Michigan State goalie Jullia Gross-Turkey and forward Asher Printzen may seem like underdogs because they only played club hockey in East Lansing, but that hasn’t stopped them from chasing their professional dreams.
Representing MSU’s women’s hockey program under the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) and Central Collegiate Women’s Hockey Association, Gross-Turkey and Printzen are among the 236 players eligible for the 2026 PWHL Draft at the Fox Theater on Wednesday starting at 5 p.m.
Both are one step closer to being drafted, but it hasn’t been easy.
A native of Hamilton, Ontario, Gross-Turkey spent two seasons at Indiana Tech and then transferred to Michigan State for the 2024-2025 season.
Originally having all costs covered at Indiana Tech, it was the opposite at Michigan State and she had to pay out of pocket to play.
“Unless you get a sponsorship, it roughly will cost players over $3,000 to play, and that contributes to some of your equipment, travel cost, us being able to rent the ice,” Gross-Turkey said. “Those are things that college students shouldn’t have to worry about.”
On the flip side, Printzen spent her entire collegiate career as a Spartan. She said she’s seen firsthand how Michigan has done a lot more for their ACHA team players than Michigan State and the disparities their program faces.
“It seems like the girls on Michigan are doing just the same amount of work to get noticed and to get that NCAA as we are, yet they’re getting obviously more from it,” Printzen said. “I definitely think that we would have a lot more girls who play there or even had a chance to show more potential if it wasn’t so pricey or so unattainable.”
Hockey wasn’t out of the picture just quite for Pritzen after she graduated in December. The Las Vegas native took her talents overseas to play for Spain, and saw a new goal in mind once the PWHL began to grow and she saw her name on the list of eligible players.
“If I didn’t take that chance to go overseas and continue my hockey career, I definitely wouldn’t be in this position now,” Printzen said. “I am grateful for it and the way that this league is growing is insane and these younger girls are going to obviously get to look forward to this growing up and dreaming about it.”
Pitzen isn’t the only former teammate of Gross-Turkey that she gets to share this moment with. Her former teammate, Ashley Episcopo, is also one of the prospects for this year, and is the only other player representing the Central Collegiate Women’s Hockey Association alongside them.
Being drafted is a once in a lifetime moment for both of them, and they’ve been thinking about it every single day.
They’ve overcome challenges with their universities and even feel like they may be underestimated because of their ACHA background, but they know they know it sends a powerful message to the next generation that now has professional women hockey players to look up to.
“Don’t forget where you come from, the people around you, your family, your community, the people who supported you along the way,” Gross-Turkey said, sharing a message to young girls playing hockey.
“Build on those connections, build on what you admire about other players and their game as a person, and have tenacity to silence people who are criticizing you.”
amarable@detroitnews.com
How to watch the PWHL Draft
What: 2026 Professional Women’s Hockey League Draft
When: 5 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Fox Theatre, Detroit
Draft format: Event will consist of six rounds with all 12 PWHL teams selecting from a pool of 235 eligible players
First pick: Vancouver Goldeneyes hold the first overall pick. Detroit traded the third-overall pick to Las Vegas in exchange for Hilary Knight.
Tickets: Limited number of tickets remain, starting at $22
TV/radio: WMYD (TV 20). Livestreamed on PWHL website
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Two Michigan State hockey players chase PWHL dreams at draft
Reporting by Alauna Marable , The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Alauna Marable , The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
