2 UMaine players selected in pro women's ice hockey league draft
Jul. 2—Two members of the University of Maine women's ice hockey team were selected in this week's National Women's Hockey League draft.
Senior defenders Anna Zikova and Daria Tereskina were among 30 players chosen by the league's six teams during the five-round draft of college graduates from the United States and Canada.
Zikova was chosen in the third round as the No. 14 overall pick of the Buffalo Beauts.
The native of Cesky Tesin in the Czech Republic joins goaltender Carly Jackson as the most recent Black Bears drafted by Buffalo.
Jackson, the No. 3 overall pick by the Beauts in the 2020 draft, completed her rookie year in Buffalo with a 3.59 goals against average and a .909 save percentage and was a finalist for the league's goaltender of the year and newcomer of the year awards.
The 23-year-old Zikova concluded her UMaine career with six goals and 19 assists in 63 games.
Zikova also is a four-time member of the Czech Republic women's national team. During her time in her national team's pipeline she earned a bronze medal at the U18 level in 2014 and a gold medal at the 2015 Division 1A Women's World Championships, and she was named one of the three best players at the 2016 Women's World Junior Championships.
Tereshkina was a fifth-round choice of the Toronto Six and became the first Russian-born player drafted into the NWHL as the No. 28 overall pick in the draft.
The native of Chelyabinsk, Russia, amassed 10 goals and 19 assists in 110 games over four seasons at UMaine.
Tereshkina also made three appearances in the U18 Women's World Championship and in 2014-15 helped Russia win the bronze medal. Following her sophomore season at UMaine, she was named to her country's roster for the Women's World Championship.
"Dasha is the type of player that makes everyone's game and day better. Her energy is contiguous and she is the ultimate team-first player," UMaine head coach Richard Reichenbach said. "She excels at both ends in front of the net and is a physical presence. She also has the ability to see the ice well and make plays."
UMaine concluded the 2020-21 season with an 8-9-1 record and advanced to the Hockey East semifinals despite playing all of its games on the road.
Established in 2015, the NWHL was the first professional women's ice hockey league in North America to pay its players. The league consists of the Boston Pride, Buffalo Beauts, Connecticut Whale, Metropolitan Riveters, Minnesota Whitecaps and the Toronto Six.
