2023 Women's College Draft

[jeff]

It’s time for our annual women’s college draft. My thanks to SwimCoach, LimeyPoloDad, and speed for joining us this year. Each participant must select a coach, a goalie, a center, a center defender, and four other field-position players. The coach can be any present or previous head coach of a women’s college, junior college, or high school team. Players who redshirt in 2023 may be selected. When you make your final selection, please note which team you think will win the NCAA championship, which team will do better than expected, which players will be Cutino Award finalists, which player will win the Cutino Award, which player will be named the MPSF newcomer of the year, and which coach will be named the coach of the year.

Note: Vanda Baksa, the 2022 MPSF newcomer of the year and 2nd team All-American, is not playing for Arizona State this year and may not return. An ASU media-relations specialist told me Baksa is playing with Hungary’s senior national team and hopes to make Hungary’s 2024 Olympic team. Baksa would have been a top 10, perhaps a top 5, pick this year.

Here is the draft order for the odd rounds of the draft:

1. oldschoolpolofan
2. SwimCoach
3. LimeyPoloDad
4. speed
5. retiredguy
6. Jeff

The order will be reversed in the even rounds of the draft.

Oldschoolpolofan is on the clock, followed by SwimCoach and LimeyPoloDad.

[oldschoolpolofan]

Team 1

Aria Fischer - Stanford - Center - I think the difference between Aria and all of the centers is the most significant difference vs any other player in the country and others at their positions. This seems like a weak year for 2MD in general so teams will defend Aria in fear with aggressive drops like they do Papa on the men's side so she opens up shooting opportunities for her teammates that won't exist on any other team. A three-time All-American including two first-team selections, I am excited to see Aria make a run for a third national title and Player of the Year!

[jeff]

SwimCoach asked me to post his selection because he's having trouble with his WPP account.

Team 2

2. Isabel Williams, goalie, Cal. Fischer definitely would have been my #1 pick, but I am thrilled to have Isabel Williams on my team. IMHO, there is a bigger gap between Williams and the remaining goalies in the draft compared to Fischer and the balance of the centers. Williams has not received a lot of notoriety due to having Johnson and Longan ahead of her on the National Team, but I feel that she is, by far, the best goalie at the collegiate level right now.

LimeyPoloDad is on the clock, followed by speed and retiredguy.

[LimeyPoloDad]

Team 3

3.Tilly Kearns, USC, Center. 2020 Olympian, Cutino Award finalist and First Team All-American.

[speed]

Team 4

With the fourth pick in the 2023 women's college draft, speed selects:

4. Paige Hauschild, center defender/attacker, USC. Hauschild is a three-time first-team All-American, a two-time Cutino Award Finalist, and won a gold medal at the 2020 Olympics. She can play attacker and center defender. I will decide where she will play on my team by the end of the draft.

Retiredguy is up next.

[retiredguy]

5. Ryan Neushul — attacker — Stanford: Looking like Ryann will become the third Neushul to make an Olympic team in 2024. Just a super smart player who knows how to make big time shots.

[jeff]

Team 6: Name to be determined

6. Jewel Roemer, attacker, Stanford. Roemer, a junior, is a 2x All-American, 1x NCAA champion, and member of the senior national team. She is one of the most fundamentally sound and smartest players I've ever seen (male or female). She should be on the 2024 Olympic team.

7. Bayley Weber, 2MD, USC. Weber, an excellent two-way player, returns for her fifth season at USC. She is a 3x 2nd team All-American, 1x NCAA champion, and member of the senior national team. She was USC's second leading scorer in 2022. It won't surprise me if she's the starting 2MD on the 2024 Olympic team.

retiredguy is on the clock, followed by speed and LimeyPoloDad.

[retiredguy]

8. Ava Johnson — Center — UCLA: definitely another possible 2024 Olympian and will be a force for UCLA this year.

[speed]

Team 4

With the ninth pick in the 2023 women's college draft, speed selects:

4. Paige Hauschild, center defender/attacker, USC. Hauschild is a three-time first-team All-American, a two-time Cutino Award Finalist, and won a gold medal at the 2020 Olympics. She can play attacker and center defender. I will decide where she will play on my team by the end of the draft.

9. Maya Avital, goalie, Stanford. There aren't many top-notch goalies this year. I'm taking Avital, a second-team All-American in 2022, to make sure I get one.

LimeyPoloDad is up next.

[LimeyPoloDad]

Team 3

3.Tilly Kearns, USC, Center- 2020 Olympian, Cutino Award finalist and First Team All-American.

10. Emma Lineback, UCLA LH Attacker- Started last season as freshman and was on the MPSF All-Newcomer team. She recently played for the US senior national team against Spain and Italy.

SwimCoach is up next.

[jeff]

SwimCoach asked me to post his next selection because he's having trouble with his WPP account.

Team 2

2. Isabel Williams, goalie, Cal. Fischer definitely would have been my #1 pick, but I am thrilled to have Isabel Williams on my team. IMHO, there is a bigger gap between Williams and the remaining goalies in the draft compared to Fischer and the balance of the centers. Williams has not received a lot of notoriety due to having Johnson and Longan ahead of her on the National Team, but I feel that she is, by far, the best goalie at the collegiate level right now.

11. Jovana Sekulic, center, Princeton. As a freshman last year, she scored 74 goals and drew 70 ejections. She was a 3rd Team All-American last year and is getting lots of playing time on the USWNT.

Oldschoolpolofan is up next with two picks.

[oldschoolpolofan]

Team 1

1) Aria Fischer - Stanford - Center - Three-time All-American including two first-team selections,Two-time Olympic gold medalist

12) Grace Tehaney - USC - Attacker (LH) - 3x All-American entering her 5th season thanks to covid extra eligibility will have a big year for USC after scoring 40 goals last season and playing a critical role in their run to the final.

13) Alejandra Anzar - USC - Attacker (LH) - Expecting a big bounce-back year from Anzar after an All-American freshman year and two years off training with the Spanish national team in advance of the Olympics. My 4/5 side is going to lethal with Aria at Center

SwimCoach is back on the clock

[jeff]

SwimCoach asked me to post his next selection.

Team 2

2. Isabel Williams, goalie, Cal. Fischer definitely would have been my #1 pick, but I am thrilled to have Isabel Williams on my team. IMHO, there is a bigger gap between Williams and the remaining goalies in the draft compared to Fischer and the balance of the centers. Williams has not received a lot of notoriety due to having Johnson and Longan ahead of her on the National Team, but I feel that she is, by far, the best goalie at the collegiate level right now.

11. Jovana Sekulic, center, Princeton. As a freshman last year, she scored 74 goals and drew 70 ejections. She was a 3rd Team All-American last year and is getting lots of playing time on the USWNT.

14. Katrina Drake, utility, UCLA. Drake is a true utility player and one of the best defensive players around. I can use her either as an attacker, 2MD or even as a center. She is one of the fastest swimmers in the NCAA and one of its top all-around players IMHO. She was the third leading scorer for UCLA last year and should score even more this year after the loss of Musselman. She is a 2X All-American. Drake also trained extensively with the USWNT this summer.

LimeyPoloDad is up next.

[LimeyPoloDad]

Team 3

3.Tilly Kearns, USC, Center- 2020 Olympian, Cutino Award finalist and First Team All-American.

10. Emma Lineback, UCLA LH Attacker- Started last season as a freshman and was on the MPSF All-Newcomer team. She recently played for the US senior national team against Spain and Italy.

15. Lindsey Lucas, Princeton, Goalie. A freshman this coming season and probably the top goalie recruit from the HS class of 2022. She was a member of the US Youth National Team.

speed is up next.

[speed]

Team 4

I'll say it so Jeff can avoid the temptation: That's 3 Miramonte players in the last 4 picks.

With the 16th pick in the 2023 women's college draft, speed selects:

4. Paige Hauschild, attacker/center defender, USC. Hauschild is a three-time first-team All-American, a two-time Cutino Award Finalist, and won a gold medal at the 2020 Olympics. She can play attacker and center defender.

9. Maya Avital, goalie, Stanford. There aren't many top-notch goalies this year. I'm taking Avital, a second-team All-American in 2022, to make sure I get one.

16. Abbi Hill, center defender, UCLA. Hill has good size and strength. She will play center defender for my team, allowing me to play Paige Hauschild as an attacker, except when I need Hauschild's speed and quickness to match up against Aria Fischer. Coming out of Dos Pueblos High School (and playing on the same high school team as Ryann Neushul and Jewel Roemer during the 2016-17 season), some predicted Hill would be a future Olympian. Although it doesn't look like that will happen, Hill is a three-time All-American and a very good player.

Retiredguy is up next.