All Rearguards for Riveters in NWHL Draft
July 11, 2021 - Premier Hockey Federation (PHF)
Metropolitan Riveters News Release
If defense wins championships then it's crystal clear that the Metropolitan Riveters intend to build a winner from the back end by choosing nothing but defenders in the NWHL Draft.
The club made four selections from rounds two through five including Caroline Ross (Colgate University), Julia Scammell (University of New Hampshire), Jordan Sanislo (Sacred Heart University), and Morgan Schauer (Long Island University). A 2020 trade with the Toronto Six left the Rivs without a first-round pick.
"First, obviously we grabbed a great corps of D," Riveters general manager Anya Packer said on the live NWHL Draft Show reflecting on the team's picks. "I think a big piece of our success is just that we're going to have a deep team. We've used our coach Ivo Mocek, and he's also the Director of Player Development, and really tapped into what he's looking for and needing and some of our weaknesses year over year. I'm excited for a strong D corps that we've drafted."
Ross, the Riveters first pick at 11th overall, hails from Rochester, New York, and scored 24 points playing 145 collegiate games in her career that included three seasons at Colgate after transferring from Boston College. She was named to the ECAC Hockey All-Academic Team in all three of her seasons as a Raider.
She graduates from the same program as fellow defender Kiira Dosdall-Arena who has been a member of the Riveters since the league was founded and was part of the blue line that allowed just four goals in three games of an abbreviated Season 6 in Lake Placid. While Season 7 rosters are still taking shape, the Rivs have said goodbye to defenders Saroya Tinker to free agency and to Sammy Kolowrat who has signed in the SDHL and will play for the Czech National Team.
"Definitely the goal was to refresh our defensive group," said Mocek. "I believe we added a lot of talent and fresh legs straight out of college. I'm excited to work with these players. We really wanted to bring more energy to our defensive group. I'm very happy with our draft picks."
Scammell recorded 12 points in 120 games at UNH following a decorated career back in her home province of Nova Scotia.
"Julia is a consistent defenseman who defends well and has poise with the puck," said Wildcats head coach Hilary Witt. "She also contributes to the offense by getting the puck to the net with a hard and accurate shot."
Sanislo, from Whippany, New Jersey, played 107 games over her collegiate career producing 14 points, and was a member of the program's NEWHA championship squad in 2017-18 along with Riveters forward Jayne Lewis.
"After watching Jordan grow these few years, I am very happy to hear the great news," said Pioneers head coach Thomas O'Malley. "She is a confident student-athlete, with talent both on and off the ice that she will carry with her into her professional career."
Schauer spent two seasons at Robert Morris University before joining LIU. The Cleveland, Ohio native played in 84 career collegiate games between the two programs with all 10 of her points coming as a member of the Sharks where she was part of the program's first NEWHA title in their first season of varsity competition.
"I am really proud of Morgan," said Sharks head coach Rob Morgan. "For her to get drafted, and now have the opportunity to extend her playing career at the professional level, adds to her Sharks legacy here at LIU. Morgan knows what she needs to do in order to make the Riveters in the fall, and there's no doubt in my mind that she's going to be fully prepared."
Packer says part of being prepared is putting in the work right after that NWHL Draft moment is over to be ready to make a quick adjustment from college to the pros.
"First and foremost it's about getting them assimilated quickly," she said. "It's about getting a new workout routine and getting ready to ratchet up to speed. Each one of these players is the uppercut of their current club. They go from being a big fish in a small pond but it really turns from an exciting moment to a moment of hard work and real grit and energy."
Ross, Sanislo, and Schauer all served as captains of their respective programs and will bring the kind of leadership that Packer knows the Riveters will benefit from.
"I think for me, as you climb the ranks, especially when you go from NCAA hockey to professional hockey it's going to be about how you pull through and what that character looks like," Packer said. "I think a lot of the leaders in our NCAA programs have the right character to make that jump. They're going to put those long hours in at the gym, they're going to assume the roles that they take on with their new franchises, and all of that makes them extremely coachable and it makes all of us general managers so excited to bring them to our franchises."
Since 2015 the Riveters have selected 28 players in the NWHL Draft including 16 forwards, 10 defenders, and two goaltenders.
METROPOLITAN RIVETERS 2021 NWHL DRAFT RESULTS:
Pick, Player, Position, Team, Collegiate Program / Hometown
Click on a player's name to see their collegiate program profile
Links to pick announcements will open on Twitter
11.ÃÂ Caroline RossÃÂ (D) Metropolitan Riveters (Colgate University / Rochester, NY)
Pick announced by Jean Afterman, New York Yankees SVP, Assistant General Manager
17.ÃÂ Julia ScammellÃÂ (D) Metropolitan Riveters (University of New Hampshire / Truro, NS)
Pick announced by Alyse LaHue, NJ/NY Gotham FC General Manager
23.ÃÂ Jordan SanisloÃÂ (D) Metropolitan Riveters (Sacred Heart University / Whippany, NJ)
Pick announced by Madison Packer, Metropolitan Riveters Captain
29.ÃÂ Morgan SchauerÃÂ (D) Metropolitan Riveters (Long Island University / Cleveland, OH)
Pick announced by Riveters fan Desmond Garrett
The inaugural NWHL International Draft will be held on July 25 with the Riveters holding the fifth overall selection.
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