Warriors need to shake things up in rebound season.
Scoring the fewest amount of goals in the conference and the seventh-fewest amount of goals in the country, while letting in the eleventh-most out of all teams in the country, Merrimack women’s hockey doesn’t need to be told what it has to do this season.
The team just needs to do it, which is easier said than, well, done.
Like Maine and Providence, Merrimack will also have a new face on the coaching bench. Fifteen days after it was announced that Erin Hamlen, who had been with Merrimack since it elevated to Division I status, would not continue as head coach, Merrimack named Courtney Kennedy as the next head honcho in North Andover. Kennedy has extensive coaching experience across multiple levels, from U18 to college to professional, having most recently been a skills coach for the Boston Fleet.
This should be a very interesting four months for this program. No one is expecting them to top the conference, but with a new coaching staff and a team hungry for redemption, they may prove to be stronger contenders than many might anticipate. And from here, if they’ve built a strong foundation, the Warriors could be a threat in the seasons to come.
The Warriors were not heavily favored in the pre-season poll, having been picked to finish last, scoring only 24 points.
Where last season ended…
Merrimack finished the 2025-26 season with a 7-24-4 overall record and 4-18-2 conference record. They fell 4-0 to Maine in the opening round of the conference playoffs.
Players to watch…
Rising junior forward Madison Vittands is on a hot start in 2026-27, accruing three points (one goal and two assists) in the opening weekend series against Lindenwood. Freshman goaltender Machala Musty has similarly started the season on a high note having gone five periods without allowing a single goal.
Out of their top ten highest scorers last season, Merrimack has retained seven of them, including their top scorer. Rising senior forward Emma Pfeffer had 21 points, 10 of those coming from goals, in 35 games last season.
New arrivals…
The Warriors have seven freshmen joining them this season: two forwards, four defenders and one goaltender.
Merrimack is also welcoming two players from the transfer portal. Rising sophomore forward Izzy King (zero points in 16 games) is transferring from conference rival Providence, and rising junior defender Maegan Cronan (two assists in 37 games) joins the Warriors from Lindenwood.
Into the portal…
Five players left the Warriors after the conclusion of the 2025-26 season, including one goaltender, rising senior Sophia Hausberger (did not play last season), who left for Syracuse. Rising sophomore forwards Bella Mondolfi (zero points in 12 games) and Kerttu Lehmus (five goals and four assists in 35 games) left for Saint Anselm and Syracuse, respectively, while rising sophomore defender Neeley Hawn (two goals and four assists in 35 games) transferred to Minnesota State.
Forward Daniella Martorana left the NCAA to play at the University of Alberta.
A peek into the schedule…
The Warriors have started their season off on the right foot, splitting a series with Lindenwood on Sep. 24 and 25. October starts with a home series against Union, and then conference play commences on Wednesday, Oct. 14 against Boston College. Lawler Arena will welcome Post and St. Michaels on Oct. 23 and 24, and then it’s back to Hockey East to end October with a home-and-home against New Hampshire.
Hockey East action continues until the Warriors spend Thanksgiving weekend at Lake Placid with a series against St. Lawrence. And boy, will they have earned that turkey after playing a series against Holy Cross, a series against Northeastern and a one-off against Boston College.
The first half of the season will conclude with a home-and-home against Providence on Dec. 4 and 5.
January begins for the Warriors by hosting Brown at home. That will be Merrimack’s last nonconference matchup. They will head up to Burlington for a road series against Vermont on Jan. 8 and 9 and then will have a home-and-home against UConn the following weekend. Merrimack will host the University of Maine on Jan. 22 and 23 before closing out the month with a home-and-home against Boston University.
February is full of one-off games, and the Warriors will face down Providence, Boston College, New Hampshire, Vermont and Boston University before concluding their regular season on the road against the University of Maine on Feb. 20.
