That's because she can no longer count on veteran defensemen like Jennie Setaro and Erine Metcalf. The most experienced blueliners this season are sophomore Kim Greene (7 g, 17 a) and junior Erica Archambeau (4 g, 8 a). They will have to bear down in the defensive zone if the Huskies expect to go deep in the playoffs this season.

Junior forward Brooke Whitney (12 g, 22 a) will take over for Witt and White as the designated goal-scorer this season. Like White, Whitney was invited to the U.S.A. Hockey Festival in Lake Placid this summer, and now she is the Huskies' only legitimate scoring threat. Seniors Lisa Giovanelli (17 g, 10 a) and Collen Coen (10 g, 9 a) should also see plenty of shifts at forward.

5. New Hampshire

Nobody ever thought this could happen in Durham, but it looks like 2000-01 will be a rebuilding year for powerhouse UNH. This should not be a surprise, however, given that the Wildcats (24-10-0, 17-7-0) have lost four of the conference's top 13 scorers to graduation.

With the likes of Carisa Zaban, Samantha Holmes, Tina Carrabba and Melissa McKenzie no longer terrorizing ECAC defenses, UNH Coach Karen Kay will have to rely on sophomore goaltender Jen Huggon to keep the Wildcats competitive. As a rookie last season, Huggon finished fifth in the ECAC in both GAA (1.99) and save percentage (.922).

The challenge will likely fall on the shoulderpads of senior forward Michelle Thornton (12 g, 17 a), who is coming off of an ACL injury but should be ready to play when the season starts. With the departure of Kelly McManus, who transferred to Boston College, Thornton is the only proven scorer on the team.

To make matters worse, UNH lost its top two defensemen from last season-- Kerry Maher to graduation and Brandi Kerns to an ACL injury that has forced her to sit out the season as a medical redshirt. Kay will have to hope that her freshmen blueliners can make the transition to college hockey quickly.