Photo by: Rich Gagnon
Women's Ice Hockey Announces Class of 2023
July 29, 2019 | Women's Ice Hockey
BOSTON - The Boston University women's ice hockey team will welcome five freshmen to the program as part of the Class of 2023, head coach Brian Durocher announced on Monday.
"The Class of 2023 includes five talented student-athletes that will bring academic excellence and hockey success to Boston University," Durocher said. "I look forward to the many contributions they will make in the classroom, on the ice and throughout the community. Most importantly, we are adding people of high character that will fit in with the culture we have created in our program.
Three forwards (Haylee Blinkhorn, Brooke Ersoy and Julia Nearis) and two defenders (Nadia Mattivi, Grace Parker) comprise the incoming class. Mattivi, a native of Italy, is the program's first skater to hail from outside North America.
Haylee Blinkhorn (Oakdale, Minn./Hill-Murray)
BEFORE BOSTON UNIVERSITY
Played four seasons of varsity hockey at Hill-Murray High School ... Captained her squad as a senior and as a junior ... Tallied 46 points in 28 games as a senior and was a player of the year finalist ... 2019 Ms. Hockey semifinalist ... Notched 43 points in 30 games during her junior season ... Attended 2017 Girls Select U18 Player Development Camp ... Helped Hill-Murray win a state title as a freshman, scoring 15 points in 30 games ... Notched 30 points in 30 games as a sophomore to help guide Hill-Murray to third-place finish at state tournament.
Brooke Ersoy (Arlington Heights, Ill./Chicago Mission)
BEFORE BOSTON UNIVERSITY
Played club hockey with Chicago Mission, serving as assistant captain of the U19 team that repeated as state and regional champion in 2018-19 ... Helped guide team to bronze medal at USA Hockey National Championships each of the last two years ... Also won state title with Chicago Mission U16 squad in 2016-17 ... Selected to USA Hockey U15 National Development Camp as a sophomore at Buffalo Grove High School.
Nadia Mattivi (Baselga di Pinè, Trento, Italy/Italian National Team)
BEFORE BOSTON UNIVERSITY
Plays for Italian National Team ... Recorded goal and assist at 2019 IIHF Women's World Championship (Division I Group A) ... Competed on a men's team at U19 Italian National Championship ... Named Best Defenseman after she led Italy to gold at the 2018 IIHF Women's World Championship (Division I Group B), which earned her country promotion to Group A ... Captained Italy to bronze at the 2018 IIHF Women's Under-18 World Championship (Division I Group A), where she also earned Best Defenseman honors ... Played for Linköping HC in the SDHL during the 2017-18 season, notching nine points (3g, 6a) and finishing the year as a plus-17 ... Skated for Italy at the 2017 and 2016 IIHF Women's World Championship (Division I, Group B) ... Won Best Defenseman award at 2016 and 2017 IIHF Women's Under-18 World Championship (Division I Group B), helping Italy earn promotion to Group A in 2017 with a gold medal.
Julia Nearis (Beverly, Mass./Kent School)
BEFORE BOSTON UNIVERSITY
Played four seasons of varsity hockey at Kent School ... Captained the squad to the 2019 New England Division 1 championship and was named the tournament's most valuable player ... Helped lead the Boston Jr. Eagles to the 2019 USA Hockey Girls Tier-I 19U national title ... Named to the 2019 USA TODAY All-USA Third Team after also earning a spot on the publication's All-USA Preseason Team ... Three-time First Team All-NEPSAC honoree ... Named as her team's MVP all four years at Kent School ... Earned All-New England recognition as a sophomore.
Grace Parker (Nepean, Ont./Nepean Jr. Wildcats)
BEFORE BOSTON UNIVERSITY
Played club hockey for Nepean Jr. Wildcats, where she captained the team this past season ... Notched 12 points (3g, 9a) for Nepean during 2018-19 PWHL campaign ... Invited to Canada's selection camp for 2019 U18 World Championship ... Also invited to U-18 Ontario High Performance Camp each of the last two years ... Won a silver medal at three different tournaments with Nepean in 2018-19 ... Played varsity hockey at St. Joseph Catholic High School, where she was a three-year captain and three-time team MVP ... Won gold medal at the USA-Canada Cup Showcase Tournament as a sophomore ... Also played tennis and ran cross country.
"The Class of 2023 includes five talented student-athletes that will bring academic excellence and hockey success to Boston University," Durocher said. "I look forward to the many contributions they will make in the classroom, on the ice and throughout the community. Most importantly, we are adding people of high character that will fit in with the culture we have created in our program.
Three forwards (Haylee Blinkhorn, Brooke Ersoy and Julia Nearis) and two defenders (Nadia Mattivi, Grace Parker) comprise the incoming class. Mattivi, a native of Italy, is the program's first skater to hail from outside North America.
Haylee Blinkhorn (Oakdale, Minn./Hill-Murray)
BEFORE BOSTON UNIVERSITY
Played four seasons of varsity hockey at Hill-Murray High School ... Captained her squad as a senior and as a junior ... Tallied 46 points in 28 games as a senior and was a player of the year finalist ... 2019 Ms. Hockey semifinalist ... Notched 43 points in 30 games during her junior season ... Attended 2017 Girls Select U18 Player Development Camp ... Helped Hill-Murray win a state title as a freshman, scoring 15 points in 30 games ... Notched 30 points in 30 games as a sophomore to help guide Hill-Murray to third-place finish at state tournament.
Brooke Ersoy (Arlington Heights, Ill./Chicago Mission)
BEFORE BOSTON UNIVERSITY
Played club hockey with Chicago Mission, serving as assistant captain of the U19 team that repeated as state and regional champion in 2018-19 ... Helped guide team to bronze medal at USA Hockey National Championships each of the last two years ... Also won state title with Chicago Mission U16 squad in 2016-17 ... Selected to USA Hockey U15 National Development Camp as a sophomore at Buffalo Grove High School.
Nadia Mattivi (Baselga di Pinè, Trento, Italy/Italian National Team)
BEFORE BOSTON UNIVERSITY
Plays for Italian National Team ... Recorded goal and assist at 2019 IIHF Women's World Championship (Division I Group A) ... Competed on a men's team at U19 Italian National Championship ... Named Best Defenseman after she led Italy to gold at the 2018 IIHF Women's World Championship (Division I Group B), which earned her country promotion to Group A ... Captained Italy to bronze at the 2018 IIHF Women's Under-18 World Championship (Division I Group A), where she also earned Best Defenseman honors ... Played for Linköping HC in the SDHL during the 2017-18 season, notching nine points (3g, 6a) and finishing the year as a plus-17 ... Skated for Italy at the 2017 and 2016 IIHF Women's World Championship (Division I, Group B) ... Won Best Defenseman award at 2016 and 2017 IIHF Women's Under-18 World Championship (Division I Group B), helping Italy earn promotion to Group A in 2017 with a gold medal.
Julia Nearis (Beverly, Mass./Kent School)
BEFORE BOSTON UNIVERSITY
Played four seasons of varsity hockey at Kent School ... Captained the squad to the 2019 New England Division 1 championship and was named the tournament's most valuable player ... Helped lead the Boston Jr. Eagles to the 2019 USA Hockey Girls Tier-I 19U national title ... Named to the 2019 USA TODAY All-USA Third Team after also earning a spot on the publication's All-USA Preseason Team ... Three-time First Team All-NEPSAC honoree ... Named as her team's MVP all four years at Kent School ... Earned All-New England recognition as a sophomore.
Grace Parker (Nepean, Ont./Nepean Jr. Wildcats)
BEFORE BOSTON UNIVERSITY
Played club hockey for Nepean Jr. Wildcats, where she captained the team this past season ... Notched 12 points (3g, 9a) for Nepean during 2018-19 PWHL campaign ... Invited to Canada's selection camp for 2019 U18 World Championship ... Also invited to U-18 Ontario High Performance Camp each of the last two years ... Won a silver medal at three different tournaments with Nepean in 2018-19 ... Played varsity hockey at St. Joseph Catholic High School, where she was a three-year captain and three-time team MVP ... Won gold medal at the USA-Canada Cup Showcase Tournament as a sophomore ... Also played tennis and ran cross country.
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