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The New York Riveters selected three players from Boston College's women's hockey team in the first NWHL draft Saturday, as the team fills out its first roster for the league's inaugural season.
The Riveters won the first overall pick in the NWHL lottery and used it to take BC forward Alex Carpenter, who was recently named New England D1 Player of the Year for the second time in her career. Carpenter scored 37 goals and 44 assists this season for a school record 81 points, and finished with a robust 2.1 points per game average that lead all players in the nation. She is the 2015 recipient of the Patty Kazmaier Award as the best female ice hockey player in the country.
With the first pick in the second round, the Riveters took Carpenter's teammate Haley Skarupa, who finished second on the Eagles with 71 points (31 goals, 40 assists). In the fourth round, New York selected BC forward and Long Island native Dana Trivigno. Trivigno, from Setauket, had 15 goals and 19 assists this season.
All three players were part of the U.S. Women's National Team that won gold at the IIHF World Championships in April. Skarupa scored a goal and Trivigno had an assist in Team USA's 7-5 win over Canada in the gold medal game.
In the third round, the Riveters took defender Erin Ambrose from Clarkson. Ambrose led the Golden Knights to an NCAA championship last season and was the country's highest scoring defenseman this year.
Princeton goalie Kimberly Newell was selected in the fifth and final round. Newell went 12-14-2 with a 9.25 save percentage this season for the Tigers.
Players who have completed their junior year at college were made eligible for the draft. Teams will construct rosters via try outs and free agents, but by selecting some of the best NCAA players in the country, the league's elite talent is expected to come from the draft. Players are not required to sign with the teams that drafted them.
A few weeks before, the Riveters signed Austrian forward Janine Weber to the league's first free agent contract. Weber scored in overtime to give the Boston Blades the Clarkson Cup as CWHL champions last season.
The Riveters will now play at Aviator Events in Brooklyn after their original home at Long Island's Twin Rinks declared bankruptcy. The NWHL's inaugural season schedule has yet to be announced.