POTSDAM, N.Y.—Last season, the SUNY Potsdam women's hockey team capped a strong performance with a spot in the SUNYAC Playoffs. The Bears enter 2026-27 with an entirely new coaching staff and a lot of fresh faces. They face their first test against No. 13 Elmira College on Friday at 3 p.m.
 
Rachel Corbett has been tabbed to lead Potsdam this season as its interim head coach. Corbett was a three-time captain with Oswego State and spent last season as the assistant at Utica University. She is joined by assistant coach Abbi Komrofske. Komrofske played four seasons at Arcadia University, where she was the 2022-23 Middle Atlantic Conference's Rookie of the Year as well as second team All-MAC and a member of the UCHC All-Rookie Team.
 
Captains
Seniors Jessika Bullock (Norfolk, N.Y./Adirondack 46ers) and Jalynn Castro (Dexter, N.Y./Syracuse Valley Eagles) and junior Maddy Ferguson (Oakville, Ontario/Brampton Jr. Canadettes) are the Bears captains. Bullock, who will anchor Potsdam's defense, played in all 26 contests last season with a goal and eight assists. Castro, a forward, led the Bears in scoring last winter with a career-high 18 points on 11 goals and seven assists. Ferguson had a 3.40 goals-against-average in three starts in goal during 2025-26.
 
This year's edition of the Bears will be young. Of the 23 players on the roster, 12 are freshmen.
 
Forward
Along with Castro, the Bears have one junior, four sophomores and eight freshmen at forward. Olivia Visco (West Seneca, N.Y./Nichols School) is the lone junior. She had a goal and an assist in 23 games a year ago. Sophomore Coralie Paradis (Montreal, Quebec/Bourget College) was Potsdam's fourth leading scorer last season with five goals and three assists in 26 games. Sophomore Marissa Whiteside (Long Sault, Ontario/Cornwall Lady Royals) had two goals and an assist, while playing in every game. Sophomores Tegan Konecnik (Fenton, Mo./Pittsburgh Penguin Elite 19U AAA) and Sophia Leas (Whitehorse, Yukon/Ontario Hockey Academy) each had a goal in 26 and 24 contests, respectively.
 
The freshmen forwards include two New Yorkers, one Vermonter, one Virginian, one Pennsylvanian, two Canadians from Ontario and one from New Brunswick. Kylie Couch (Ottawa, Ontario/Bourget Voltigeurs) played in 50 games for the Bourget Voltigeurs last season, scoring five goals and assisting on 10. Sophie Orlicky (Kemptville, Ontario/East Ottawa Stars) had 14 points on six goals and eight assists in 47 games with the East Ottawa Stars. Bailey Walsh (Poestenkill, N.Y./Mountain Cats Academy) played 39 games for Mountain Cats Academy and registered four goals and 17 assists for 21 points. Campbell Hegerty (Vienna, Va./Washington Pride) comes to the North Country from the Washington Pride and Virginia. Sophia Amaya-Gutierrez (Plattsburgh, N.Y./Adirondack 46ers) is a Plattsburgh native that competed for the Adirondack 46ers. Kiersten MacKinnon (Moncton, New Brunswick/Mount Academy Saints) makes the trek from New Brunswick after playing for the Mount Academy Saints. Samantha Kaczorowski (Chester Springs, Pa./Detroit Belle Tire) comes from Pennsylvania but played for Detroit Bell Tire. Montpelier native March Lumbra (Montpelier, Vt./Rice Prep) rounds out the group after playing for Rice Prep last year.
 
Defense
Bullock, junior Ryanne Rathburn (North Syracuse, N.Y./Hoosac School) and sophomore Jayne Gamburg (Upper Dublin, Pa./Philadelphia Jr. Flyers), who will also see some time at forward, are the returning defenseman. Rathburn and Gamburg each played in 22 contests last season, with Gamburg picking up four assists. Three freshmen arrive to bolster the defense. Pennsylvanian Kalyn Freeman (West Chester, Pa./North American Hockey Academy) contributed eight assists in 52 games with the North American Hockey Academy last year. Brook Many Grey Horses (Lethridge, Alberta/Connecticut Jr. Rangers), who arrives from Alberta, had nine goals and four assists in 28 games with the Lethbridge Eagles. Brooke Balogh (Jackson Wyo./Team Colorado) is Potsdam's first ever hockey player from Wyoming.
 
Goal
Along with Ferguson, sophomore Anouk Belmans (Beerse, Belgium/Ontario Hockey Academy) is back in the crease for Potsdam. Last spring, Belmans represented her home nation of Belgium in the 2026 International Ice Hockey Federation Women's World Championships in Hong Kong. The newest Bears goaltender is freshman Sydney Sammut (Oakville, Ontario/Brampton Jr. Canadettes). The Ontario native recorded a 2.28 G.A.A. and .931 save percentage in 47 games for the Brampton Jr. Canadettes.
 
Schedule
After opening up with the Soaring Eagles, Potsdam hosts Nazareth University in the teams' first ever meeting this Saturday at 3 p.m. The next weekend, the Bears travel to Hartford for a two-game series with first year program University of Saint Joseph. Potsdam opens up SUNYAC play with home games against SUNY Cortland on November 13 and SUNY Morrisville the next day. The Bears also have nonconference road contests with Chatham University (December 4-5) and compete at the Castleton Invitational against Worcester State (January 2). They host Middlebury College on January 5 and Utica University on January 12. Potsdam will play its usual 14-game SUNYAC slate.
 
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.
 
See the Bears full schedule here.


Live Coverage for this weekend:

Radio: My Mix 96.1 FM
Live Video: https://potsdambears.com/sports/2015/10/15/WHOCKEY_1015151013.aspx
Live Statistics: https://potsdambears.com/sidearmstats/whockey/summary