Bemidji State forward Haley Mack was selected by the Minnesota Whitecaps with the 23rd overall pick in the fourth round of the National Women’s Hockey League draft on Wednesday night. Mack is the first Beaver to be taken in the NWHL draft and will join former Beaver Stephanie Anderson on the Whitecaps.
As a senior in 2019-20, Mack led the Beavers in points (28) and goals (15) and finished her BSU career fifth all-time in career goals with 38, while setting a program record with five career shorthanded goals over four seasons. The East Grand Forks native was also a three-time WCHA Scholar Athlete and WCHA All-Academic Team honoree.
“Haley Mack is one of the most competitive players I have ever coached and absolutely hates to lose at anything,” BSU head coach Jim Scanlan said in a tweet posted by the NWHL. “She is a natural goal scorer who is deceptively fast, quick in the tight areas, and has a great release. Her competitiveness, quickness and hockey sense made her an outstanding penalty killer at Bemidji State and became the program record holder for shorthanded goals.”
The results of the 2020 NWHL draft were announced via Twitter over two nights beginning with the first two rounds Tuesday, April 28, and the final three rounds Wednesday, April 29.
A draft-day trade sent the first overall pick from the recently-announced expansion team in Toronto to the Boston Pride, who selected Boston University forward Sammy Davis.
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The Whitecaps drafted two University of Minnesota players in the opening two rounds Tuesday: forward Alex Woken and defenseman Patti Marshall. Along with Mack, the Whitecaps also selected a pair of Wisconsin Badgers on Wednesday: forward Presley Norby in the third round and defenseman Maddie Rowe in the fifth.
The Whitecaps were set to face Boston in the Isobel Cup Final on March 13, but the game was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The game has not yet been rescheduled.
