members of the Canadian U18 team. Sara is a forward while Kate plays on the Blueline as a defenseman. Since the two play different positions, there will be times when both sisters will be on the ice, and since they have played together for their entire lives, the chemistry between the two may benefit Clarkson on both ends of the ice. Manon Le Scodan joins the Clarkson Golden Knights from France. She is the oldest incoming player for the Golden Knights since she went through the Quebec Education System, which has extra levels compared to the United States. She is expected to join Clarkson’s middle six at the beginning of the season; however, the Golden Knights better not get too reliant on her because she may be playing in the Winter Olympics come February 2026. Two Players from Bishop Kearney will also be in the lineup from time to time. Paige Wallace and Morgan Walton will likely rotate as Extra Forward and Defensewomen throughout the season. Both come from Bishop Kearney, a program that has made Clarkson Legends in the past, such as Haley Winn. Both will have to start at the bottom, but with so many new faces, opportunities will present themselves for those not included in the initial lineup on September 26th at Merrimack.

Schedule Highlights

Clarkson will open the regular season on September 26th against Merrimack College. Clarkson will play the University of Connecticut next weekend in their first real test of the season. UCONN was 11th in the pairwise last season, but missed the NCAA tournament when they were upset by Northeastern in the Hockey East Semifinals. These games should show where Clarkson should be ranked, as UCONN has improved over the last few seasons. Kid's Day returns to Cheel Arena this year. St Lawrance will travel up Route 11 to entertain nearly 3000 Local Students for the first meeting of four between the Saints and Golden Knights. Clarkson will face a tough slate when they travel to Washington, DC, with Ohio State and St Cloud State. Ohio State was the runner-up for the NCAA Championship last year in an overtime loss, and St Cloud State is ranked preseason. Clarkson will face St Lawrence twice to finish off 2025. Clarkson will play St Michaels just after the New Year rings in, a team they beat twice last year with a combined score of 23-0 over the entire series. This may be a chance for those players who rarely see the lineup to play in a few games. With Clarkson playing one of the toughest schedules in Women’s College Hockey, this will be a real test of how Clarkson can adjust to the new players and how the Golden Knights will perform in years to come.

How to Catch the Clarkson Golden Knights

Almost every Clarkson Game will be televised on ESPN+ except for the games played in Washington, D.C., which are expected to be live-streamed on YouTube. All Clarkson Women’s Hockey home games will be aired on WTSC 91.1FM. WTSC will also air approximately twelve Clarkson Women’s Hockey away games that will be announced throughout the season. Select games will air on B99.3FM, with approximately eight games this season on the schedule. If Clarkson is home, go watch the team at Cheel Arena. This team is thrilling to watch, and you will enjoy the experience of Clarkson Hockey for a fraction of the price of a Men’s Hockey Game without reserved seats and the large crowds seen in Men’s Hockey Games.