They are short of stature but not talent.
College hockey is littered with players who are shining despite being on the short side. The New England Division 1 women’s ranks are no different.
Skating is valued more than ever and size isn’t everything.
Here are seven players from New England programs - four forwards, two defensemen and one goaltender - who don’t let their lack of size prevent them from excelling.
All stand 5-foot-4 or less. The only exception is a 5-foot-5 goaltender who has broken more records than a clumsy 1970s disc jockey.
Three of the players are from Northeastern University, the top program in New England.
“In a physical sport like ice hockey, having good size doesn’t hurt. If a player doesn’t have good size, then they need a defining quality to help them overcome their lack of size,” said Nick Carpenito, NU’s associate head coach. “For some players size and strength can be somewhat of a safety net, but if that’s not something that an athlete has, more times than not it’s easy to determine the one or two qualities in their game that they accel at to make up for a lack of size like their skating, playmaking abilities, or goal-scoring abilities.”
Skylar Fontaine
A 5-foot-4 defenseman at Northeastern, Fontaine is shining as a graduate student.
Fontaine, who hails from East Greenwich, R.I., has 148 career points. Fontaine is tied for NU’s team lead in points with 26 and her 22 assists easily lead the Huskies.
Fontaine’s elite speed has been on full display in the last eight games when she’s netted 13 points.
Carpenito: “Sky’s best asset is her speed. I would argue that she is the fastest player in college hockey. Her speed allows her to be a constant threat offensively, especially on the rush, but she has the ability to get back on defense and do her job if she jumps up. Her ability to create space with her feet is second to none and opposing players often have to over-respect her speed, leading to bad gaps which she often exploits. If they don’t respect her speed, she can get around players in outside lanes with a high success rate and create high-quality opportunities for herself and her teammates.”
Aerin Frankel
Many of the top goalies around the country stand 5-foot-10 or taller. A few are 6 feet.
Not Frankel. Only 5-foot-5, the Northeastern graduate student from Briarcliff Manor, N.Y., uses exceptional quickness and anticipation to shine.
She was named the 2021 Patty Kazmaier winner and she’s again in the running to be the nation’s top player. The owner of 34 career shutouts, Frankel leads the nation in goals-against average (0.88) and save percentage (.964).
Carpenito: “Aerin’s compete level is what separates her from the rest of the pack. The impressive part about her compete level is how constant it is. She competes hard whether it's practice or competition. She’s athletic and efficient with her movements, but in scramble situations, which are inevitable for a goaltender, her competitive instincts take over and more times than not, Aerin is coming out on top.”
Natalie Mlynkova
A 5-foot-3 forward from the Czech Republic, Mlynkova is third on the University of Vermont in scoring with a 7-9-16 line.
The sophomore has extensive international experience, representing her country in 71 games. Mlynkova is coming off an impressive performance during a 6-2 win over Connecticut in which she netted a goal and assist.
Maureen Murphy
A native of Buffalo, N.Y., the 5-foot-4 senior leads Northeastern with 13 goals and her 26 points tie her for the team-high.
Murphy transferred to Northeastern after starring at Providence. She has produced multi-goal games against Saint Anselm, Holy Cross and Providence. Tied for 18th in the nation in scoring, Murphy is a major reason the Huskies are roaring again.
Carpenito: “Maureen’s ability to manipulate opposing players and goaltenders is what makes her great. Her intelligence often allows her to be a step ahead of opposing players, and she utilizes deception and subtle movements to create space for herself. She does a great job utilizing the space she creates to either attack it herself or create lanes for her teammates in quality areas all over the ice. The other asset that makes Maureen great is her body positioning. If you watch her play, you’ll notice she puts an emphasis on winning races to lanes rather than winning races to pucks. That forward-thinking always gives her an edge whether its battles along the wall or foot races anywhere on the ice.”
Tamara Thierus
A Quebec native, Thierus is producing a terrific junior season at the University of New Hampshire.
The 5-foot-3 forward is tied for second on the team with a 6-10-16 line. Thierus has had several strong games, including a three-point effort against Holy Cross, and two-point showings against Boston University, Maine, Union and Vermont.
Morgan Wabick
Wabick is a major reason Connecticut has exploded out to a 15-5-2 start.
A 5-foot-3 graduate student, the forward has compiled a 7-11-18 line to lead the Huskies in scoring. The Winnipeg, Manitoba native has produced five points over UConn’s last three games. Wabick needs seven more points to reach 100 for her career.
Taylor Wabick
Wabick, the twin sister of Morgan, is also shining for UConn. A 5-foot-4 graduate student, the defenseman has 16 points, placing her third on the team in scoring, and her 14 assists easily lead the Huskies.
Wabick has a pair of multiple-point games against Vermont. She has also recorded two-point games against RIT, Boston University and Maine and has the Huskies headed to a 20-win season.
In closing, great players come in all sizes. Small players can excel in today’s game if they have the right qualities.
“For Maureen, it’s her intelligence, for Skylar it’s her speed, for Aerin it’s her compete level, for Kendall Coyne it was her skating ability,” Carpenito said.
