DANBURY, CONN. – ECAC Hockey is proud to announce the lineup of seven outstanding student-athletes chosen for its 2024-25 Women’s Hockey All-Rookie Team, showcasing talent from five member institutions.
Please note that all statistics correspond to the final regular season statistics in ECAC Hockey play only.
ECAC All-Rookie Team
NAME |
POS. |
SCHOOL |
CLASS |
Mackenzie Alexander* |
F |
Princeton |
Fr. |
Lindzi Avar* |
F |
Cornell |
Fr. |
Karianne Engelbert^ |
F |
Union |
Fr. |
Monique Lyons^ |
F |
Brown |
Fr. |
Makayla Watson |
D |
Quinnipiac |
Fr. |
Rosie Klein |
D |
Princeton |
Fr. |
Michaela Hesova |
G |
Dartmouth |
Fr. |
*Denotes unanimous selection
^Tied in voting
Leading the pack of forwards on the ECAC Hockey All-Rookie Team are two unanimous selections, Princeton's Mackenzie Alexander and Cornell's Lindzi Avar.
Scoring 13 goals in 22 league games, Avar was a driving force behind Cornell's regular season title. The Chanhassen, Minn. native tallied points in half of her league contests this season, including splashing onto the season with a hat trick against RPI in November. She finished the regular season tied for third in the league in goals.
Alexander had a stellar debut season for Princeton, posting 20 points in her first 22 league games as a Tiger, and was top-15 in the league in goals, assists, and points. The Etobicoke, Ontario native enters the postseason with at least a point in six of her last seven games and had a 13-game point streak during the season.
Joining the duo up front are two players who tied for the final forward slot on the All-Rookie team. Union's Karianne Engelbert and Brown's Monique Lyons both broke into the league with tremendous debut seasons.
Engelbert made an immediate impact in league play for the Garnet Chargers. The Whitby, Ontario native recorded a hat trick in Union's league opening against Harvard and followed it with four points in her next four games. A pivotal part of Union's program-best regular season, Engelbert finished the year ranked 10th in goals (third amongst rookies), and fourth in rookie points.
Rounding out the forward group is Brown rookie Monique Lyons. Lyons finished the season seventh in the ECAC with 11 goals (second amongst rookies) and led the league in power play goals (6). The Bedford, Mass. native played a huge role in Brown's key sweep of Clarkson and St. Lawrence, tallying a hat trick in a 4-3 win over the Saints at Appleton.
Defending the blueline are Quinnipiac's Makayla Watson and Princeton's Rosie Klein, a duo that led their respective teams to home ice in the opening round of the playoffs.
Klein finished the year second in the league with 53 blocked shots providing structure to a defensive unit that produced an eight-game win streak in the middle of the season. The Chicago, Illinois native also recorded a game-winning goal in Princeton's January victory over RPI.
Finishing out the all-rookie D-pair is Quinnipiac's Makayla Watson, an offensive defensemen who has bolstered the Bobcats' efforts this season. Watson averaged nearly three shots a game in league play and finished top-20 in plus/minus (+10). The native of Brooks, Alberta has played a large role in Quinnipiac's five ECAC shutouts and 1.56 goals against average (second in ECAC).
Between the pipes, Dartmouth's Michaela Hesová emerged as the unanimous choice for the All-Rookie goaltender. Hesová was second in the league in saves per game, averaging nearly 30 per contest. A native of Prague, Czech Republic, Hesová led all ECAC goaltenders with 651 saves in league play and was fifth nationally in all games with 818 saves.
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