POTSDAM — The SUNY Potsdam women’s hockey team opens its 2025-26 campaign this Friday when the Bears host Alvernia University in the first of two games at Maxcy Ice Arena. Head coach Olivia Cook begins her third season at the helm and she is joined by first year assistant Kamryn Barnes. Barnes is a 2025 SUNY Canton graduate.
 
Potsdam’s roster consists of 22 players, 15 veterans and seven freshmen. Seniors Rachelle Cain (Skaneateles, N.Y./Syracuse Valley Eagles) and Magalie Parent (Trois-Rivières, Quebec/Les Diablos – Cégep de Trois-Rivières) will captain the team this season. Playing in all 23 games, Cain helped anchor the defense last season while also scoring three goals, two on the power play, and assisting on two others. Parent started 12 games between the pipes in 2024-25, posting a .942 save percentage and a 2.15 goals-against-average.
 

Forward

The Bears offense features 12 forwards, including five freshmen. Rebecca Cain (Skaneateles, N.Y./Syracuse Valley Eagles), Alessia Marandola (Oakville, Ontario/Oakville Jr. Hornets), Josie Purdy (Whites Lakes, Nova Scotia/Ontario/Hockey Academy), Megan Mills (Mono, Ontario/North York Storm) and Isabel Boyd (Northwood, N.Y./Adirondack 46ers) make up the senior class. Cain is the Potsdam’s top returning scorer with 10 points on three goals and seven assists in 23 games. Marandola had a goal and five assists in 22 contests. Purdy picked up two assists in 22 games and Mills matched her in 18 contests. Boyd played in 19 games and assisted on three goals.

 

Jalynn Castro (Dexter, N.Y./Syracuse Valley Eagles) is the Bears lone junior forward. She played in every game last winter and was third in scoring with six goals and three assists for nine points. Olivia Visco (West Seneca, N.Y./Nichols School) is Potsdam’s only sophomore up front. She had a goal and three assists in all 23 contests.

 

The freshman class of forwards includes Jayne Gamburg (Upper Dublin, Pa./Philadelphia Jr. Flyers), Sophia Leas (Whitehorse, Yukon/Ontario Hockey Academy), Marissa Whiteside (Long Sault, Ontario/Cornwall Lady Royals), Tegan Konecnik (Fenton, Mo./Pittsburgh Penguins Elite 19U AAA) and Coralie Paradis (Montreal, Quebec/Bouget College). Gamburg registered 13 points on six goals and seven assists for the Philadelphia Jr. Flyers 19U last season. Leas scored three goals and assisted on 12 for 15 points for the Ontario Hockey Academy Mavericks Gold U20 AA a year ago. Whiteside played in 40 games for the Cornwall Lady Royals, totaling two goals and three assists. Konecnik saw action in 50 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite 19U AAA in 2024-25, also recording five points on three goals and two assists. Paradis played 47 games for Bourget College last season, scoring 11 goals and assisting on nine for 20 points.

 

Defense

Five of the Bears’ six blue liners are returnees. In addition to Rachelle Cain, seniors Victoria Proulx (Rockland, Ontario/Post University) and Elise Clifford (Auburn, N.Y./Syracuse Valley Eagles) are also back after playing in every game last season. Proulx scored a goal and had four assists and Clifford added five assists.

 

Junior Jessika Bullock (Norfolk, N.Y./Adirondack 46ers) and sophomore Ryanne Rathburn (North Syracuse, N.Y./Hoosac School) also return. Bullock had two goals and three assists in all 23 games and Rathburn assisted on a goal in 13 contests. Freshman Mara Edwards (Kingston, Ontario/Kingston Ice Wolves) bolsters the defense after heading south from the Kingston Ice Wolves.

 

Goal

Behind Parent in goal, the Potsdam has plenty of depth with a sophomore and two freshmen. Sophomore Maddy Ferguson (Medicine Hat, Alberta/South Alberta Hockey Academy) was solid in limited action in her debut season. In five starts, she was 2-2-1 with a 3.15 G.A.A. and .891 save percentage. Newcomers Anouk Belmans (Beerse, Belgium/Ontario Hockey Academy) and Alyssa Barnard (Kemble, Ontario/Hockey Training Institute) will compete for time. Belmans, a Belgian, was 23-8-2 in 33 games with a 1.97 G.A.A. and .876 save percentage for Ontario Hockey Academy’s Mavericks Prep U18. Barnard went 14-8-1 in 27 games with a 3.49 G.A.A. for the Hockey Training Institute Stars.

 

Schedule

Potsdam squares off with the Golden Wolves for the first time ever at 7 p.m. on Friday evening. The Bears finish the weekend series with a 3 p.m. contest on Saturday. The Bears will also play nonconference contests at Elmira College on November 7-8 and Rivier University on December 5-6. Potsdam faces Worcester State in the first round of Castleton’s Bagley Invitational on January 2 and either the host Spartans or Anna Maria College the next day. The Bears host Chatham University for a series on January 16-17 and wrap up their nonconference schedule at Middlebury College on January 27. Potsdam opens SUNYAC play on November 14 at home against Buffalo State. The Bears will play 16 conference contests this season, including two against new SUNYAC foe and old ECAC West rival William Smith College.

 

All home games will be streamed live on potsdambears.com with Bears Hall of Fame Coach John Horan providing the play-by-play and analysis for most contests. Five contests will be broadcast on My Mix 96.1 FM with Taylor Salisbury handling play-by-play duties.