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NEWHA

NEWHA in January

The Ice Garden recaps what you need to know from NEWHA's January games.

NEWHA in January
St. Anselm's captain Brooklyn Schneiderhan. (Photo credit: St. Anselm Hawks.)

After a busy January packed with everything from tough out-of-conference matchups to goalie milestones, here's what to know. 

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Saint Anselm’s (or Schneiderhan’s) Rise

Saint Anselm narrowly leads NEWHA with a 15-14-1 record and 15-8-1 in conference. It had an up and down January, taking two sweeps against Saint Michael’s and Post but losing in weekends against Stonehill and Sacred Heart. Either way, the team has proven it can bounce back. What has been Saint Anselm's critical factor is Captain Brooklyn Schneiderhan, who nearly doubles the second-highest producer on the team with 39 points and 20 goals so far this season, also leading all of NEWHA.

And a power play won't help teams with Schneiderhan– she leads the NCAA with five short-handed goals this season. Schneiderhan has set herself apart from NEWHA competition and continued to raise her team to a higher standard all January. In her first healthy season, Schneiderhan is one to watch going into the last stretch of her collegiate career before she declares for the PWHL draft.

Race to the Top

While Saint Anselm currently holds the lead in NEWHA standings with 49 points, Franklin Pierce (16-10-2, 15-7-2 NEWHA) and Assumption (14-7-3, 14-13-3 NEWHA) are games away from the top seed. Each will attempt to volley for the top position in the two weeks before the playoffs.

Compared to Saint Anselm, Franklin Pierce and Assumption are created by far more of a team effort. Saint Anselm is also a younger team, which could be a setback going into the final stretch of the season. 

Saint Michael’s Defeat

Saint Michael's has seen perhaps the worst season in the NCAA with a 27-1 record. Its singular win was Oct. 11 against LIU, and January didn’t hold any surprises. Most NEWHA teams took on out-of-conference programs in the first week of the year, but Saint Michael's fared particularly poorly. On Jan. 2 and Jan. 3, Clarkson University shut out Saint Michael’s 15-0 and 9-0. Unfortunately, it wasn't that out of character. The team has been blanked in 16 games. 

Goalies on Goalies

Franklin Pierce's Jill Hertl

Senior Jill Hertl has not only been a standout in NEWHA, she also holds the third-highest save percentage in the NCAA with a .949. In January, she made a career-high 56 saves against Assumption, marking another milestone in a triumphant final season. On Jan. 27, Hertl became the first in program history to reach 3,000 saves.

Sacred Heart's Jillian Petruno

Not to be left behind, senior Jillian Petruno holds the fifth-highest save percentage in the nation and 17th-lowest goals against average at 1.938. She has remained steady in January, taking her second shutout of the season against Stonehill Jan. 16.

Saint Michael's Annika Lavender

Despite having an offensively lacking team, sophomore Annika Lavender has taken advantage of her heavy shot count. On Jan. 23, Lavender became the first NEWHA goaltender to reach 3,000 saves after making 58 saves against Post University. The next weekend, she took home a total of 117 saves in a doubleheader against Sacred Heart.

Saint Anselm's Kayla Czukoski

She might be a freshman, but Czukoski has already left her mark. Just a month into her time in the NCAA, she made 66 saves against Boston College and has continued to keep Saint Anselm in the race this month. She holds a .940 save percentage, the eighth-highest in the country, and she's one of just seven freshman goaltenders among the top 50 in save percentage. The freshman has already proven she can stand on her own in high-pressure games. She just might be the crucial factor in a Saint Anselm post-season.

Goals to Watch Again and Again

And last but not least, senior Maddi Achtyl became the first player in Stonehill history to score 50 goals.

NEWHA in the Olympics

While there are no current NEWHA athletes competing, three recent alums are suiting up in the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. Playing for Team Italy, 2017 graduate Amie Varano became the first in Sacred Heart history to make an Olympic roster. Also for Italy is Anna Caumo, a Franklin Pierce alum who left the program in 2025. For Team Sweden, 2024 LIU alum and former NEWHA Goaltender of the Year, Tindra Holm, is suiting up.

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