Crowley Announces Freshman Hockey Class
July 16, 2015 | Women's Hockey
2015-16 Women’s Hockey Roster
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Six freshman will join the Boston College women’s hockey team this year, bolstering a squad that is coming off its fourth Frozen Four appearance in the last five years.
Head coach Katie Crowley will welcome defenseman Grace Bizal, defenseman Erin Connolly, forward Ryan Little, forward Makenna Newkirk, forward Molly Slowe and defenseman Serena Sommerfield to The Height as the Class of 2019.
“We think this class, as a whole, is well-rounded and fills some needs we have heading into the season,” BC head coach Katie Crowley said. “We lost a really good class – it wasn’t big, but it was a class with a lot of experience and we relied on them a lot. These six players in this class have a diverse skill set and they’ll be great additions to our program, on and off the ice. We’re bringing in players with tremendous experience at the highest youth levels, and who are also great leaders and teammates.”
Bizal joins the Eagles after two straight appearances with the U.S. Under-18 Team at the IIHF U18 World Championships, winning a silver in 2014 and a gold in 2015. A product of Minnetonka, Minn., Bizal played her high school hockey at Hopkins High School, where she was a finalist for Minnesota’s “Ms. Hockey Award,” a three-time all-state and a four-time all-conference performer. She played her club hockey with the Minneapolis-based Junior Whitecaps.
“Grace is a very good defenseman,” Crowley said. “She got a lot of valuable experience on the ice and as a leader with the U.S. Under-18 team at the last two world championships. We expect that she’ll make a quick transition to the college game, and with the loss of Emily Pfalzer, we think Grace has the potential to step in and fill that hole on the defense.”
Connolly, a product of South Boston, Mass., comes to BC from a successful prep career at The Rivers School and a club career with national power Assabet Valley. She helped Rivers win the 2015 New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) Division II championship as a team co-captain. She was also a seven-year member of the Assabet Valle club program, and helped the team win two USA Hockey’s Girls Tier 1 national championships: the Under-14 title in 2012 and the Under-19 crown in 2014.
“Erin can play both defense and forward, but we expect she’ll play the majority of her time at BC as defenseman,” Crowley said. “We think she has great potential. As she learns our system and works with (associate head coach) Courtney (Kennedy) to adjust to the college game, we think she can have a big impact on our team.”
Little hails from Guilford, Vt., but attended prep school at Shattuck-St. Mary’s in Faribault, Minn. She helped the Sabres win the 2013 USA Hockey Tier 1 Under-16 national championship before the team was the runner-up at the U19 level in both 2014 and 2015. Little will be the third player from Shattuck-St. Mary’s on the 2015-16, joining seniors Lexi Bender and Dana Trivigno.
“Ryan is a hard-working forward,” Crowley said. “She does the little things right: she’s a smart player, knows where to be and she’s a player who can play her position well. We think she will work well within our system and use her speed to help create offense.”
Newkirk is the reigning NEPSAC Division I player of the year after stand-out season at Pomfret School. She scored 51 points (31 goals, 20 assists) as a senior captain and led her team to the NEPSAC Division I championship game. Newkirk, a product of Scottsdale, Ariz., finished her three-year prep career with 118 points and earned all-NEPSAC honors all three seasons. At the club level, she most recently played with CT Southern Stars’ U19 team and helped the club advance to semifinals of the USA Hockey Girls Tier I national championship tournament. Prior to joining CT Southern Stars, Newkirk helped Team Pittsburgh win the U14 AAA national championship and a championship game appearance with the U16 squad.
“Makenna is a very dynamic player,” Crowley said. “We’re looking to get her involved right away in every aspect of the game. We think she’s the type of player who can have an immediate impact on our team and in Hockey East.”
Slowe, who is from Medfield, Mass., is another Assabet Valley product set to join the Eagles. Like Connolly, she was also a member of the 2012 U14 national championship team, and later helped the club earn a runner-up finish at the 2013 U16 tournament. Slowe played her prep hockey at Noble and Greenough for five years, captaining the team as a senior. She also helped the Bulldogs win a pair of NEPSAC titles (2012, 2013).
“Molly is another leader that we’re bring in and she’ll work hard day-in and day-out,” Crowley said. “She’ll help push our group every day. She’s local and has been around Boston College hockey for a long time so she’s a great complement to our program.”
Sommerfield played the last three seasons at Choate Rosemary Hall after one season at Hotchkiss. A product of Greenwich, Conn., Sommerfield played club hockey with Mid Fairfield CT Stars and was a member of the Under-19 team that finished second at the 2014 Tier I national championship.
“Serena can also play both ways, and we’re excited to see her potential as she develops in our system,” Crowley said. “She’s a tall defenseman, and a very smart player. As she adjusts to the college game, she has a great upside.”
The six freshman join 17 returning letterwinners from the 2014-15 BC team that set the program record for wins (34) and advanced to its fourth Frozen Four in five years.
