VANCOUVER, BC (September 1, 2026) – The Vancouver Goldeneyes today announced that goaltender Katie DeSa has been signed to a one-year Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) Standard Player Agreement for the 2026-27 season. DeSa, selected in the fourth round (37th overall), is the first of Vancouver’s five 2026 PWHL Draft picks to be signed, bringing the Goldeneyes roster up to 17 players under contract for the upcoming campaign.
The 22-year-old from Pawcatuck, CT, completed her NCAA career at Penn State with the most shutouts in program history (25) and set Nittany Lions records for winning percentage (0.818) and goals-against average (1.43). A four-time conference tournament champion, she helped send Penn State to its first-ever Frozen Four appearance in her senior season. In her final year, DeSa also tied her own single-season wins record (27-4-0) and led the NCAA in shutouts with 12. She is a back-to-back AHA Goaltender of the Year winner, All-AHA First Team honouree and Hockey Commissioners Association Goalie of the Year Award semifinalist (2024-25, 2025-26).
DeSa joins a Goldeneyes roster that includes goaltenders Emerance Maschmeyer and Kristen Campbell. The team has also signed forwards Abby Boreen, Katie Chan, Izzy Daniel, Laura Fuoco, Jenn Gardiner, Mannon McMahon, Hannah Miller, Sarah Nurse, Gabby Rosenthal, Anna Segedi and Tereza Vanišová, plus defenders Ashton Bell, Sophie Jaques and Dominika Lásková, and has made a qualifying offer to retain forward/defender Madison Samoskevich.
A complete list of player signings and transactions is available on the official PWHL Transactions Page. To see the full overview of the status of PWHL player contracts, visit the PWHL Contract Guide here.
ABOUT VANCOUVER GOLDENEYES
The Vancouver Goldeneyes is part of the 12-team Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) and was announced in April 2025 as one of the league’s first two expansion clubs. The Vancouver Goldeneyes play its home games at the Pacific Coliseum, located on the property of the PNE. The PWHL was founded in 2023 and began its inaugural season in January 2024, featuring the best women’s hockey players in the world. Since launch, the league has broken multiple attendance records, including setting the global record for attendance at a women’s hockey game.
For the latest news and information on the Vancouver Goldeneyes, visit thepwhl.com/Vancouver, opens in a new tab or follow the team on Facebook, Instagram, and X. Follow the league at @thepwhlofficial on all platforms.