Meet the newest PWHLers: NY Sirens

1st Round — 7th Overall

Emma Peschel — Edina, MN

Few players illustrate Minnesota's hockey culture better than Emma Peschel. Growing up in Edina, she didn't just play for Benilde-St. Margaret's. Like many of the state's top prospects, she spent her development years moving between high school hockey, the Upper Midwest High School Elite League, and the Minnesota Whitecaps U19 program. The experience paid off. As a senior, Peschel captained Benilde-St. Margaret's and earned a spot on Team USA at the 2022 U18 Women's World Championship. That path eventually led her to Ohio State, where she joined one of the nation's top programs.

She grew every year at Ohio State, starting with 12 points in 41 games as a freshman and ending with 39 points in 34 games as a senior. Her development earned her a steady stream of conference and national recognition, including First Team All-WCHA and First Team All-American honors. As she had at Benilde-St. Margaret's, coaches trusted her with leadership responsibilities, and she wore the captain's "C" during her senior season.

By the time the Sirens selected her seventh overall, Peschel had become exactly the type of player Minnesota's development system hopes to produce: a leader, a national champion, and one of the top defenders in college hockey.

2nd Round — 19th Overall

Elisa Holopainen — Tuusniemi, Finland

While only a couple years older than Peschel, Holopainen is an established veteran of European Pro Hockey. She started playing for a KalPa as young as 13-14 in their U16 program and has spent most of her life with that club. Holopainen debuted in Finland's top women's league at just 16 years old. The league would later rebrand from Naisten SM-sarja to Naisten Liiga and eventually Auroraliiga, but she remained one of its defining stars for nearly a decade. She made an immediate impact, scoring 28 points in 26 games during her rookie season. That would be her lowest statline in her Naisten Liiga career.

Holopainen quickly established herself as one of Finland's premier players. She captured the Riikka Nieminen Award as the league's top player four times (2019, 2021, 2023, and 2024), the Katja Riipi Award as its top forward six times, and earned six All-Star Team selections. Her lone season away from KalPa came in 2021-22, when she joined Kiekko-Espoo in pursuit of a championship, leading the team in regular season scoring with 56 points in 27 games and securing the championship win with a league-leading 29 points in 12 playoff games.

While a superstar of the Naisten Liiga, Holopainen represented Finland internationally since she was 16. Holopainen has played against adult pros most of her life, including international tournaments alongside legends like Jenni Hiirikoski. Finland has established itself as one of the world's top hockey nations, and Holopainen has been part of that success for nearly a decade.

Before being drafted to the Sirens, Holopainen lit up the SDHL with Frolunda, a Swedish powerhouse. Frolunda won the SDHL championship her first year on the team and she is consistently one of the top scorers in the league. New York's second-round pick may prove to be one of the steals of the draft.

Round 3 — 31st Overall

Carina DiAntonio, Forward — Yale University, Mississauga, ON

DiAntonio came up through the Brampton Canadette's program, a renowned program across Canada. She was a standout in that program, eventually earning enough respect from the staff and teammates to wear the C in 2022. After a stellar final season with the Canadettes, she made her way to Yale and the highly competitive ECAC, where she regularly squared off against programs like Quinnipiac and Cornell.

Her Yale career had some natural ebbs and flows, but the larger trend was growth. By her senior year, she was producing at nearly a point-and-a-half per game, finishing with 48 points in 36 contests. She would finish her Yale career with 130 points, 4th all time in program history. Her senior year she also was honored with the captaincy, with her coach praising her spirit and commitment on and off the ice, and expecting her leadership to elevate the team.

Carina might be new to the team but not the players. She will be reunited with Elle Hartje, her sophomore year Yale captain, and Anna Bargman, her junior year Yale captain. At this point, it's hard to ignore the Yale-to-Sirens pipeline. With DiAntonio's selection, New York now has each of Yale's last three captains in its organization.

Round 4 — 43rd Overall

Katelyn Roberts, Forward — Penn State University, Chanhassen, MN

Katelyn came up through a similar Minnesota high school system as Emma Peschel but she got a later start. She was a transplant from Texas, saying that no one was talking about hockey at all there. Upon arriving in Minnesota she found hockey to be a way of life, with her whole neighborhood going out on the local pond. Her mom started her in figure skating but once she saw a hockey practice she knew she wanted to try.

Roberts came up through all the same programs as Peschel, playing alongside her on the Tradition Vegas U19 and the Whitecaps U19 squads. They would also face each other a few times a year in the high school circuit. Roberts was a force at Chanhassen High School, captaining the squad and wearing the C her senior year. These qualities got the attention of Penn State, as she would join them for the next 4 years.

Katelyn had a slow start at Penn State, only tallying 7 points in her initial campaign. However she would become a core piece of the squad consistently scoring 28+ points a season the rest of her tenure. Her senior year she was also honored with an A on her uniform.

A pick like Roberts tells me the Sirens are looking for reliable forwards with leadership qualities. Roberts was one of 7 draft picks from the Penn State squad who made their programs first ever Frozen Four appearance this year and she was certainly a core piece of that squad.

Round 5 — 55th Overall

Grace Wolfe, Defender — St. Cloud State University, Owatonna, MN

Grace Wolfe was not just another Minnesota hockey player. She was trusted at the varsity level before she even reached high school. She joined Owatonna's varsity team as an eighth grader, spending five seasons with the program and serving as captain during her final three years. She was also a multi-sport athlete, earning accolades in soccer, track and equestrian as well.

She found herself staying in Minnesota for college, signing at St. Cloud State University. She captained the team for multiple years, with head coach Mira Jalosuo describing her as "a captain with a capital C" and "the heart and soul of the team." She finished her St. Cloud State career tied for the program's all-time games played record.

Wolfe won't be walking into a room full of strangers. Sirens defender Dayle Ross played with Grace for 4 years at St. Cloud State University. I'll be looking forward to seeing if some of that St. Cloud chemistry carries over to the Sirens' blue line this season.

Round 6 — 67th Overall

Naomi Boucher, Forward — Yale University, Rimouski, Que

Boucher, a Quebec native, came through several Canadian development stops before arriving at Yale, including the Ottawa Lady Senators, Ottawa Lady 67's, John Abbott College, and École Secondaire Catholique Paul-Desmarais, where she played on the boys' team.

Yale head coach Mark Bolding described Boucher as "a hard-nosed, 200-foot player who is a terrific center and faceoff specialist." She certainly earned that reputation during her senior season, recording 487 faceoff wins while winning over 61% of her draws. Her 487 wins ranked fifth in the entire NCAA.

The Sirens are adding a trustworthy two-way center, one of the most valuable roles on any roster. With several former Yale teammates already in New York, Boucher will arrive with some familiar faces in the locker room. If she can continue winning draws at the professional level, she could quickly carve out a valuable role because every extra puck possession matters.