Dutchwomen pick up two commitments

by Ryan Fay

The Gopher State has been good to the Union women's hockey program lately.

The Dutchwomen picked up two commitments from the Minnesota prep ranks this week, Hill-Murray School senior goaltender Leah Patrick and Breck School junior forward Cheyenne Harris.

Patrick, who committed for the 2015-2016 season, backstopped Hill-Murray to its first Minnesota girls hockey state title last season. Including the postseason, she appeared in 30 games, going 22-2-1 with 1.25 goals-against average, a .925 save percentage and seven shutouts. The Hudson, Wisconsin native will serve as one of the team's captains this season.

Patrick

With Union senior starting goaltender Shenae Lundberg set to graduate next spring, Patrick could have a chance to make an impact early in her collegiate career.

"Leah has many great attributes that will make her a successful college goaltender," said Hill-Murray girls varsity hockey head coach Bill Schafhauser. "She is a good-sized kid who fills the net really well. Her poise and positioning along with her size sets her up very well for not only the first shot but rebounds as well. Technically, she is excellent. She's very efficient in her moves; she almost makes it look effortless.

"She is a very calm, responsible player and person, which bodes well for her at the college level. She handles pressure well and maintains a good disposition -- not too high, not too low. Leah is a super hard worker and as she gets stronger and adjusts to the speed of the college game she will elevate her game as well."

The 17-year-old played alongside another 2015-2016 Dutchwomen commit, forward Jacyn Reeves, on Team Wisconsin during the 2013 USA Hockey Youth Nationals.

Harris had six goals and nine assists in 24 games for Breck last season. She spent time in USA Hockey's Girls Select U18 camp earlier this summer, and is the Dutchwomen's first commitment for the 2016-2017 season.

Breck girls varsity hockey head coach Ronda Engelhardt said there's a lot to like about the 16-year-old.

"She has good speed," Engelhardt said, adding that "she's like a horse out there, just strong and powerful. She makes things happen, and she's good at using her teammates."

Harris, who hails from Centerville, Minnesota, has the potential to develop into an all-around player at Union.

"I think she can be a strong force, someone who is offensive but makes strong plays defensively as well," Engelhardt said.

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