Beginning June 1, NWHL teams can re-sign players from their 2017-18 roster and
their draft picks. Additionally, for those players who have completed their
college eligibility and want to continue their hockey careers, NWHL Free Agency
 provides the best opportunity to continue playing at the highest level of
professional women's hockey. The fourth season of the NWHL will begin in
October as the Metropolitan Riveters defend their Isobel Cup championship, and
with the addition of a fifth team - the Minnesota Whitecaps - this will be the
most competitive season yet.

My colleague Dan Rice will keep THW readers up-to-date on Metropolitan and
Connecticut's signings throughout the summer, while I post updates on Buffalo
and Boston. Together we will be keeping readers informed of all of Minnesota';s
 signings. 

Riveters & Whale Add Depth with Late Signings

Whitecaps Roster Now Filled With Schlagel, Martinson Signings

Alexa the Great Re-Signs with Riveters

For all intents and purposes, the Boston Pride would not have been themselves
if goalie Brittany Ott was not on the team. Word was released on Sept. 18, 2018
 that the team';s original goaltender is now back for her fourth straight NWHL
season in Boston. The 28-year-old Ott has played in 43 regular season games for
 the Pride since the league';s inaugural season, plus another seven games in
the playoffs.

Boston';s goal crease is now fully situated for the 2018-19 season. The first
netminder to be signed by the team was the top overall selection in 2017 NWHL
Draft, Boston College';s Katie Burt. That signing was the Pride';s very first
to be announced this summer, for any position. Then earlier this month it was
 announced that Boston had brought back goalie Madison Litchfield who played
her rookie season for the team during the 2017-18 season.

She's cool ❄️, she's hot 🔥, she's our everything, she's Ott
💛🖤@b_ott29 is back! 

🔗: https://t.co/S5XGcW7LrK pic.twitter.com/syrXjjQ6Jj

- Boston Pride (@TheBostonPride) September 18, 2018

Much of how the Boston net will look from here on out will fall upon the
shoulders of head coach Paul Mara and how he decides to utilize his
goaltenders. By no means will this be an easy decision to make. Ott has been
the Pride';s bread and butter since the beginning. Litchfield served in a
tertiary role this past season and did not get as much playing time as she
probably deserved - there may be plenty of talent there which has yet to be
tapped into. Burt is the next biggest thing as far as young goalies are
concerned, and it would not be out of the question for her to be afforded an
opportunity to be the decisive starter. If a logjam is ever a good thing, it is
 in this situation - it will just need some orchestration on the part of Mara.

Including the three goaltenders, there are now 22 players currently under
contract for the Pride. The team has the ability to sign three more skaters if
they so chose. THW takes a closer look at what Ott';s return will mean for
Boston and how she will help her squad recapture the Isobel Cup.Ott';s Long
List of Accomplishments Thus Far

Ott may very well be the most accomplished NWHL goalie when it comes to overall
 performance. Even before the league got its start, she had backstopped the
CWHL';s Boston (now Worcester) Blades to a Clarkson Cup championship during the
 2014-15 season. Ott immediately followed that up by leading the Pride to the
first ever Isobel Cup championship for the NWHL';s inaugural 2015-16 campaign.
She and the Pride would defend their trophy in 2016-17 before losing a 3-2
shocker to the underdog Buffalo Beauts in the Final.The Boston Pride';s
Brittany Ott always has her eye on the puck (Photo Credit: Al Saniuk).

Ott was the first recipient of the NWHL';s Best Goaltender award in 2016.
Additionally, she is the only NWHLer to have played in each of the league's
All-Star Games. When you look at the numbers alone, it is easy to see why Ott
has garnered the accolades that she has. In the first two seasons of league
play, she appeared in 17 and 13 games respectively. Within those games Ott
compiled seasons of .925 and .922 for save percentages, and posted stingy
goals-against averages of 1.94 and 1.93. Her record in the first two seasons
was a rather staggering 22-3-0.

While the Pride faltered in the standings this past 2017-18 season, Ott';s
numbers were far from poor. Compiling a record of 4-6-3, she put forth a .910
SV% and was the only NWHL goalie to have more than one shutout. She whitewashed
 teams twice during the regular season, the most noteworthy of which came Jan.
27, 2018 in a 1-0 shootout loss to the Buffalo Beauts when she stopped all 47
of the shots she faced prior to the shootout round. Additionally, Ott';s 2.50
GAA was the second best in the league last season of all goalies to have played
 more than one game.What Is the Best Option for Boston in Net?

So who should the Pride go with in net once the 2018-19 season gets underway?
Our money is on Ott, at least for the long haul. She is what some might refer
to as a battler. Ott';s will to win is incredible, and it is a big part of why
she has two professional championships. Talent is one thing, and experience is
another - Ott has both.

What Boston should do though is give both Burt and Litchfield opportunities to
play. Particularly in Burt';s case, there would have been no need to draft her
as the top selection just to leave her on the bench. In a 16-game regular
season, one notion would be to play Ott in 10 games while splitting the other
six between Burt and Litchfield. In this scenario Ott can impart tutelage to
the two younger netminders with neither being held back, and still handle the
bulk of the duties herself. The only other viable scenario is for Mara to ride
the "hot" goaltender. For example, say Burt gets the start in the second game
of the season (Oct. 20, 2018 against the Connecticut Whale) and wins, then Mara
 continues to play her in net until she loses. The same would hold true for Ott
 and Litchfield when either of them pull out wins. Certainly something to
consider as a fair means of balancing the duties between the three.

Meet #ThePack after every home game this season! 

🚨Single game tickets are on sale now 🚨

🎟: https://t.co/wcXGtoO52V pic.twitter.com/v0huzybPEw

- Boston Pride (@TheBostonPride) September 18, 2018

When it comes to the playoffs though, make no mistake - Ott is who Boston wants
 between the pipes. She has been to the mountaintop and brought them there with
 her. Ott';s experience and her ability to steal games make her the easy choice
 for the postseason. If Boston is able to win the Isobel Cup - which it appears
 that they have a very legitimate shot at doing - Ott  will be the goalie to
make that come to fruition.

With Ott';s signing, here is how the Boston Pride look as of Sept. 18:

Goalie: Katie Burt, Madison Litchfield, Brittany Ott.

Defense: Alyssa Gagliardi, Toni Ann Miano, Lauren Kelly, Lexi Bender, Kaleigh
Fratkin, Mallory Souliotis, Kaliya Johnson, Dru Burns.

Forward: Emily Field, Dana Trivigno, Denisa Křížová, Haley Skarupa, Jillian
 Dempsey, McKenna Brand, Amanda Pelkey, Taylor Wasylk, Gigi Marvin, Mary
Parker, Jordan Smelker. 

The post Original Pride Goalie Ott Is Back for a Fourth Season appeared first
on The Hockey Writers.

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheHockeyWrite...
--- SBBSecho 3.06-Win32
 * Origin: TequilaMockingbird Online - Toms River, NJ (1:266/404)