Annelies Bergmann
By Eli Fastiff
Last year, Annelies Bergmann placed 24th on this list after leading the NCAA in shutouts, guiding Cornell to the Frozen Four and earning Second Team All-American honors. That August, the six-foot-one netminder started a pair of games for Team USA at the Collegiate Select Series — resulting in a regulation win and a shootout win in which she denied all 14 Canadian attempts.
Now, just over a year later, Bergmann enters her senior year sitting outside the Top 25. Why? In the 2025-26 season, Bergmann allowed over half a goal per game more on average than in her All-American sophomore campaign and posted a collegiate career-worst 11 losses. And despite her success in the 2025 Collegiate Select Series, Bergmann was passed over in favor of Ava McNaughton for an Olympic roster spot back in February.
While Bergmann’s eye-opening sophomore season was aided by a Cornell defense corps that included six current or future PWHLers, her disappointing junior year was similarly influenced by her collegiate team — though struggling this time around — not solely by a drop-off in play. Her large frame and quick reflexes make her elite, and the fact that her positioning and rebound control still have room for improvement means her ceiling is on-par with draft classmates McNaughton and Ève Gascon (Minnesota Duluth).
Jocelyn Amos
By Reid Lemker
Jocelyn Amos is one of the best two-way centers in the NCAA, the kind of player coaches love. Amos followed up her breakout sophomore campaign with another strong year offensively for Ohio State last season, finishing second on the Buckeyes in goals (22), third in assists (26), and third in points (48) in 37 games.
However, Amos’ game is about more than just scoring. She ranked second in the NCAA with 539 faceoff wins and finished the season with a .640 faceoff winning percentage. She was also tied with Joy Dunne for a team-leading +50 plus/minus rating. Amos also blocked 25 shots, second-best among Buckeye forwards.
Amos does it all for Ohio State, and will once again be a captain for the Buckeyes in her upcoming senior year. This is the second consecutive year that Amos is an honorable mention on this list — a strong senior season should allow Amos to crack the Top 25 next year.
Abby Newhook
By Lydia Murray
After a fantastic rookie season in the PWHL, Abby Newhook has made the Top 25 Under 25 list for the first time, albeit as an honorable mention.
When Boston Fleet general manager Danielle Marmer spoke to the media following the 2025 PWHL Draft, she said she was “wildly surprised” that Newhook was still on the board in the fifth round, where the Fleet selected her with the 34th overall pick. Marmer pegged Newhook as someone who could surprise a lot of people in the PWHL, and it didn’t take long for her to be proven correct.
Newhook’s workhorse mentality and nose for the net were evident immediately, as she banked three goals in her first four games, while also firing eight shots on goal and landing three hits over that span. Some players take a little bit to settle into the more physical and competitive PWHL, but Newhook’s style had her looking at home right away.
While her grit is a big part of why she was able to adjust to the PWHL so quickly, Newhook has plenty of skill to go along with it. Her collegiate numbers are not eye-popping like some of the others in the Top 25, but her 113 points in 142 games played are plenty respectable given her Boston College teams had few to no true stars. Newhook is also the kind of player who can elevate her game when surrounded by elite players, and that showed last season while playing alongside Alina Müller.
Newhook’s 14 points in 29 games ranked fifth among PWHL rookies, making her one of two players drafted outside the first two rounds of the entry drafts (thus excluding 2023’s all-player inaugural draft) to finish top-five in rookie scoring in league history, alongside then-Minnesota forward Brooke McQuigge (2024 fourth round, 21st overall). Newhook also earned a place on the all-rookie team, becoming the only forward drafted outside of the first two rounds to receive that honor. She is also the lowest-drafted player overall to make the all-rookie, narrowly behind then-Montréal defender Anna Wilgren (fifth round, 29th overall), and one of just three players drafted outside of the top two rounds, alongside Wilgren and goaltender Gwyneth Phillips (third round, 14th overall), who both made the 2024-25 team.
All things considered, the 2025-26 season was one to remember for Newhook. With Müller off to PWHL Hamilton and no clear replacement picked up this offseason, Boston will be counting on her to build off her strong rookie campaign in 2026-27. If she can do that, the 23-year-old St. John’s, NL native might just find herself on the main Top 25 Under 25 list next year.
