2022 Top 25 Under 25 | 10: Abby Roque
If you don’t know who Abby Roque is already, you’re about to.
Coming in at No. 10 is someone who will surely become a mainstay on Team USA; 24 year old, Abby Roque.
How Last Season Went
Last season was Roque’s first season out of school. After a successful career at the University of Wisconsin, Roque joined the PWHPA’s Minnesota hub.
The 2021-22 season saw Roque joining the Team USA for the My Why tour. Roque didn’t record any points in the rivalry games between Canada and the United States, but she certainly proved herself to be an important player heading into the Olympics.
Roque became the first Indigenous woman to play hockey for Team USA when she was announced as a member of the Olympic team.
She then played all seven games for Team USA, but her first goal didn’t come until the semifinal when she scored on the empty net against Finland. Roque’s eye for creating offensive chances showed during the gold medal game when she assisted on a goal from Amanda Kessel, making the final score 3-2. Despite the Americans having to settle for silver in the end, but Abby Roque still made her presence known.
Her zone entries were a sight to behold at points in the tournament.
A pretty brilliant play from Abby Roque here, especially because she apparently only recently emerged from obscurity. Or something.
— Mike Murphy (@DigDeepBSB) August 21, 2021
Seriously, though. What a brilliant move and great pass. Just sensational stuff. pic.twitter.com/RWFb7b4bBN
Lifetime Major Accomplishments
- Olympic silver 2022
- World Championship silver 2021
- U18 World Championship gold 2015, silver 2014
- NCAA Champion, 2018-19
- WCHA Offensive Player of the Year 2017-18
- WCHA Player of the Year, 2020/
What Comes Next
Abby Roque is currently a member of the PWHPA’s Minnesota region roster and will likely play in the league that the PWHPA is reportedly preparing to launch for in 2023. She’s still coming into her own as a member of the senior national team, but it’s a pretty safe bet that she’ll be wearing red, white and blue for many years to come.
As the players that we’ve grown used to seeing inevitably begin retiring, Abby Roque is a player who deserves to take on a larger role. She should be a lock for a top six role in the eyes of any coach with an ounce of common sense.
Too high or Too low?
Tenth place feels just about right for Abby Roque. There are definitely a few other players that you could make a solid argument deserve to be ahead of her, but overall, this is right about where she belongs. There wasn’t a lot to evaluate when it came to last season’s results thanks to COVID-19 and a whole bunch of cancelled games, but her college career shows her potential. She was consistently a point per game player after her rookie season. On the international stage, she’s been a consistent contributor with the potential to become even more of a household name.
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