Jill Hertl stepped onto the ice at the NCAA championship with a calm that belied the magnitude of the moment, her glove flashing as she turned away 49 shots from Quinnipiac.
A conference on the rise
Her .953 save percentage that night was more than a statistic; it was the culmination of a four‑year tenure at Franklin Pierce University where she turned 3,382 stops into a program record.
The Illinois native first learned the game on makeshift rinks where boys and girls shared the same boards, an early test of resilience that shaped her competitive edge.
After joining Franklin Pierce as a backup in 2022, she earned a starting role the following season, appearing in 30 games and posting a .934 save percentage, a performance that helped the Ravens clinch their first NCAA championship appearance in school history.
Now, with the PWHL draft looming, Hertl is poised to trade the college spotlight for a professional arena, eager to fly the flag for the NEWHA conference and demonstrate its competitiveness on a national stage.
Her journey, marked by early challenges and record‑setting saves, reflects a broader narrative of women’s hockey growing from grassroots to professional prominence, and she hopes her story will inspire the next generation of female players.