Following a run to another Frozen Four back in March, Ohio State’s women’s ice hockey program saw a number of players selected in the 2026 PWHL Draft on Wednesday night in Detroit.
This year six former Buckeyes were drafted, bringing the total number of Ohio State alums selected across the four years the selection event has been held to 30, with 28 of those players being coached by Nadine Muzerall.
Of the six Buckeyes selected in the 2026 PWHL Draft, Emma Peschel and Sara Swiderski were taken in the first
round, marking the second time two Ohio State players were drafted in the first round. Back in 2024, Cayla Barnes and Hannah Bilka were both first round picks.
Four Buckeyes heard their name called among the first 16 picks, which is a new program-best.
Emma Peschel – 7th overall – New York Sirens
The Buckeye defender and 2025-26 team captain appeared in 151 games during her Ohio State career.
Peschel amassed 31 goals, 77 assists, and was a +118 when she was on the ice. The Minnesota product was a two-time All-American, earning second team honors last season before she was named to the first team for her performance during the 2025-26 season.
By being selected with the seventh overall pick, Peschel is the highest Ohio State player drafted since 2024 when Bilka and Barnes were taken with the fourth and fifth overall picks, respectively. Peschel joins fellow Buckeye Paeytn Levis, who will be entering her fourth season with New York.
Makenna Webster was drafted by New York in the third round of the 2025 draft but Webster didn’t play last season as she focuses on trying to make the 2028 Olympics in field hockey.
Sara Swiderski – 9th overall – Minnesota Frost
Just two picks after Peschel was selected, another Ohio State defender came off the board. Following two seasons in Columbus, Sara Swiderski will begin her professional career in Minnesota.
In 70 games for the Buckeyes, Swiderski recorded 39 points and posted a +48 during her college career. Swiderski was the first Canadian selected in this year’s draft.
After winning the Walter Cup as the PWHL playoff champion in the league’s first two seasons, Minnesota was bounced in the first round of the playoffs by Montreal this season. On the Frost’s roster during the 2025-26 season were two Buckeyes, Jincy (Dunne) Roese and Madison Bizal.
Andrea Braendli – 15th overall – Detroit
One of the four teams who will be making the PWHL debut in the fall is Detroit. The second round pick of the expansion franchise was Andrea Braendli, who was a 2022 Ohio State graduate.
The goaltender holds the program record for save percentage, posting a .929 save percentage during her time in the scarlet and gray. After finishing her Buckeye career with 57 wins, Braendli spent the last three seasons playing professional hockey in Sweden.
Earlier this year Braendli was in net for Switzerland at the Olympics, helping her country earn a bronze medal in Italy and being named the tournament’s best goalie. Braendli will join fellow Buckeyes Hannah Bilka and Cayla Barnes, who were both left unprotected by the Seattle Torrent in the expansion draft.
Sloane Matthews – 16th overall – San Jose
One pick after Braendli saw another Buckeye selected, as the expansion San Jose franchise drafted Sloane Matthews on Wednesday night. Matthews appeared in 161 games for Ohio State, netting 48 goals and dishing out 56 assists.
When the lights were brightest was when Matthews played her best hockey, scoring a goal in 7 of the 12 NCAA Tournament games she played in. During the 2025-26 season Matthews was one of the team’s alternate captains.
While San Jose is still constructing their roster ahead of their first PWHL season, Matthews will have a few familiar faces with her out west. Former Ohio State players Maddi Wheeler and Hadley Hartmetz have been brought in by San Jose.
The franchise also drafted one of Matthews’ rivals from college with their first round pick, selecting Laila Edwards from Wisconsin.
Brooke Disher – 32nd overall – Toronto Sceptres
Another defender who was selected in this year’s PWHL Draft was Brooke Disher, who went to Toronto in the third round. During her two seasons on the ice for the Buckeyes, Disher was a +50 and recorded 26 points.
One quality Disher showed in college that professional teams have to love is she didn’t miss any of the 81 games Ohio State played over the last two seasons.
Disher will have plenty of company from Ohio State in Toronto. On the roster for the Sceptres during the 2025-26 season were Natalie Spooner, Emma Maltais, Kiara Zanon, and Raygan Kirk. Toronto lost in the PWHL semifinals in the first two league playoffs, followed by failing to qualify for the postseason at the end of the 2025-26 campaign.
Hailey MacLeod – 48th overall – Montreal Victorie
The final Ohio State player taken in Wednesday night’s draft was Hailey MacLeod. The goaltender set a program record by winning 26 games during the 2025-26 season, finishing her Buckeye career with a 34-5-1 record in net.
MacLeod posted a 1.61 goals against average and .930 save percentage as she was part of an Ohio State team that won the WCHA Final Faceoff and made it all the way to the NCAA title game.
Montreal will enter the 2026-27 season as the reigning champs, having defeated Ottawa last month to earn their first Walter Cup. Unlike Brooke Disher who has a number of former Buckeyes to play with in Toronto, currently there are no other former Ohio State players aside from MacLeod on the Montreal roster.
