Katelyn Roberts will arrive at New York Sirens camp with a record of finishing games, a heavy summer workload and a clear understanding that a fourth-round selection guarantees nothing. The former Penn State forward was chosen 43rd overall in the 2026 Professional Women’s Hockey League Draft on June 17 in Detroit and is preparing for camp to open Nov. 18 at Essex County Codey Arena in West Orange, New Jersey.
The 22-year-old Chanhassen, Minnesota, native had initially expected a quieter summer after completing her college career. Instead, a quick conversation with Sirens coach Greg Fargo shifted her focus toward the demands of a pro tryout.
“I spoke with Fargo shortly after the draft and got a sense of what he wants from me this season,” Roberts said. “He talked about what I need to improve, along with what I should keep doing from Penn State. I had time with friends and family, but I also had to get going.”
Roberts built her offseason around four on-ice sessions per week and five gym workouts each week. She also played in Edina’s Da Beauty League, the Minnesota summer 4-on-4 circuit that brings together NHL, PWHL and college players.
Summer skates offered a PWHL measuring stick
Da Beauty League gave Roberts a close-up look at the pace and instincts she will encounter at the next level. Her teammates included Minnesota Frost center Taylor Fox, a PWHL First Team All-Star last season, and Detroit expansion center Britta Curl, who earned Second Team All-Star recognition with Minnesota. Fox and Curl were also members of the United States team that captured Olympic gold in 2026.
“There was so much skill out there, and it was a lot of fun,” Roberts said. “Even with the game being more open and fast, it helped me see how talented those players are and what I still need to sharpen.
“Some things I have to think about are automatic for the best players. Getting those parts of my game to become natural will make me better at the pro level.”
Roberts enters camp after a senior season in which she posted 16 goals and 17 assists in 39 games, tying for fifth on Penn State with 33 points. Her seven game-winning goals established a single-season school mark, led Atlantic Hockey America and were tied for second among Division I players nationally.
An alternate captain for the Nittany Lions, Roberts helped Penn State reach the women’s Frozen Four for the first time. The tournament was held on the school’s State College, Pennsylvania, campus, where Penn State fell 4-3 in overtime to Wisconsin in the national semifinal. Wisconsin then beat Ohio State 3-2 to win the championship.
From being told to shoot to a 100-point career
Roberts completed her Penn State career with 103 points — 43 goals and 60 assists — across 153 games, becoming the sixth player in program history to clear the 100-point mark. She credited coach Jeff Kampersal’s early push for her to become more assertive offensively.
“He told me over and over that I needed to be selfish and shoot more,” Roberts said with a laugh. “Eventually I figured I should listen.”
She believed her production put her in the draft conversation, but the scale of the PWHL’s expansion left her unsure how clubs viewed her place in the class. Detroit, Hamilton, Las Vegas and San Jose had just joined the league, alongside changes to the competition format.
“I was hopeful and confident that my game was strong enough to be drafted, but you never know what will happen,” Roberts said. “With the league expanding and changing so much, I did not really know where I stood.”
A diverse draft class and a camp battle ahead
Roberts was one of six players of color selected in a notably diverse draft class during the PWHL’s first three seasons. The group included several high-profile selections:
- San Jose took Wisconsin defender-forward Laila Edwards fourth overall. Edwards became the first Black woman to play for the United States women’s Olympic hockey team at the Milano Cortina Games in February.
- Hamilton selected Brown forward Jade Iginla at No. 18 in the second round. She is the daughter of Hockey Hall of Fame forward Jarome Iginla and sister of NHL prospects Tij and Joe Iginla.
- Vancouver chose Northeastern defender Jules Constantinople, who is Puerto Rican, at No. 25.
- Seattle selected Quinnipiac forward Emerson Jarvis, who is Métis and has roots in Sawridge Cree Nation, at No. 26.
- San Jose drafted Connecticut goaltender Tia Chan at No. 28. The Hamilton, Ontario, native represented China at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
Edwards, Iginla and Chan have signed PWHL contracts. Roberts, selected later in the draft, knows her route onto the Sirens roster runs through camp.
“There is definitely more at stake in this new chapter,” she said. “But I have worked all summer and feel ready to step into the role I need to play. I know I belong on the ice. Now I have to show it, play my game and keep my mind calm when I get out there.”
Roberts sees the draft class as another chance for the growing league to reach communities that have not always felt connected to hockey.
“With Laila, Jade and the rest of us, there are new fan bases that can see themselves in the league,” Roberts said. “As it keeps growing, it can bring in a more culturally diverse group of fans. That is exciting.”
Growing the game beyond the roster
If she makes the Sirens, Roberts hopes to become involved with youth initiatives in the New York area, including Hockey in New Jersey and Ice Hockey in Harlem. She already has experience working with young players through MN Unbounded, a Minnesota program for girls of color co-founded in 2021 by Meredith Lang and former Bemidji State defender Tina Kampa.
Roberts said being a role model at Penn State and in her home state has been meaningful, and she wants to continue that work if she earns a spot in New York.
“It is a huge opportunity to make an impact and help grow the game for people who may not have access to hockey or may not know much about it,” Roberts said. “I would love to work with one of those programs, and hopefully both, if I make the team.”
