NWHL Draft Review: New York Riveters

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The first ever NWHL Draft kicked off at 12:06 on Saturday, when the New York Riveters went on the clock. The Riveters went on to select three Boston College Eagles, a Clarkson Golden Knight, and a Princeton Tiger. The Riveters made history, by selecting Boston College standout Alex Carpenter first overall.

Here’s a breakdown of the Riveter’s 5 Draft picks for 2015.

1. Alex Carpenter, Boston College

With the first ever NWHL Draft pick, the New York Riveters selected Boston College forward Alex Carpenter. The 5′-6″ junior was a no-brain selection for the Riveters, as she stood out as one of college hockey’s most elite athletes last season. As a freshmen, Carpenter was a nominee for the Patty Kazmaier award, which is given out to the best college player in the year (think Hobey Baker, if you’re familiar with men’s college hockey). The following year, Carpenter was a top-ten finalist for the award, and finally won it last season, in her junior year.

Carpenter was also a member of the United States Olympic Women’s Hockey team, who won silver in Sochi in 2014. Carpenter scored a team-leading four goals in the tournament, and helped the United States win silver.

Still not impressed? Carpenter was named an assistant captain for Boston College at the start of the season, and went on to tally 83 points in just 37 games (37 goals and 44 assists), setting a program record. She led the nation in points per game, with an astonishing 2.19, and even set the longest scoring streak in BC history, when she scored 62 points in 25 games.

Carpenter was also the alternate captain of Team USA in the IIHF World Championships, where she helped lead the US to gold once again in April.

Carpenter brings, well, pretty much everything you could hope for and more for a first-ever pick in the NWHL Draft.

 

5. Haley Skarupa, Boston College

Skarupa wasted no time in making a name for herself as a freshman at Boston College, when finished second in scoring for the Eagles, with 53 points
(24 goals, 29 assists). Her +41 rating ranks 3rd in program history. As a sophomore, Skarupa led Boston College with 41 points (25 goals, 16 assists), and ranked third in the nation with .76 goals per game. She was also tied for 11th in the country with six powerplay goals, andsat at third in the nation with four short-handed goals.

In 37 games as a junior, Skarupa tallied 71 points (31 goals, 40 assists), which included seven game-winning goals. She finished the season at second in the country in points per game (1.92), fifth in goals per game (.84), and third in assists (1.08).

Haley also won silver for the US at the 2010 and 2012 IIHF U-18 Women’s World Championships, and won gold at the same tournament in 2011. In the 2012 tournament, Skarupa led the tournament in scoring and goals, with eleven goals for eleven points. She was also named one of the top three American players by the coaches.

She has an outstanding .941 career save percentage for the Crimson, wit 46 wins, in 73 games.

 

9. Erin Ambrose, Clarkson University

With their third pick, the New York Riveters selected Clarkson defenseman Erin Ambrose. Ambrose is easily one of the strongest blue-liners entering the NWHL, since she can maintain a strong defensive core while posing as a dangerous offensive threat.

Ambrose showed just that as a freshman, when she tallied 36 points in 34 games (keep in mind that she’s a DEFENSEMAN). She was named ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Year, and a Second-Team ECAC All Star. Her 36 points from the point led the nation. On top of that, she set a school-record with 30 assists.

In her sophomore season, she was named a First-Team All American, after tallying an unbelievable 50 points in 37 games. She easily led the nation in scoring among defensemen, despite missing the last four games with an injury. She also earned a +44 rating en route to being named a C0-Winner of the ECAC Hockey Best Defensive Defenseman Award.

Ambrose brings a dual-threat to the Riveters, with equally important offensive and defensive talent.

13. Dana Trivigno, Boston College

Trivigno ranked fifth for BC in scoring as a freshman, with 29 points. She also ranked fourth among Hockey East in freshman scoring, and was a Pro Ambitions All-Rookie team honoree. As a sophomore, Dana tallied 28 points in 33 games, ad earned a +18 rating.

Trivigno saw the most success as a junior, when she tallied 34 points in 37 games (15 goals and 19 assists). She tallied a point for the Eagles in 19 games, and earned a +27 rating. Dana also won gold with the US National Team at the IIHF World Championships in Sweden in April.

17. Kimberly Newell, Princeton

With the Riveters final pick, New York selected goaltender Kimberly Newell from Princeton University. Newell appeared in 26 games as a freshman, and posted a .915 save percentage for the Tigers. Her sophomore season consisted of 29 games, in which she posted a .906 save percentage, and a 2.74 goals against average.

She saw more success in her junior year, when she posted a .925 save percentage and 2.36 goals against average en route to being named to the Second All-Ivy League team.

That does it for the New York Riveter’s 2015 Draft! Be sure to check out how the other teams did as well!