FILE: In women's hockey, the RPI Engineers shut out the Union College Garnet Chargers, 1-0, to win the Mayor's Cup at MVP Arena in Albany, N.Y., Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024 (Courtesy photo).
TROY, N.Y. — The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) women's ice hockey team and head coach Brian Vines have announced eight new recruits for the Engineers team for the 2024-25 season. The new members include five forwards, two defensemen, one goalkeeper, two transfer students and one former national champion.
First-year goalkeeper Marie Ambras is 5-foot-11 and hails from Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania.
“I chose Rensselaer College because of the excellent academic and athletic opportunities that allow me to thrive both in the classroom and on the ice. Additionally, I value the warm and supportive campus community that makes RPI feel like home,” Ambras said about enrolling at RPI.
A former member of the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite and Philadelphia Jr. Flyers programs, Ambras has competed at Tier I USA Hockey Nationals three consecutive years, winning a bronze medal in 2024. In addition to winning the 2023 Mid-Atlantic Women's Hockey Association (MAWHA) Championship, Ambras and the Jr. Flyers won Atlantic Amateur Hockey Association (AAHA) district titles in 2023 and 2024. Ambras has been selected for multiple USA Hockey women's player development programs, including the 2022 U-16/17 National Camp and the 2023 U-18 Select Camp.
First-year player Alexis Brunette is a 5-foot-7 forward from Kingston, Ontario.
Bruenette comes to Rensselaer after spending the past four seasons with the Kingston Jr. Ice Wolves program. After making his debut with Kingston in the P-WHL in 2019-20, Bruenette was promoted to the Ice Wolves OWHL U22 AA team where he recorded 78 points (43 goals, 35 assists) in 106 games after his promotion. Bruenette's play took a big leap in 2023-24, where the forward recorded a career-high 21 goals and 19 assists in 43 games.
“When I went on my official visit, I knew RPI was the right school for me. The girls were so welcoming, the coaching staff is amazing and the team culture is second to none. I can't wait to get started,” Bruenette said about joining the Engineers.
First-year forward Molly Hamilton is a 5-foot-3 forward from Bay Tree, Alberta.
Hamilton was a member of Team Alberta at the 2023 U18 National Championship, appearing in all six games and recording one assist. Hamilton recorded 11 goals and 27 assists over two seasons with the CSSHL U18 Northern Alberta Extreme and was selected as a CSSHL All-Star in 2022-23. Last season, he recorded 18 points (five goals, 13 assists) with the Red Deer Chiefs in the AFHL U18 AAA division.
“RPI is a place that inspires exploration and pushes me to be my best. I'm excited to test my limits and create opportunities along the way,” Hamilton said about playing at RPI.
Gracyn MacKay, a 5-foot-6 defenceman and first-year player from Irma, Alberta, has played with Hamilton for the Northern Alberta Extreme and Red Deer Chiefs the past three years. A two-time Northern Alberta All-Star in the CSSHL, MacKay played 55 games with the Extreme from 2021-2023 before playing 30 AFHL games with the Red Deer Chiefs last season. MacKay and the Chiefs won the Mandy Schwartz Fire Starter Tournament and were ranked No. 1 in Canada for most of the 2023-2024 season.
“RPI is a highly respected academic school that will help me achieve my dreams,” MacKay said of her reasons for choosing RPI.
Sophie Helgeson comes from a championship background in Wisconsin.
The 5-foot-6 defenseman from Roseau, Minnesota, was part of Wisconsin's national title-winning team last season. In three seasons with the Badgers, Helgeson appeared in 109 games as a part of Wisconsin's defensive unit, totaling three goals and four assists.
“It's a great program led by a great coaching staff so I can't wait to contribute. I also like RPI's reputation for great academic and business connections. I'm looking forward to earning my Master's of Business Administration and am excited to play hockey at RPI,” Helgeson said about his transfer to RPI.
Transferring to RPI is graduate student Natalie Tulchinski, a 5-foot-4 forward from Clifton Park.
Tulchinski joins RPI after two seasons at Boston College (2020-22) and Saint Anselm (2022-24). After appearing in 47 games with Boston College and recording three goals and four assists, Tulchinski flourished at Saint Anselm, making her Hawk debut in 2022-23, scoring 20 goals and 22 assists to be named to the All-New England Women's Hockey Alliance (NEWHA) Second Team. In 2023-24, Tulchinski recorded another 20 goals and 22 assists to be named to the NEWHA All-Conference First Team and NEWHA Player of the Year. Tulchinski is the first New York State player to be named to the Engineers' roster since Blake O'Ross in 2020.
Charlotte Wensley, a 5-foot-5 freshman forward from Dover, New Hampshire, comes to Troy after playing two years for the East Coast Wizards and St. Paul's School, where she was named both a New England Prep School All-Star and a Lakes Region All-Star. Wensley was also selected to the USA Hockey National Camp for 2022.
“The moment I stepped on campus I felt a sense of home, a sense of community and I knew this was where I was meant to be,” Wensley said of enrolling at RPI.
Kara Woodcroft, a 5'10″ first-year forward from Toronto, Ontario, has played 72 games over the past three seasons with OWHL U22 AA teams Ridley College (2021-22) and London Devilettes (2022-24). Woodcroft's best season came in 2023-24, when the forward recorded a career-high 13 points (4 goals, 9 assists) in 41 games. Kara's father, Craig Woodcroft, has been the head coach of the KHL's Dynamo Masques since 2019.
“I am very excited to be attending RPI in the fall. From the moment I stepped on campus and spent time with the team and coaching staff, I knew this was where I would call home for the next four years. I can't wait to get started early and meet all of my teammates,” Woodcroft added about why she chose RPI.
