The defending Isobel Cup-champion Minnesota Whitecaps have signed their first defender of the 2019 NWHL offseason – and she or he is a darn good one too! Defender of the 12 months finalist Amanda Boulier shall be returning to the workforce for the upcoming 2019-20 season.
Phrase was launched on the morning of Jun. 12 that the bullet-shooting 26-year-old had been re-upped. Boulier is the fifth participant to signal with the Whitecaps since free company began on Could 15, and the fourth returning member of the 2018-19 Cup-winning squad.
“The fan help at TRIA Rink in our inaugural NWHL season, highlighted by sellout crowds in any respect 10 dwelling video games, was a testomony to the well being of girls’s hockey in Minnesota. We are able to’t wait to get began subsequent 12 months together with our followers, defend the Isobel Cup.” – @Amanda_Boulier pic.twitter.com/7pCbB3wS2B— Minnesota Whitecaps (@WhitecapsHockey) June 12, 2019“The fan help at TRIA Rink in our inaugural NWHL season, highlighted by sellout crowds in any respect 10 dwelling video games, was a testomony to the well being of girls’s hockey in Minnesota,” stated Boulier within the press launch about her signing. “We are able to’t wait to get began on 2019-20 and, together with our followers, defend the Isobel Cup.”
Along with being named a finalist for Defender of the 12 months, Boulier was additionally named one of many Followers’ Three Stars of the Season. The truth that the Whitecaps could have her on their roster as soon as once more bolsters their probability for title protection exponentially.
One of many Most Thrilling Defenders within the League
At 5-foot-1, Boulier could also be diminutive however she performs the sport with quite a lot of tenacity and drive. A part of the reasoning behind her incomes the Followers’ Three Stars nod is because of her being a sheer pleasure to be careful on the ice. Her mix of velocity, talent and willpower make her a real fan favourite.
Boulier was one among solely two NWHL defenders to have reached double digits in factors throughout 2018-19. She is lightning-quick along with her skating, has no hesitancy in the case of becoming a member of the push, and may hearth the puck with nice velocity. Relating to her personal zone, Boulier backs down from nobody and makes use of well-executed positional play to place shooters at dangerous angles and pressure them off of the puck.
Amanda Boulier led all Minnesota Whitecaps defenders in scoring through the 2018-19 NWHL season (Photograph offered courtesy of NWHL/Amanda Ghysel).
Such capabilities noticed Boulier generate 5 objectives and eight assists for 13 factors in 16 video games. The one Whitecaps to generate extra factors than Boulier have been not too long ago re-signed teammate Jonna Curtis and former teammate Kendall Coyne Schofield. Moreover, Boulier was one among seven gamers for Minnesota to seem in all 16 common season video games and each of their playoff video games.
So far as Whitecaps’ historical past is worried, Boulier factored in there as effectively. Minnesota would play a semi-final playoff matchup in opposition to the Metropolitan Riveters on Mar. 15, 2019. When Boulier beat Riveters’ goalie Katie Fitzgerald on the three:36-mark of the opening interval, she tallied the primary postseason purpose in Minnesota’s NWHL historical past.
Boulier Completes a Whitecaps’ Trifecta
So far the Minnesota Whitecaps’ have accomplished a trifecta of types in the case of free agent signings. They’ve already introduced again their high scorer in Curtis. They made sure to safe their beginning netminder and 2018 Greatest Goaltender winner Amanda Leveille. Now they’ve secured their elite defender.
Boulier completed the 2018-19 marketing campaign with a plus-16 for her plus/minus score. That positioned her second amongst all Whitecaps skaters, and fourth finest in your entire league. When Boulier broke into the league in 2017-18 as a member of the Connecticut Whale, her minus-1 was the third finest on that workforce too amongst skaters to have performed at the least 10 video games.
Enjoying on a greater workforce in Minnesota actually helped produce a greater quantity, however the reliability stayed very a lot the identical. The opposite vital level being is that as sound is Boulier is offensively, she isn’t a legal responsibility in her personal finish.
Minnesota Whitecaps’ defender Amanda Boulier possesses a really highly effective slap shot (Photograph offered courtesy of NWHL/Amanda Ghysel).
A lot of her offense is pushed by her patented slap shot. Whereas it’s a highly effective shot for positive, additionally it is a misleading shot too. Boulier’s windup oftentimes catches opposing defenses off-guard, and she or he wants little or no time to get the shot away. Boulier fired 40 pictures on web in 2018-19 – the second most amongst all defenders in your entire league.
It is extremely a lot a risk that 2020’s Greatest Defender recipient could very effectively have simply been signed. At this level within the juncture, it is going to be tough for different NWHL normal managers to signal a greater rearguard than Amanda Boulier.
Here’s a have a look at how the Whitecap’s roster is presently shaping out as of Jun. 12:
Goaltender: Amanda Leveille
Protection: Amanda Boulier
Ahead: Allie Thunstrom, Jonna Curtis, Nicole Schammel.
Starting Could 15, NWHL groups can re-sign gamers from their 2018-19 roster and their draft picks. Moreover, for these gamers who’ve accomplished their school eligibility and need to proceed their hockey careers, NWHL Free Company gives the very best alternative to proceed taking part in on the highest degree ladies’s hockey. The fifth season of the NWHL will start in October because the Minnesota Whitecaps look to defend their Isobel Cup championship.
My colleague Dan Rice will hold THW readers up-to-date on Metropolitan and Connecticut’s signings all through the summer season, whereas I publish updates on Buffalo and Boston. Collectively we shall be protecting readers knowledgeable of all of Minnesota’s signings.
Riveters Signal Murphy, Whale Re-Signal Brickner
Whitecaps Signal Gophers’ Scoring Star Nicole Schammel
Curtis Rejoins Whitecaps to Defend Isobel Cup
