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Princeton University Athletics
Friday, October 17
Storrs, Conn.
2:30 PM
Princeton University
at
#11/11 UConn
Emerson O'Leary
Photo by: Shelley M. Szwast
No. 15 Women’s Hockey Set For Season Opener Against No. 11 UConn
October 16, 2025 | Women's Ice Hockey
PRINCETON, N.J.- The wait is finally over and the 2025-26 season is set to kick off for the Princeton women's hockey team. With lots of new faces joining the squad, the Tigers are ready to go.
This weekend marks Courtney Kessel's return to the Princeton coaching staff, as she becomes the program's sixth head coach. Kessel, who spent four seasons as an assistant coach at Princeton from 2019-23, most recently was behind the bench in the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) as head coach of the Boston Fleet.
Kessel will now lead her team to Storrs, Conn. for a pair of games against the No. 11 UConn Huskies.
SCHEDULE
Friday - 2:30 PM - UConn - ESPN+
Saturday - 1:00 PM - UConn - ESPN+
2024-25 RUNDOWN
Princeton went 18-12-2 just a season ago with a 11-9-2 ECAC record. The Tigers picked up four ranked victories in the 2024-25 campaign with wins over No. 5 Colgate (Nov. 22), No. 13 Boston University (Nov. 27), and two over Quinnipiac (No. 7/9, Dec. 7 and No. 8/9, Jan. 10). The victory over Colgate was the highest ranked win for Princeton since defeating No. 3 Colgate in game 1 of the 2023 ECAC quarterfinals.
The team tied its third longest winning streak in program history with eight on its way to an ECAC Quarterfinals appearance.
WUNDER WOMAN
Issy Wunder had a career year in 2024-25 and looks to capitalize on that success in her senior season. A top-10 Patty Kazmaier Award finalist, Wunder finished third in Division I in goals per game (0.81), fourth in points per game (1.56) and seventh in total goals (26). She led Princeton in points with 50 and the ECAC with 28 conference points.
MAC ATTACK
Mackenzie Alexander had a stellar start to her collegiate career, garnering ECAC All-Rookie Team and Second Team All-Ivy honors. Alexander was also named the HCA Rookie of the Month twice in her first year. The Etobicoke, Ont. native finished fourth in Division I in assists per game with 1.00 and led the team in assists with 32, good for the fourth most for a single season in program history.
FRESH FACES
The Tigers welcomed seven new players as part of the Class of 2029 — Ellie Dimatos, Megan Healy, Sawyer Fleming, Catie Collins, Riley Sorokan, Lia Nevo and Kitty Williams. The group includes two forwards, three defenders and two goaltenders.
8, 9, 10, 11
Princeton has named four captains to help lead the squad for the 2025-26 season. Issy Wunder will wear the captain "C" on her jersey and she is joined by Maggie Johnson, Emerson O'Leary and Jane Kuehl who will wear the A.
PRINCETON FIREPOWER
Princeton's women's hockey team boasted one of the most potent offenses in the country, ranking No. 4 nationally by averaging 3.62 goals per game. They led the ECAC in goals per game and ranked second in the conference with 5.84 assists per game. The Tigers scored at least three goals in 18 of their 32 contests.
COURT IS IN SESSION
Courtney Kessel brings with her a wealth of experience as she steps back behind the Princeton bench.
During her four years at Princeton, Kessel was part of a historic 2019-20 season that included Princeton's first-ever ECAC Tournament championship. The Tigers went 26-6-1 during that season, securing the ECAC crown with a 3-2 win in overtime at Lynah Rink over No. 1 Cornell.
That win secured an automatic bid to the 2020 NCAA Tournament where the Tigers were slated to be the No. 6 seed and take on Northeastern before the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled that tournament and the entire 2020-21 season for the Ivy League.
Princeton returned in 2021-22, and made more history by becoming the first-ever No. 8 seed to knock off the No. 1 seed in the ECAC Tournament with a series win in three games at Harvard capped by a 3-2 win in Game Three.
Over her three full competitive seasons with the Tigers, Kessel was part of a group that went 54-36-7 overall and 36-26-4 in the ECAC.
HOW ARE THE HUSKIES?
Princeton is 12-2-2 against UConn all time, with a 6-1-2 record on the road. This will be the first meeting between the two teams since 2016, where the Tigers picked up a dominant 4-0 victory in Storrs. Princeton has won the last four matchups, outscoring UConn 13-2.
The Huskies are 2-2 on the season so far, splitting the two games series against both No. 11 St. Cloud State and No. 9 Clarkson.
This weekend marks Courtney Kessel's return to the Princeton coaching staff, as she becomes the program's sixth head coach. Kessel, who spent four seasons as an assistant coach at Princeton from 2019-23, most recently was behind the bench in the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) as head coach of the Boston Fleet.
Kessel will now lead her team to Storrs, Conn. for a pair of games against the No. 11 UConn Huskies.
SCHEDULE
Friday - 2:30 PM - UConn - ESPN+
Saturday - 1:00 PM - UConn - ESPN+
2024-25 RUNDOWN
Princeton went 18-12-2 just a season ago with a 11-9-2 ECAC record. The Tigers picked up four ranked victories in the 2024-25 campaign with wins over No. 5 Colgate (Nov. 22), No. 13 Boston University (Nov. 27), and two over Quinnipiac (No. 7/9, Dec. 7 and No. 8/9, Jan. 10). The victory over Colgate was the highest ranked win for Princeton since defeating No. 3 Colgate in game 1 of the 2023 ECAC quarterfinals.
The team tied its third longest winning streak in program history with eight on its way to an ECAC Quarterfinals appearance.
WUNDER WOMAN
Issy Wunder had a career year in 2024-25 and looks to capitalize on that success in her senior season. A top-10 Patty Kazmaier Award finalist, Wunder finished third in Division I in goals per game (0.81), fourth in points per game (1.56) and seventh in total goals (26). She led Princeton in points with 50 and the ECAC with 28 conference points.
MAC ATTACK
Mackenzie Alexander had a stellar start to her collegiate career, garnering ECAC All-Rookie Team and Second Team All-Ivy honors. Alexander was also named the HCA Rookie of the Month twice in her first year. The Etobicoke, Ont. native finished fourth in Division I in assists per game with 1.00 and led the team in assists with 32, good for the fourth most for a single season in program history.
FRESH FACES
The Tigers welcomed seven new players as part of the Class of 2029 — Ellie Dimatos, Megan Healy, Sawyer Fleming, Catie Collins, Riley Sorokan, Lia Nevo and Kitty Williams. The group includes two forwards, three defenders and two goaltenders.
8, 9, 10, 11
Princeton has named four captains to help lead the squad for the 2025-26 season. Issy Wunder will wear the captain "C" on her jersey and she is joined by Maggie Johnson, Emerson O'Leary and Jane Kuehl who will wear the A.
PRINCETON FIREPOWER
Princeton's women's hockey team boasted one of the most potent offenses in the country, ranking No. 4 nationally by averaging 3.62 goals per game. They led the ECAC in goals per game and ranked second in the conference with 5.84 assists per game. The Tigers scored at least three goals in 18 of their 32 contests.
COURT IS IN SESSION
Courtney Kessel brings with her a wealth of experience as she steps back behind the Princeton bench.
During her four years at Princeton, Kessel was part of a historic 2019-20 season that included Princeton's first-ever ECAC Tournament championship. The Tigers went 26-6-1 during that season, securing the ECAC crown with a 3-2 win in overtime at Lynah Rink over No. 1 Cornell.
That win secured an automatic bid to the 2020 NCAA Tournament where the Tigers were slated to be the No. 6 seed and take on Northeastern before the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled that tournament and the entire 2020-21 season for the Ivy League.
Princeton returned in 2021-22, and made more history by becoming the first-ever No. 8 seed to knock off the No. 1 seed in the ECAC Tournament with a series win in three games at Harvard capped by a 3-2 win in Game Three.
Over her three full competitive seasons with the Tigers, Kessel was part of a group that went 54-36-7 overall and 36-26-4 in the ECAC.
HOW ARE THE HUSKIES?
Princeton is 12-2-2 against UConn all time, with a 6-1-2 record on the road. This will be the first meeting between the two teams since 2016, where the Tigers picked up a dominant 4-0 victory in Storrs. Princeton has won the last four matchups, outscoring UConn 13-2.
The Huskies are 2-2 on the season so far, splitting the two games series against both No. 11 St. Cloud State and No. 9 Clarkson.
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/ Women's Ice HockeyReflections from the Princeton Athletics Class of 2024
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