Northeastern women’s hockey paves the way for women’s sports, one win at a time
As the blaring sound of the final buzzer went off, the crowd erupted in cheers. Members of the Northeastern women’s hockey team threw their gloves in the air and skated toward their goalie, freshman Lisa Jönsson, to celebrate a memory that would last a lifetime — and a major moment for women’s sports. On Jan. […]
As the blaring sound of the final buzzer went off, the crowd erupted in cheers. Members of the Northeastern women’s hockey team threw their gloves in the air and skated toward their goalie, freshman Lisa Jönsson, to celebrate a memory that would last a lifetime — and a major moment for women’s sports.
On Jan. 21, the Northeastern women’s hockey team won their third consecutive Beanpot championship, defeating Boston University to secure their 20th overall Beanpot title. In what was only their second tournament appearance at TD Garden, the Northeastern women’s hockey team demonstrated, once again, how even modest investment into women’s sports can yield positive results.
Throughout the history of sports, men’s leagues developed decades before their women’s league counterparts. On top of that, it’s only in the last few years that women’s sports have seen increased visibility and growing support. The NBA was founded in 1946 while the WNBA was founded 50 years later in 1996. The MLS was founded in 1993 while the National Women’s Soccer League, or NWSL, was founded in 2012, and the NHL was founded in 1917 while the Professional Women’s Hockey League, or PWHL, was founded over 100 years later in 2023. Despite these disparities in establishment and coverage, female athletes have consistently navigated the evolving landscape of sports with resilience, contributing to a culture of excellence.
But how is this standard set? Who inspires these athletes to become the role models young girls look up to? What defines players like senior forward Skylar Irving and junior forward Holly Abela, and how did they reach this level?
It often begins with early influences — sometimes a parent, and often a professional player. In Irving’s case, it was athletes like Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby and Northeastern alum and PWHL forward Kendall Coyne. With few female professional hockey role models, Irving was especially inspired by Coyne, who remained dedicated to the sport while balancing motherhood and advocating for greater recognition of women’s hockey.
“She was definitely one of my biggest inspirations as a female hockey player,” Irving said. “Just being able to watch her and see what she did every single day, it was so cool.”
Irving also drew inspiration from her upperclassmen teammates who taught her lessons beyond the ice.
“They were incredible, and they were just good people and good athletes,” Irving said. “They kind of just showed me that hockey is not just about how good you are on the ice, but it’s about how much you love your teammates, how much you care.”
Immersed in hockey from a young age, Irving was introduced to the sport at 2 years old when she could first hold a stick. She’s been on skates since she could walk and has played organized hockey since she was 4 years old.
“I’m 23 right now and I’m still playing and still loving the game as much as I did when I first picked up a stick,” Irving said.
Every child dreams about what they want to do or who they want to become, but to be able to live out your childhood dreams in your adult life is something only few can achieve. For many female athletes, that option hasn’t always been available.
“Growing up, there was never a professional league for younger players to look up to. So, college was sort of the end of the road that people are fighting to get to,” Abela said. “There was never a PWHL and now that there is, I think that’s so exciting, because I’ve watched girls that I’ve played with on my university team from my freshman year that are now in the league.”
With influential figures paving the way for more opportunities for everyone, an increasing number of female athletes are now able to envision a future in which they can continue their craft.
Reflecting on her start at Northeastern, Abela expressed her gratitude to have had a teammate and role model like Alina Müller. Müller played as a forward for the Northeastern women’s hockey team from 2018 to 2022 and now plays for the Boston Fleet.
“She kind of took me under her wing and she showed me what it means to be a true professional in every way,” Abela said. “To see that out of a female athlete was just so inspiring, because as a little girl, you don’t get to see that very often.”
Similar to Irving, Abela also started her hockey journey early. She started skating at 4 years old and started playing hockey around six. A major influence for Abela was her father, who drove her passion for the sport. It was this passion combined with her commitment and love for the game that allowed her to get to the point she’s at now in her hockey career.
“When I leave this place, I know that we’ve left it in a good spot; it’s a place people know that when they come here, there’s a standard — we’re a team that doesn’t give up,” Abela said. “It sets the expectation for those girls coming along to keep it competitive, to keep the league strong and to improve the generational talent of women’s hockey. I know the girls coming in will look up to that, and they’ll strive for the same goals.”
The packed DogHouse cheers at the Beanpot semfinals Jan. 14. The Professional Women’s Hockey League brought more attention to women’s hockey, despite being founded over a 100 years after the NHL. (Jessica Xing)
The legacy players and teams leave behind is possible because of the collective effort and dedication of all parties involved. For games like the Beanpot, the culture and support in the atmosphere is important as the players in these games are not only passionate about hockey but representing their schools and communities as well.
Despite their different backgrounds, a common trait amongst many athletes is hard work, dedication and love for the sports they play. The difference for female athletes is that oftentimes, they’re not only competing against one another to make it to the next level but fighting a system that has historically presented additional barriers.
The men’s Beanpot tournament has been played at TD Garden since 1996, while the women’s Beanpot tournament has only been held at TD Garden since 2024 — moreover, the women only play at the stadium for the final match-up, unlike their male counterparts who play their semifinal rounds at TD Garden as well. Despite the struggle, this recent progress proves that there may be a future in which the disparities between men’s and women’s sports will decrease.
“It’s so special that we have kind of been able to be a part of that growth,” Irving said. “I think that [the team is] gonna do great things, and I’m always gonna be cheering them on. I’m always proud to be a Husky.”
With the rise of the PWHL, the future of women’s hockey has also become more stable.
“They’ve done a great job marketing their product, and it’s something that people are excited about. And I think that’s starting to trickle down into the collegiate level, because it’s gaining traction,” said Northeastern women’s hockey assistant coach Melissa Piacentini. “I think it’s grown so much, and it still has so far to go.”
The culture established by schools and teams allows for the growth of student-athletes beyond their respective sports. University coaches aim to help their players not only grow in their professional fields but also as people.
“I think for me, that is what I’m gonna take away most about this whole place — that they helped me develop into the best person that I could be. And I feel like, when you go to college, that’s kind of your end goal,” Irving said. “Everybody pushes you every single day here, like you’re always expected to bring greatness into everything that you do.”
Hoping to continue to embody the lessons and values she’s learned, Irving has proven to be a role model not only for her teammates, but for young girls as she coaches youth leagues back home in Kingston, Massachusetts.
“My greatest privilege in life is coaching kids and seeing their progress and them growing. It’s just a special feeling that you really can’t describe,” Irving said. “I just want them to know that they’re gonna be able to accomplish whatever they want to.”
When looking at the growth of her athletes, Piacentini shared how one of the biggest things she hopes her players take away is the experience of playing a game they love with people they care about.
“I hope they recognize how special it is to have their teammates around them, and it goes so much further than hockey,” Piacentini said. “So when they graduate, they’ll have a good group of friends that they can carry forward in their lifetime.”
At Northeastern, athletes like Irving and Abela pride themselves in being a part of a community that upholds a high standard of success and hard work.
“I think they’ve been great leaders for our program. I really do think Northeastern has a great culture, and it’s because the people that are in the program, they’re the ones that have built that, and they take it seriously to maintain it,” Piacentini said.
The Northeastern women’s hockey team’s players have won numerous awards, earned 20 Beanpot titles, won six consecutive Hockey East titles from 2018 to 2023 and have made seven NCAA tournament appearances. Even in the 2024 and 2025 seasons, despite not winning the Hockey East title, the team still made it to the finals.
“I think it’s funny when you add a little bit of money to a sport and you give some girls attention, what they can do with it,” said graduate student defenseman Lily Yovetich in a viral videoafter this year’s Beanpot win. “I think everyone should take a page out of our book and really put some more time and effort into women’s everything.”
What does the House V. NCAA settlement mean for Penn State athletics? | Penn State Sports News
Friday night was monumental for college athletics. California Judge Claudia Wilken approved the $2.8 billion House v. NCAA settlement — an agreement that was a long time coming after nearly a year of deliberation and months of waiting for approval. The decision means Division I schools can now pay their athletes directly, while new scholarship […]
Friday night was monumental for college athletics. California Judge Claudia Wilken approved the $2.8 billion House v. NCAA settlement — an agreement that was a long time coming after nearly a year of deliberation and months of waiting for approval.
The decision means Division I schools can now pay their athletes directly, while new scholarship and roster limits will be effective July 1. A salary cap will also be in place, which is estimated to begin at $20.5 million per school in 2025-26.
Additionally, the NCAA will pay back $2.8 billion in damages across the next decade at approximately $280 million annually to all D1 athletes who participated between 2016 and 2024.
Revenue sharing
Most athletic programs, including Penn State, plan to use the majority of the revenue-sharing money on football, but every other team is also set to receive investment from the Nittany Lions in this new era of college athletics.
Per NIL-NCAA, it’s been estimated that Penn State will spend 91% of that $20.5 million on football and men’s basketball. Men’s hockey comes in third with an estimated $394,839 available to pay its athletes, then wrestling with $310,241.
Women’s hockey and women’s volleyball are expected to receive $83,794 and $79,371 respectively, while women’s basketball is estimated to have $63,218 to pay its athletes. Men’s tennis is set to receive the least amount with just $15,064, an average of $1,674 per player.
Women’s soccer will receive $61,440 with the men getting $39,825. Baseball has $53,323 to use, while softball is estimated to have $47,991. In short, each sport at Penn State is getting some sum of money to share among its athletes.
It’s worth noting that these estimates assume “each school limits total revenue sharing to 22% of its annual athletic department revenues – this is the percentage utilized in the proposed settlement in House v NCAA.
This money is on top of scholarship earnings and separate from NIL money, which will now have to be reported through the new NIL Go portal. The portal will be run by Deloitte with the purpose of reviewing all third-party NIL deals worth $600 or more in aggregate to ensure deals are made at fair market value.
Roster limits
While the settlement eliminates scholarship limits, it adds roster limits, meaning each team will have to decrease the number of players on its roster. This change allows any athletes on the team to receive scholarship aid, allowing teams to offer a scholarship to each player up to the roster limits.
Men’s basketball is limited to 15 athletes, while the women are capped at 14. Baseball has a limit of 34, and men’s and women’s lacrosse are capped at 48 and 35, respectively.
Women’s volleyball is allowed 15 roster spots, men’s hockey has 26 and women’s hockey is capped at 23. How the revenue sharing allocated to each team is split among the roster is up to the discretion of the program.
There are rules to “grandfather” in the roster limits, which Judge Wilken requested when she paused the implementation of the settlement.
The final ruling reads: “…the parties modified the [settlement agreement] to provide that settlement class members whose roster spots were taken away or would have been taken away because of the immediate implementation of the SA will be exempt from roster limits at any Division I school for the duration of their college athletics careers.”
In short, those who would’ve been cut because of the new roster limits will instead have the opportunity to play out the rest of their collegiate eligibility.
Penn State will have until June 15 to fully commit to revenue sharing and will have to “designate” athletes it wants grandfathered in. Fall sports must have its roster cut down to its new limit by its first game of the 2025 season, with the exception of the designated athletes. Winter and spring sports must do the same by Dec. 1.
MORE SPORTS CONTENT
After nearly a year of deliberation, a new era of college sports is here.
If you’re interested in submitting a Letter to the Editor, click here.
It’s official: A new era of college sports is here
College sports fans, the future is now. A federal judge has approved the House v. NCAA settlement on revenue sharing, clearing the way for it to take effect on July 1. From that day on, Division I schools will be allowed to directly pay their student-athletes, so long as they stay under a predetermined annual […]
A federal judge has approved the House v. NCAA settlement on revenue sharing, clearing the way for it to take effect on July 1.
From that day on, Division I schools will be allowed to directly pay their student-athletes, so long as they stay under a predetermined annual cap.
Advertisement
NIL, or name, image and likeness, deals, including from booster-funded collectives, will remain available to college athletes, but most deals will now be reviewed by a clearinghouse aimed at making the NIL market more organized and fair.
The now-approved settlement will also bring with it new scholarship rules and roster limits, and it will resolve multiple antitrust lawsuits with a $2.8 billion payout to athletes who couldn’t access NIL funds in the past due to the timing of their college careers.
Lingering legal issues
Although the ruling will change college sports as you know it, it actually won’t create much work for school leaders in the short term.
Advertisement
Most programs are already prepared for a post-settlement world since Judge Claudia Wilken granted preliminary approval of the plan in October.
Over the past few months, coaches have been meeting with athletes about the changes and school administrators have prepared for revenue sharing, such as by hiking the price of concessions, as the Deseret News previously reported.
Final approval of the settlement does open the door to new types of lawsuits, including legal battles over the clearinghouse’s assessments of NIL deals.
College sports experts, including Stewart Mandel at The Athletic, anticipate battles over athletes’ “fair market value” and athlete employment rights.
Advertisement
“I remain skeptical that (the settlement) will solve much of anything,” Mandel wrote in early April.
The House v. NCAA settlement is expected to supercharge debates over related antitrust issues, including whether student-athletes are employees.
“Industry leaders have asked Congress to write a new law that would prevent athletes from becoming employees and provide the NCAA with an antitrust exemption to create some caps on player pay and transfers,” per ESPN.
Background of the House settlement
Although many legal battles are yet to be fought, most college sports leaders see the House v. NCAA settlement as an important step forward.
Advertisement
Supporters believe it will help tame the chaos of the current NIL era, which began in 2021, when the Supreme Court ruled that individual athletes, not their schools, should control — and be able to profit off of — athletes’ name, image and likeness rights.
That ruling ultimately made it harder for many programs to hold on to their star players, since it made it possible for booster collectives at other schools to tempt them away with major NIL deals, as the Deseret News previously reported.
While top athletes will still be able to snag huge deals moving forward, the settlement returns some power to schools — and should reduce the influence of collectives.
Advertisement
“NCAA president Charlie Baker and others believe the deal will help schools regain control and tamp down the sky-rocketing, largely unregulated market for paying college players through third parties,” ESPN reported.
In a letter released Friday after the House settlement was approved, Baker wrote that he believes stabilization is on the way for college sports, but knows challenges remain. He called on Congress to take action to ensure that schools can enter the new era on solid ground.
“Opportunities to drive transformative change don’t come often to organizations like ours. It’s important we make the most of this one,” Baker wrote.
Story Links
WILMINGTON, Del. – Senior Maddie Aho and sophomore Delaney Miller of the Skidmore College women’s rowing team were both named to the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) All-America Second Team as announced by the organization on Friday. The CRCA All-American Awards recognize the most outstanding collegiate rowers and coxswains […]
WILMINGTON, Del. – Senior Maddie Aho and sophomore Delaney Miller of the Skidmore College women’s rowing team were both named to the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) All-America Second Team as announced by the organization on Friday.
The CRCA All-American Awards recognize the most outstanding collegiate rowers and coxswains across all NCAA divisions and the lightweight category. These athletes have demonstrated elite athletic performance, leadership, consistency, and dedication throughout the season, earning distinction among the top rowers in the nation.
This prestigious recognition honors athletes who have contributed significantly to their teams while meeting high standards in competition and training. The All-American teams also serve as the foundation for the selection of Athlete of the Year Finalists—with one ultimate Athlete of the Year selected from each division.
Both Aho and Miller earned All-Liberty League accolades on Thursday – Aho on the First Team, Miller on the Second Team. The recognition makes them just the second and third student-athletes in program history to claim All-America honors.
Penn State’s James Franklin chimes in on CFP format changes | Penn State Football News
On Friday, Sept. 2, 2022, the first domino fell. That day, the College Football Playoff board voted unanimously to expand the current field of four teams to 12 by 2026 with the hope of it being implemented by 2024 — a wish that ended up coming true. Fast forward three years, and a second domino […]
That day, the College Football Playoff board voted unanimously to expand the current field of four teams to 12 by 2026 with the hope of it being implemented by 2024 — a wish that ended up coming true.
Fast forward three years, and a second domino is close to its tipping point. Higher ups continue to debate the idea of once again expanding the playoff to 14 or 16 teams in the bracket, a change Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft said he’s “not against” back in February — but Kraft wants some other snags in college football smoothed out before that happens.
“The more teams in and the more kind of tournament you have, I think it’s great,” Kraft said. “We got to continue to look at all the other aspects of that. If you have 16 going on playing into like March, be going to February, I mean, my football players do go to class. They got to go to school. So what are we doing? And so I think we have to understand the bigger impact of that.”
It doesn’t seem like any of Kraft’s concerns are en route to being amended, but there are other aspects of a potential expansion that find themselves at the forefront of these debates. The Big Ten and SEC have both expressed desire to have four automatic qualifiers in each conference.
The pair’s argument dates back to the fall when debates were swirling over which conference was better in 2024 and which one deserved to have more teams in the playoff. As someone who’s been a head coach in both, James Franklin addressed those comments directly on Nov. 20.
“The right thing to be talking about is the two best conferences in all of college football are the Big Ten and the SEC and we should have the most teams in,” Franklin said. “I don’t think we need to take shots in the Big Ten at the SEC because that’s been proven over time. And I don’t think the SEC should be taking shots at the Big Ten.”
Franklin’s comments suffice as foreshadowing for the now ongoing debate about altering the format of the playoff. Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said plainly Wednesday that the Big Ten should have four automatic bids.
“We’re in the Big Ten, and we have 18 teams and some of the best programs in the country,” Day told ESPN. “I feel like we deserve at least four automatic qualifiers.”
Head Coach James Franklin talks to reporters in the Lasch Football Building on Thursday, June 5, 2025 in University Park, Pa.
Alexandra Antoniono
Speaking with the media for the first time since the Blue-White Game, Franklin was asked right off the bat if he agrees with the comments made by one of his rivals. While the Nittany Lions’ head coach indirectly declined to give an answer, Franklin did share some thoughts on the matter.
“It’s an interesting discussion with a lot of different perspectives and a lot of people that have very, very strong feelings in terms of what’s in the best interest of college football, what’s in the best interest of fans, what’s in the best interest of the sport. And I get all of it,” Franklin said. “The majority of people that have strong opinions have an agenda and are biased based on what’s good for them, right?”
As for the Big Ten and SEC specifically, Franklin pointed to the “discrepancies” he notices across college football. Some teams play less conference games, while others aren’t even in a conference, things Franklin feels are reasons why the pair are fighting to have their way with the playoff.
“When you have some conferences playing nine games, some conferences playing a conference championship, some teams not in a conference. It makes it really difficult,” Franklin said. “The other issue you’ve had in the past, every conference and every team or every AD would have the same vote. Well, if we have more teams in our conference now, and have a greater level of competition week in and week out. Why should it be balanced?”
Former Temple head coach and Penn State running backs coach Stan Drayton gave his thoughts on the matter as well, sharing Franklin’s sentiment that there are a lot of different ways to decide who makes the playoff and college football just needs consistency across the board.
Regardless, the debate remains scorching hot, and it’s unclear whether a decision will be made any time soon. One thing is clear, though — the College Football Playoff could look very different come 2026, and more dominoes might keep falling to create a world where the Big Ten and SEC run the sport.
“Our conferences are built differently. Everybody shouldn’t get the same vote… A Penn State vote shouldn’t be the same vote as a school X,” Franklin said. “The way it worked in the old NCAA structures, everybody got the same vote, all the conferences got the same vote, and I guess what I’m saying is I agree with it the way it sits right now, because it’s not even, but let’s spend as much time as we possibly can on trying to get it consistent across the board.”
MORE FOOTBALL COVERAGE
Cornerbacks coach Terry Smith has done it again.
If you’re interested in submitting a Letter to the Editor, click here.
Panthers spend their Saturday training the next generation of hockey hopefuls
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Typically, at the Baptist Health IcePlex, there are Panthers on the ice. Well, today, there are kittens and cubs. It’s part of the Learn-to-Play Program, where they teach the game’s basics to kids. In previous years, there have been around 750 children in the program, but this year, that number has […]
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Typically, at the Baptist Health IcePlex, there are Panthers on the ice. Well, today, there are kittens and cubs.
It’s part of the Learn-to-Play Program, where they teach the game’s basics to kids.
In previous years, there have been around 750 children in the program, but this year, that number has increased to an estimated 1,000 children.
For the next two weeks, all eyes in the South Florida sports world will be on the Panthers as they look to win back-to-back Stanley Cups.
While the defending champions aim to win the series against the Edmonton Oilers, a group of youngsters seeks to help grow the game.
“It’s cool,” said Mason Bobo, a Learn to Play athlete.
“It’s very cool,” said Sloan Munoz, a Learn to Play athlete.
That very cool enthusiasm from the kids is courtesy of the Learn to Play Program.
The Program is for boys and girls from five to nine, aiming to provide cost-effective hockey lessons to kids while also offering free equipment.
While the kids love the gear, there was one problem for Bobo. “I don’t have a number,” when asked what number he’d like to wear, “19.”
That’s right, the fan favorite is Matthew Tkachuk, and these young hockey stars get on-ice training with Florida Panthers Alumni and USA Hockey-certified coaches—the same people who trained Tkachuk.
Now for the goods: what do these kids love most about the program?
“I really like skating and shooting the puck in the goal. It’s just a really fun sport,” said Munoz.
The program allows each kid to share the same practice facility as the defending Stanley Cup champs.
“It’s exciting, and it’s really fun. Hockey is probably one of my favorite sports,” said Munoz.
It’s reactions like that that make parents so happy to have the Panthers reaching back to the youth and growing the game in South Florida.
“It’s a great program to get the kids started. We love the Panthers, and it’s awesome to be sponsored by the Panthers and NHL. It’s great to be in our neighborhood and to be able to interact with Stanley and Victor,” said Mason’s dad Barrett Bobo.
Judge approves NCAA House settlement, changing the landscape of collegiate athletics
Very late on Friday afternoon, we got a massive end-of-the week news dump when a judge officially approved a settlement in the NCAA v. House case. With the ruling, the landscape of college athletics will soon look very different than it has prior. The goal of the settlement is to provide structure to the NIL […]
Very late on Friday afternoon, we got a massive end-of-the week news dump when a judge officially approved a settlement in the NCAA v. House case. With the ruling, the landscape of college athletics will soon look very different than it has prior. The goal of the settlement is to provide structure to the NIL landscape in college football, which is currently effectively a free-for-all. Following the ruling, On3 discussed some of the ramifications of the ruling.
“Since the NCAA was founded in 1906, institutions have never directly paid athletes, On3’s Pete Nakos wrote. “That will now change with the settlement ushering in the revenue-sharing era of college sports. Beginning July 1, schools will be able to share $20.5 million with athletes, with football expected to receive 75%, followed by men’s basketball (15%), women’s basketball (5%) and the remainder of sports (5%). The amount shared in revenue will increase annually.
Advertisement
“Power Four football programs will have roughly $13 to $16 million to spend on rosters for the 2025 season. Many schools have front-loaded contracts ahead of the settlement’s approval, taking advantage of contracts not being vetted by the newly formed NIL clearinghouse . . .
“ . . . The settlement also imposes new restrictions on college sports. An NIL clearinghouse will be established, titled ‘NIL Go’ and run through Deloitte. All third-party NIL deals of $600 or more must be approved by the clearinghouse. If not approved, the settlement says a new third-party arbiter could deem athletes ineligible or result in a school being fined. In a gathering at the ACC spring meetings last week, Deloitte officials reportedly shared that 70% of past deals from NIL collectives would have been denied, while 90% of past deals from public companies would have been approved.”
It remains to be seen exactly how the new rules will affect USC specifically. Given the Trojans’ recent hire of Chad Bowden and the subsequent revamping of their recruiting operation, USC seemingly has the right people in place to bring the program into college football’s new era.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: NCAA House settlement approved, as college sports braces for impact
BREAKING: Jayson Tatum undergoes season-ending surgery | SportsCenter
