FAIRFIELD, Conn. (July 27, 2023) – The Sacred Heart University women's ice hockey team welcomes eight incoming first-year players to its roster for the 2023-24 season. Joining the Pioneers are Peyton Bennetts (South Lyon, Mich./Honeybaked), Diana Bishopp (Columbus, Ohio/Chicago Young Americans), Isabella Chaput (Wixom, Mich./Honeybaked), Campbell Heger (Los Angeles, Calif./Gentry Academy), Lauren Larson (Rogers, Minn./Rogers HS) Grayson Limke (Buffalo, Minn./Holy Family Catholic), Amelia Lynch (Winchester, Mass./Dexter Southfield), and Chase Rutty (Rumson, N.J./Shattuck-St. Mary's).
 
The incoming group of first-years features players from six different states. The class is made up of one goaltender, four forwards, a pair of defenders, and one player who has seen time both up front and on the blue line.
 
"I'm looking for all of our freshmen to come in and make an impact in their own way and contribute to our team both on and off ice," said head coach Thomas O'Malley.
 
Bennetts has played both forward and defense during a lengthy stint with Honeybaked, which culminated with back-to-back seasons serving as a captain of the 19U squad. During her time with Honeybaked, she helped the team to three state titles and three appearances in the national tournament. Bennetts attended the 2018 USA Hockey National Development Camp.
 
No stranger to New England, Bishopp played for Deerfield (Mass.) Academy in 2019-20, before taking the ice at the 19U level with Pittsburgh Penguins Elite and Chicago Young Americans in more recent years. The Buckeye State blueliner played 14 varsity sports in high school, including softball, soccer and volleyball, in addition to ice hockey.
 
Another Honeybaked product, Chaput served as co-captain alongside Bennetts in 2021-22. The forward piled up 69 points (32-37-69) across 65 games that season. Chaput plans to major in biology at SHU, and was also an All-State softball player in high school.
 
Heger has made her way from Tinseltown to Fairfield County via a three-year stop at Gentry Academy in St. Paul, Minn. The forward collected 45 points (23-22-45) over 80 career games for Gentry, and celebrated her most-recent birthday with a Minnesota state championship. Gentry qualified for the state tournament all three seasons Heger was with the team, and she has a pair of state tournament overtime goals to her credit.
 
One of two Minnesota natives in the incoming class, Larson took to the crease in 46 games across three seasons at Rogers High School, where she was also a semifinalist for state Goaltender of the Year. Across 36 appearances as a junior and senior, she put together a .933 save percentage and a 1.65 goals-against average on the way to seven shutouts and a 16-13-1 record. Larson served as captain in both ice hockey and lacrosse at Rogers and intends to study neuroscience at SHU.
 
Also from the North Star State, Limke was a 117-point scorer (60-57-117) over 100 career games across four seasons at Holy Family Catholic High School. Prior, the forward played the 2018-19 season with her hometown Buffalo High School, where she went for 14-8-22 in 25 games.
 
The lone New England native in the incoming octet, Lynch played her prep hockey at Dexter Southfield School in Brookline, Mass., where she helped the team to the NEPSAC Elite 8 for the first time in school history. Lynch was an All-NEPSAC Honorable Mention last winter and has also been a two-time state champion at the junior level, with the Boston Jr. Eagles.
 
Originally from New Jersey, Rutty is no stranger to Connecticut, having spent the 2018-19 season up the Merritt Parkway at Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford. From there, she spent time with the New Jersey Titans, before making her way to Minnesota for two years with national prep hockey powerhouse, Shattuck-St. Mary's. Rutty played in 45 games on the blue line for the Sabres last winter, en route to the U19 USA Hockey national title. The Jamaican will be representing Team Caribbean in the Amerigol LATAM Cup this August in Florida.
 
The incoming eight and the rest of the Pioneers will open the 2023-24 season at home against Saint Michael's on Sept. 29, with a 4 p.m. faceoff against Saint Michael's at Martire Family Arena.

Pictured, clockwise from top-left: Bishopp, Rutty, Heger, Limke, Chaput, Larson, Lynch, Bennetts. All photos courtesy respective student-athletes.