It's that time of year.
June 15 has come and gone, and that can only mean one thing: women's college hockey recruiting is back in full swing.
Coaches can now officially begin contacting recruits in the Class of 2028 and extending verbal offers. The next big date is Aug. 1, when recruits can begin making official visits.
Even before June 15, there was plenty to keep track of among the Classes of 2026 and 2027 around the region.
The last time we checked in on local recruiting was during the prep season. So, it is a perfect time to take stock of the biggest recruiting news around New England. Naturally, there's a lot to catch up on.
Several local stars landed commitments, and several local programs were busy.
As we update our commitment databases, players, parents and coaches are welcome to submit updates. Please send additions to patrick.donnelly@hockeyjournal.com and include the following: name, hometown, birthday, position, shoots/catches, school/club, height and college.
Let's dive in.
Bella Freitas commits to Yale
The Bulldogs got right to work, landing one of New England's top prospects in Freitas (Everett, Mass.) on June 17.
The '09 forward is an elite scorer who can take over games. She has a quick, accurate release, and she's confident in her abilities with the puck, unafraid to pull off a dazzling deke. Freitas has continued to improve year after year since announcing her presence with a 40-goal, 60-point freshman season in the MIAA with St. Mary's.
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She stepped right into prep with 43 points as a freshman at Cushing in 2024-25, finishing in a tie for second in goals with 25. As a sophomore this past season, Freitas posted the fourth-highest goal total in prep with 23 as part of a 31-point campaign.
Freitas, who also plays for the East Coast Wizards, skated at National 16/17 camp and the Under-18 Women's National Team Festival last summer, and she was invited to the U18 selection camp in the fall. She will skate at the U18 Festival again in August.
Maddy Call commits to Harvard
Call (Dedham, Mass.), one of the top Class of 2028 forwards in the NEPSAC, joined Harvard's pipeline this week.
The '09 took on a bigger role for the Tigers this season, voted a captain as a sophomore. She ran with it, posting career-highs across the board with 43 points and 24 goals in 28 games as she finished among the top producers in prep. It followed 22 points as a freshman and 12 as an eighth-grader.
A standout with the Boston Americans, Call plays a relentless, high-compete game, and she has plenty of skill to go along with it.
Call's former Thayer teammate, Morgan McGathey (Braintree, Mass.), just concluded her first season at Harvard, posting 16 points in 34 games.
Abby DeAnzeris and Riley Stocker commit to Merrimack
The Warriors landed a pair of NEPSAC standouts in DeAnzeris (Needham, Mass.) and Stocker.
DeAnzeris was previously committed to Saint Anselm. The Hawks will drop to Division 3 in July 2027.
The '07 blue-liner was among the more productive defenders in prep during her four seasons at Thayer, finishing with 80 points (21 goals) in 105 games. She put up 21 points (six goals) in 28 games as a senior captain this past season, following a 30-point campaign as a junior. The Massachusetts Spitfires standout is effective moving the puck and creating offense from the point, and she plays with high compete in her own end.
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Stocker, meanwhile, broke out as a junior at Williston Northampton this past season, posting career-highs in goals (nine) and points (20) in 23 games. It followed 12 points as a sophomore and 18 as a freshman for the '08. The Connecticut Polar Bears standout is a power forward who uses her strength to her advantage, makes winning plays and creates space for herself in middle ice.
Merrimack also added '09 defender Sienna Suisham to its recruiting pool. The 5-foot-5, right-shot blue-liner has been a standout with the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite 16U squad. She had 40 points (18 goals) in 54 games this past season, following 19 points in 54 games on the blue line the year prior.
Sawyer Merrill commits to Boston College
The Eagles landed a strong forward prospect in Merrill (Hingham, Mass.), who was previously committed to Yale.
The left-shot center had her best season yet as a senior at Dexter, putting up 12 goals and 27 points in 25 games as she finished her prep career with 58 points (24 goals) in 102 games.
Merrill, who is 5-foot-8, has gotten better each year, and she is a strong puck carrier with her frame, hands and long strides.
The Eagles also added '10 defender Cheyenne Friesen out of Lovell Academy. Friesen, a right-shot who stands at 5-foot-5, had 22 points (two goals) in 62 games for the 16Us this season. She had 13 points in 65 games on defense for the 14Us in 2024-25.
Sienna Glass commits to Providence
Glass (Andover, Mass.) was among the top uncommitted rising NEPSAC seniors in my book, and she's off the board with a commitment to Providence.
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The '09 defender took a huge step as a junior last season, seeing increased responsibilities on Phillips Andover's blue line and surging with 18 points (six goals) in 25 games. It followed six points in each of her freshman and sophomore seasons.
The East Coast Wizards standout makes quick decisions, which allows her to excel on regroups and in the neutral zone, and her skating helps her defend in transition. She's also unafraid to be aggressive and activate into the play from an offensive standpoint.
Peyton Scott and Emily Macaulay commit to Clarkson
A pair of Lovell Academy standouts committed to an ECAC powerhouse earlier in the spring as Clarkson landed '09 forward Emily Macaulay and '09 goalie Peyton Scott (Hanover, Mass.). Both are rising seniors.
Macaulay has been a key producer for Lovell's 16U squad over the past two seasons. Following 23 points (14 goals) in 83 games in 2024-25, she broke out for 51 points (29 goals) in 70 games this past season. Macaulay (5-foot-6) is effective in all three zones and a powerful presence.
Scott, meanwhile, has posted excellent numbers throughout her time with Lovell. This past season with the 16Us, Scott went 43-4-2 with a .978 save percentage as the Lions won the USA Hockey 16U Tier 1 national title earlier this spring. It followed a 35-3-0 marker with a .981 save percentage the year prior.
Molly Halloran commits to Holy Cross
Halloran was another one of my top uncommitted rising seniors in prep, but the forward is off the board after securing her next steps with a commitment to Holy Cross earlier this spring.
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The Belmont, Mass., native has been a standout with BB&N over the past few seasons, including a breakout junior season with a career-high 18 points in 27 games. She matched her previous career-high in goals (10), which she posted as part of a 13-point sophomore season in 2024-25. Since her eighth-grade year, Halloran has 37 points in 115 prep games.
The East Coast Wizards standout is a strong power forward who can outmuscle opponents, impose her size (5-foot-7), create offense around the net, skate and score. She took a step with a bigger role this past season and should continue to improve as a senior.
Katie Grady commits to Northeastern
The Huskies got into the goalie pool with a commitment from Proctor's Katie Grady earlier this spring.
Grady, a rising senior, has been one of the busiest goalies in prep over the previous two seasons. Some of her best showings this past winter included 54 and 48 saves against St. Paul's, 51 saves against Phillips Exeter, 40 saves against New Hampton and 38 saves against Middlesex.
The Valley Junior Warriors standout posted a .905 save percentage in 2024-25, facing the fifth-highest shot total in prep (856).
Hockey East programs dip into Canadian talent pool
Three other local programs have been active north of the border, too.
UConn wasted no time with the Class of 2028, securing a commitment from '10 defender Briar Deckers out of the Central York Panthers U22 squad. Deckers has a strong presence on the back end, standing at 5-foot-8. She had 16 points (three goals) in 48 games last season.
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Boston University, meanwhile, landed '08 forward Bronwyn Langis, who was previously committed to Syracuse. Standing at 5-foot-9, Langis has been a productive skater at the U22 level over the previous three seasons. She had 36 points (17 goals) in 45 games with the Mississauga Hurricanes this past season, following 25 points in 41 games the year prior. Langis also had 24 points in 43 games with the Cambridge Rivulettes in 2023-24.
Maine got into the mix as well with '08 forward Tiani Makokis, another Mississauga Hurricanes product. She posted 35 points (18 goals) in 44 games this past season. She also had 52 points (22 goals) in 55 games over the previous two seasons with Okanagan Hockey Academy's U18 Prep squad.
Other notable commitments...
- Olivia DeLisle commits to Cornell:Â Another standout Lovell Academy goalie is off the board as the Big Red landed DeLisle. The '10 went 43-4-1 for the Lovell 16Us this season, posting a .972 save percentage. She went 4-0-0 with a .947 save percentage, a 1.15 GAA and one shutout at USA Hockey Nationals en route to a 16U title. As a 14U, DeLisle went 32-12-1 with a .977 save percentage.
- Quinnipiac adds three commits: The Bobcats added a trio of productive prospects in Ella Fridgen, Haylee Lecuyer and Maddison Bonne. Fridgen, a '10 defender, had 21 points in 75 games on the U22 Ottawa Jr. Senators' blue line. Lecuyer, a '10 forward, had 30 points in 48 games for the U22 Mississauga Hurricanes. Boone, an '09 forward, had her best season yet at Woodbury High (Minn.) with 53 points (34 goals) in 28 games this past winter. She had 55 points (26 goals) in 54 games over the previous two seasons.
- Johanna Tischler and Olivia Johnson commit to Sacred Heart:Â The Pioneers picked up a pair of '08s in Tischler and Johnson. Tischler, a 5-foot-9 defender, has produced strong numbers at Ontario Hockey Academy over the past three seasons, including 40 points (12 goals) in 73 games for the OHA Mavericks Tardiff U22 this past season. She had 71 points in 98 games the year prior. Over the past three seasons, Tischler has posted 21 points in 52 total games with Czechia's Under-18 squad, earning a silver and two bronze medals at the Under-18 Women's Worlds. Johnson, meanwhile, spent the last two seasons at NAHA after a year at Shattuck-St. Mary's. The forward had 10 points in 58 games for NAHA White this past season.
- Umeka Odaira commits to Maine:Â Odaira, an '08 forward, has been a standout with Japan's national teams. She suited up in the Olympics this past winter in addition to putting up 21 points (seven goals) in 15 games with the Under-18 squad over the past three seasons. She's set to join the Black Bears for the 2027-28 season.
- Saint Anselm adds three locals: The Hawks will remain in Division 1 and the NEWHA conference for the 2026-27 season, and they added a trio of local standouts in '07 forward Thea Arsenault (East Providence, R.I.), '06 forward Morgan Brady (Middleboro, Mass.) and '08 defender Lydia Maxwell (Plainville, Mass.). Arsenault spent the 2025-26 season with Boston Hockey Academy, posting 15 points (three goals) in 22 games. Brady, a former MIAA standout at Notre Dame (Hingham), put up 13 points (five goals) in 55 games with Lovell Academy's 19U squad this past season. She also played at Tilton in 2023-24. Maxwell spent the last two seasons patrolling Tilton's blue line.
