Gabel and Schroeder earn first-year PHF awards

Boston Pride’s Loren Gabel named Newcomer of the Year and Corinne Schroeder named Rookie of the Year for 2022-23 PHF season

BOSTON, MA – (April 4, 2023) – The Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) has announced its first two award recipients for the 2022-23 regular season in recognition of two first-year performers on the Boston Pride including forward Loren Gabel who has been selected PHF Newcomer of the Year, and goaltender Corinne Schroeder who has been selected PHF Rookie of the Year. Both awards were determined by PHF hockey operations in consultation with all team presidents and general managers.

“Congratulations to Loren and to Corinne for outstanding first seasons in the PHF,” said Lisa Haley, PHF Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations. “My first impression of Loren this season was the separation speed she had. If she could find just a little bit of space, she was able to generate an offensive chance for herself, or a teammate. Loren showed great instincts as both a finisher and playmaker throughout the regular season. Corinne set the bar high for all goalies in the league right from the start when she posted three-straight shutouts to begin her professional career. Her performance throughout the course of the regular season was nothing short of impressive. As I watched her play week in and week out, it was clear she was not just giving her team a chance to win, she was a major factor in why they were winning.”

Gabel led the PHF with 40 points in 22 games which tied the league’s single season scoring record. Her 20 goals and 20 assists were also both category leaders making her the first offensive triple crown winner since the inaugural 2015-16 campaign. This season, the Newcomer of the Year honor is awarded to the top first-year player who has joined the league with prior professional experience. The 25-year-old from Kitchener, Ontario signed with the Pride following three seasons as a member of the PWHPA. Before turning pro, Gabel played four NCAA seasons with Clarkson University where she won back-to-back national championships in 2017 and 2018 and was the 2019 Patty Kazmaier Award recipient.

“It is an honor to be the recipient of the PHF Newcomer of the Year award,” said Gabel. “I want to thank my teammates, coaching staff, support staff, and the organization as a whole. My first year in the PHF was an amazing experience and it was awesome to be part of such a great organization.”

Schroeder set several PHF single season records including 19 wins, seven shutouts, and 761 saves. She also led all netminders with a goals-against-average of 1.67 and a save percentage of .955 in 22 starts for the first place Pride. The Rookie of the Year award is new this season to honor the top first-year player who has joined the league immediately following their collegiate career without any prior professional experience. The 23-year-old from Elm Creek, Manitoba signed with Boston after completing five full NCAA seasons. Schroeder spent four years at Boston University before transferring to Quinnipiac University for a graduate season in 2021-22.

“I’m incredibly honored to be this season’s Rookie of the Year award recipient, it was truly a season to remember for me,” said Schroeder. “Reflecting on this past season, I think it was one of my best ever, especially in terms of consistency. I believe the degree to which I was challenged each and every game played a huge part in my growth and development throughout this season. I am very thankful for that and look forward to seeing the level of competition in the PHF continue to elevate in future seasons.”

This marks the first time any member of the Pride has been selected for Newcomer/Rookie of the Year awards. The past five award recipients are all forwards and include Connecticut’s Taylor Girard in 2021-22, Mikyla Grant-Mentis who won with Toronto in 2020-21, Kate Leary of the Metropolitan Riveters in 2019-20, Minnesota’s Jonna Albers in 2018-19, and Hayley Scamurra who was the first winner with Buffalo in 2017-18. Montreal Force captain Ann-Sophie Bettez and Toronto Six forward Brittany Howard were finalists for the 2022-23 Newcomer of the Year award, while Pride forward Élizabeth Giguère and Whitecaps forward Natalie Snodgrass were Rookie of the Year award finalists.

“I join the entire Boston Pride organization and fan base in congratulating Loren and Corinne,” said Colleen Coyne, President, Boston Pride. “These two athletes are consistent and methodical in their preparation. All season long they put in the time and the work, and they were constantly trying to get better. It’s not surprising that they both had record setting seasons. Corinne proved herself to be a great college player and had some outstanding performances at that level. It was fun to see her bring that same competitiveness and have similar success in her debut season with the PHF. And you certainly don’t need to be an expert in our sport to recognize the rare talent that Loren brings to our team and to our league. It seemed clear to me that her move to the PHF this season, where she was able to practice and compete regularly, allowed her to apply her natural drive and continue to get even better throughout the season.”

Gabel and Schroeder are both finalists for the PHF Most Valuable Player award as selected by the Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA) and Outstanding Player of the Year as voted by members of the PHF Players’ Association. Schroeder is also a finalist for PHF Goaltender of the Year.

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About the Premier Hockey Federation
The PHF is the home of professional women’s hockey in North America. Established in 2015 as the National Women’s Hockey League, the NWHL rebranded to become the PHF in 2021 and provide opportunities for elite athletes to earn a living playing the game they love while fueling the continued growth of the sport. The league is made up of the Boston Pride, Buffalo Beauts, Connecticut Whale, Metropolitan Riveters, Minnesota Whitecaps, Montreal Force, and the Toronto Six who all compete annually for the Isobel Cup. As part of a two-year agreement with ESPN, live coverage of the 2022-23 and 2023-24 PHF seasons is available exclusively on ESPN+ in the United States, and provides international rights for games which includes TSN in Canada. For more information visit premierhockeyfederation.com.

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Featured image by; Premier Hockey Federation (PHF)