Lindenwood University's women's hockey head coach Vince O'Mara and his staff has announced the group of student-athletes that will join the program in the 2013-14 season. The newest Lady Lions are Carrie Atkinson, Morgan Church, Holly Dietzler, Leah Elledge, Anja Kadijevic, Sarah McGall, Alexis Molotky, Katie Nokelby, Tae Otte, Saville Pickar, and Nicole Rash.

The class of 2017 includes six forwards, three defensemen and two goaltenders. The Lady Lions will welcome three players from Minnesota, two from Michigan, two from Ontario, one from Alaska, one from Croatia, one from Texas, and one from Washington.

"We were looking to add to the depth of our team by adding size, speed, and strength to our roster," said O'Mara. "We are very excited about the group we have coming in and we expect them to contribute right away, which should make for a very competitive training camp."

Carrie Atkinson, a defenseman from Ft. Worth, Texas, previously played for the Dallas Stars Elite U19 program. She was a top defenseman on that team which qualified for the USA Hockey national tournament. She finished the season with four goals and 12 assists in 28 games played.

"Carrie is a competitive, physical defenseman with great transition and puck moving skills," said O'Mara. "She is a warrior on the ice with a never-say-never attitude which we are excited about getting in our locker room."

Morgan Church, a forward from Dryden, Ontario, played last season with Dryden High School. She helped guide that team to a third-place finish in the OFSSA Championships.

"Morgan will be a big surprise to a lot of people next year," said O'Mara. "She didn't get a lot of national exposure or national recruiting, but we feel she is a strong player who plays in all three zones."

Holley Dietzler, a forward from Bloomington, Minn., was a captain last year for Bloomington/Jefferson High School. She finished the season with 12 goals and 10 assists in 27 games.

Holly is a speedy, gifted student-athlete who can play both forward and defense," said O'Mara. "She brings a strong two way game and we are excited to see her work hard this summer and add depth to our forward lines."

Leah Elledge, a forward from Champlin Park, Minnesota, played at Champlin Park and was a team captain for her senior season. She finished the year with 21 goals and 18 assists in 27 games.

"Leah is a natural goal scoring power forward," said O'Mara. "After speaking with her the first time I knew she was exactly what we are looking for in a student-athlete and she will be a positive addition to our Lindenwood family."

Anja Kadijevic, a forward from Croatia, played last season with the Croatian national team and also with KHL Gric club team. She tallied five goals and two assists at the Women's World Hockey Championships DII last season.

"Anja has proven to be a natural goal scorer with good hands and finishing touch in front of the net," said O'Mara. "With her experience at the national team level we are expecting her to compete for ice time in her freshman season."

Sarah McGall, a goalie from Owen Sound, Ontario, played last season for the Ottawa Jr. Senators in the Provincial Women's Hockey League. She finished last season with a 9-13-3 record including two shutouts. She also recorded a 2.50 goals against average and .915 save percentage.

"Sarah is a very strong goaltender that should push our starter Nicole Hensley," said O'Mara. "She plays her angles well and her rebound control is a strong part of her game."

Alexis Molotky, a goalie from Spring Lake, Michigan, is coming off one season with the CYA U19 program. Before playing last year with CYA, Alexis played one year of college hockey at Sacred Heart (NCAA DI).

"Alexis had a strong season for CYA and we are looking for her to work hard this summer and come in and compete for ice team next season."

Katie Nokelby, a defenseman from Anchorage, Alaska, played last season for the Alaska All-Stars U19 team. She captained the team and helped to guide the team to a trip to the USA Hockey national tournament.

"Katie is a big, physical defender that sees the ice well," said O'Mara. "She is a team-first player who should provide a great locker room presence and add to our strength, speed, and smarts on the blue line."

Tae Otte, a defenseman from Grand Rapids, Michigan, played last season with Little Caesars U19 program, a rich program with five state championships over the last six years.

"Tae showed a tremendous amount of improvement over the last season and we are excited for her potential for growth while at Lindenwood," said O'Mara.

Saville Pickar, a forward from Lynwood, Washington, was a solid offensive performer last season with Little Caesars. She will join the Lions with teammate Otte and Little Caesar alumni Caitlyn Post and Alyssa West.

"Saville is one of the hardest working players you will come across," said O'Mara. "She gives her all every single shift and is always working to improve her game. We expect her to come in an earn plenty of playing time."

Nicole Rash, a forward from Edina, Minn., finished last season with 13 goals and 14 assists in 28 games for Edina High School. She dominated in sectional play scoring four goals and four assists in three games.

"Nicole is a smart, responsible forward who really sees the ice well," said O'Mara. "She played for one of the top high school programs in Minnesota and that has prepared her well for the transition to the NCAA game."

The Lindenwood women's team finished last season with an overall record of 7-26-3, including a 7-10-3 record in conference play.